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The Talmud, in its discussion of the Chanukah candles, quotes the famous argument of Beit Hillel and Beit Shamai. Beit Hillel holds we light the candles beginning with one on the first night and continuing until we light eight on the last night and Beit Shammi says we light them in the opposite direction, from eight on the first night to one on the last night. The Talmud explains the argument in the following way: