Back to
Religious Objects Religious Living Temple
Israel Home Page Temple Israel of Northern Westchester
Back to
Religious Objects Religious Living Temple
Israel Home Page
Havdalah 
 |
As Shabbat left with the evening darkness, our sages must have regarded that departure as a time of foreboding, a waning of holiness, as the week's trials approached. The ceremony of Havdalah, which means distinction or separation, was created not only to consciously separate the sacred time from the approaching secular, but to send us into the coming week with the experience of Shabbat still lingering, "a good week, a week of peace". |
| Havdalah is a joyous ceremony with meaningful symbols and not hard at all to make a part of your home rituals. It is recited after sunset on Saturday evening; in a darkened room, using one candle made of at least two separate wicks, (Creation and Redemption becoming one), a large cup of wine (symbol of joy), and a spice box filled with any aromatic spice, symbolizing Shabbat's richness and also to leave us with a pleasant fragrance as the Sabbath departs. |  |
 |
Havdalah Candle,
Kiddush Cup, Spice Box and Bread Plate. See below for details on the ritual of Havdalah. |
The blessing over
the wine is said first, but the wine is not drunk just yet:
 |
Baruch atah
Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, bo-rei p'ree ha-gafen. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. |
Now the blessing
is made over the spices, and as the spice box is passed around,
they are smelled in turn by those present:
| Baruch atah
Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, bo-rei minei vesamim. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of diverse spices. |
 |
The blessing over
the flame is then recited and it is the custom to extend our
hands towards the light, to see the light reflected in our
fingernails and palms, symbolizing the divisions between light
and dark, holy and profane.
 |
Baruch atah
Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, bo-rei me-orei ha-aish. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the light of fire. |
A final prayer of
separation recognizing Shabbat as a special day of holiness is
then recited:
| Baruch atah
Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-mavdil bane kodesh
l'chol, bane or l'chosech, bane yisrael l'amim, bane yom
ha-sh'vee-ee l'shayshet y'may ha-ma'she, Baruch atah
Adonai, ha-mavdil bane kodesh l'chol. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who separates sacred from secular, light from darkness, Israel and the nations, the seventh day of rest from the six days of labor. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who separates the sacred from the secular. |
 |
Finally, the cup of wine is
passed around for all to drink, and a few drops of the wine
should then be poured into a dish to extinguish the candle, or as
some do, by dipping the candle into the cup of wine itself. It is
then customary to wish everyone a Shavuah Tov, a good week, The
song "Eliahu ha-Navi" (May the Prophet Elijah come
speedily in our time-heralding our redemption) is traditionally
sung to close the ceremony.
Religious Objects is produced by Steve
Butterfass and Eric Bonnell