The Chanukah light symbolizes the light of religious, national and cultural
freedom won by the Maccabees for their people. It gave new force to the faith
that had waned under the influence of the Greeks, and Jewish culture began to flourish
again. Also the Hebrew language, which had been largely supplanted by Greek,
came into its own once more.
The Shamash is lit first and then used to light the other eight candles. The
candles are placed in the menorah from right to left. But the candles are
lit from left to right.