מותר לה להדליק את המנורה, אבל אסור לה לפתוח את התנור עכשיו.

Because these are two different things:

• the first לה means to her
• the second ל is part of the infinitive להדליק = to light / to turn on

So:

• מותר לה = it is allowed for her
• להדליק = to light / to switch on

This pattern is very common in Hebrew:

מותר/אסור + person + infinitive

For example:

• מותר לי לשבת = I’m allowed to sit
• אסור להם להיכנס = They are not allowed to enter

Yes. לה means to her.

So this sentence is talking about a female person.
If it were a male person, Hebrew would use לו:

• מותר לו להדליק... = He is allowed to light...
• אסור לו לפתוח... = He is not allowed to open...

In present-tense Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not said.

So Hebrew often says:

• מותר לה literally: allowed to her
• אסור לה literally: forbidden to her

But in natural English, we translate that as:

• She is allowed...
• She is not allowed...

This is normal Hebrew grammar, not something missing.

They mean:

• מותר = permitted / allowed
• אסור = forbidden / prohibited

In sentences like this, they behave almost like fixed expressions for permission and prohibition.

So:

• מותר לה להדליק = She is allowed to light
• אסור לה לפתוח = She is not allowed to open

A useful way to remember them is:

• מותר = allowed
• אסור = not allowed

Good question. Hebrew distinguishes between ability and permission.

• יכולה = can / is able to
• מותר = is allowed to

So these are different:

• היא יכולה לפתוח את התנור = She can open the oven / she is able to open it
• מותר לה לפתוח את התנור = She is allowed to open the oven

In your sentence, the issue is permission, not ability, so מותר and אסור are the right words.

את marks a definite direct object.

It does not usually get translated into English, but it is required before a direct object when that object is definite, such as with the.

So:

• להדליק את המנורה = to light the lamp
• לפתוח את התנור = to open the oven

But with an indefinite noun, את is normally not used:

• להדליק מנורה = to light a lamp
• לפתוח תנור = to open an oven

Because ה־ is the Hebrew word for the, attached to the beginning of the noun.

So:

• מנורה = lamp
• המנורה = the lamp

and

• תנור = oven
• התנור = the oven

Unlike English, Hebrew usually puts the directly onto the noun as a prefix.

Not necessarily. In modern Hebrew, מנורה often means a regular lamp or light fixture.

So in this sentence, המנורה most likely just means the lamp or the light, depending on context.

That can surprise English speakers because menorah in English usually refers to the Jewish candelabrum, but in Hebrew the word is much more general.

They are both infinitives, the Hebrew equivalent of to light / to turn on and to open.

• להדליק = to light / to switch on
• לפתוח = to open

Hebrew often uses the infinitive after words like מותר and אסור:

• מותר לה להדליק = She is allowed to light
• אסור לה לפתוח = She is not allowed to open

A good beginner clue is that many Hebrew infinitives begin with ל־, which often corresponds to English to.

אבל means but.

It connects the two contrasting parts:

• she is allowed to do one thing
• but she is not allowed to do another thing

So the structure is:

[allowed clause], אבל [forbidden clause]

That is very natural Hebrew word order.

עכשיו means now, and here it most naturally modifies the second clause:

• אסור לה לפתוח את התנור עכשיו = She is not allowed to open the oven now

Putting עכשיו at the end is very normal in Hebrew. It gives the sense that the prohibition applies at this time.

Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, so you could move עכשיו for emphasis, but the version in your sentence sounds natural and clear.

The given order is the most neutral and common:

• מותר לה להדליק...
• אסור לה לפתוח...

But Hebrew can move things around for emphasis. For example:

• לה אסור לפתוח את התנור עכשיו = She is not allowed to open the oven now

That version emphasizes her more strongly.

So the original sentence is the normal, unmarked way to say it.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

mutár la lehadlík et hamenorá, avál asúr la liftóaḥ et hatanúr akhsháv

A few notes:

• ch / ḥ in liftóaḥ and akhsháv is the throaty sound heard in words like Chanukah
• להדליק sounds like le-had-leek
• לפתוח sounds like lif-to-akh

You may also hear very slight variations in stress depending on the speaker, but the above is a good standard model.