Havdalah (Hebrew: הַבְדָּלָה, meaning 'separation') is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and holidays, and ushers in the new week. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky. Some communities delay the Havdalah in order to prolong Shabbat.
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Havdalah is recited over kosher wine or kosher grape juice, although other beverages may be used if wine or grape juice are not available. On completion of the Shabbat, a special braided Havdalah candle with more than one wick is lit, and a prayer is recited. It is customary to gaze at one's fingernails reflecting the light of the candle. Spices, often stored in a decorative spice container, are handed around so that everyone can smell the fragrance. In many Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, branches of aromatic plants are used for this purpose. After Yom Kippur, a candle is used, but not spices.
It has long been customary to beautify and honor the Mitzvah of Havdalah by placing the spices in an artistically beautiful spice box, called a besamim.
Havdalah is intended to require a person to use all five senses—to taste the wine, smell the spices, see the flame of the candle and feel its heat, and hear the blessings.[1]
According to some customs, at the conclusion of Havdalah, the leftover wine is poured into a small dish and the candle is extinguished in it, as a sign that the candle was lit solely for the mitzvah of Havdalah. Based on Psalms 19:9, "the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes," some Jews dip a finger into the leftover wine and touch their eyes or pockets with it. Because it was used for a mitzvah, the wine is considered a "segulah," or good omen.[2]
When a major holiday follows Shabbat, the Havdalah service is recited as part of the holiday kiddush. No spices are used, and although the blessing is recited over the candle, the candle used is not the special braided Havdalah candle, but rather the Festival candles that are lit. This variation shows that the holiday time continues.
Some Hassidic Jews, particularly (though not exclusively) women, recite the Yiddish prayer God of Abraham before Havdalah. After the Havdalah candle, it is customary to sing "Eliyahu Hanavi" and bless one another with the words "Shavua' tov" (Hebrew) or "Gute vokh" (Yiddish) (Have a good week). In some households, the participants break into a dance.
The central blessing of the Havdalah is the following paragraph, of which there are variants[3] :
The text of the Havdalah service exists in two main forms, Ashkenazic and Sephardic. The introductory verses in the Ashkenazic version (beginning הנה אל, Hinei El) are taken from the biblical books of Isaiah, Psalms and Esther. In the Sephardic liturgy, the introduction begins with the words ראשון לציון, Rishon L'tsion and consists of biblical verses describing God giving light and success interspersed with later liturgical prose. The four blessings over the wine, spices candle and praising God for separation between holy and profane are virtually identical between the traditions. In Reconstructionist Judaism the phrase ביו ישראל לעמים, bein Yisrael l'amim 'between Israel and the nations' is omitted, as part of founder Mordechai Kaplan's rejection of the idea of chosenness.
Popular tunes for the introductory paragraph of Havdalah ('Hinei El Y'shuati') in the Ashkenazic rite are The Rose (song) by Bette Midler and melodies by Shlomo Carlebach and Neshama Carlebach. The Blessings themselves are often sung to a tune made popular by contemporary Jewish artist/composer Debbie Friedman. Most chassidim and those following the Sefard prayer rite recite the Yiddish prayer Gott fun Avrohom. The introduction to the Sefardic version is slightly different. See List of Jewish prayers and blessings: Havdalah.
Following a normal Shabbat, the order of the prayers corresponds to the acrostic יבנ"ה "Yavneh", with the initials Yayin (wine), Besamim (spices), Ner (candle), and Havdalah (the Havdalah prayer).[4] The order of elements when Havdala is combined with kiddush (e.g., on a Saturday night that is 'Yom Tov' (i.e., literally, 'Good Day') is known by the acrostic Yaknhaz.[5] This is the initial letters of Yayin (wine), Kiddush HaYom (blessing the day), Ner (candle), Havdala (the Havdala blessing) and Zman (time, i.e. shehechiyanu).
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