Havdalah

Havdalah is a special Jewish ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and welcomes the beginning of the new week. This ritual is performed on Saturday night after three stars appear in the sky, showing that Shabbat has ended. During Havdalah, a person lights a special candle with multiple wicks, makes a blessing over a cup of wine, and smells sweet spices, known in Hebrew as "besamim."

The ceremony helps people make a clear separation between the peaceful time of Shabbat and the regular weekday life. If someone misses the ceremony on Saturday night, they can still perform it as late as the sunset on Tuesday, but they will skip some parts of the ritual. Havdalah is also used to finish special Jewish holidays, bringing a beautiful conclusion to these important days.

Customs

Havdalah is a special ceremony that marks the end of the peaceful day called Shabbat. It is done with a cup of special wine or grape juice, and people often smell sweet spices from a beautifully decorated container. A special braided candle with several wicks is lit, and everyone says a blessing together.

After the ceremony, some of the leftover wine is poured into a small dish, and the candle is gently put out in it. People may also sing songs and wish each other a good week. Havdalah is also used to finish other important holidays, but the way it is done can change a little depending on the holiday.

Significance

Havdalah helps people use all five senses. During the ceremony, they feel the cup, smell sweet spices, see the candle flame, hear the blessings, and taste the wine.

After a normal Shabbat, the prayers follow a special order shown by the word Yavneh. This word’s letters stand for the steps: wine, spices, candle, and Havdalah prayer. When Havdalah is done with a special blessing called kiddush, the order changes to another word, Yaknhaz. This helps people remember the steps: wine, blessing the day, candle, Havdalah blessing, and the right time.

In some old books, there is a picture of a hunter chasing a hare to help people remember the order Yaknhaz. This picture sounds like a phrase in Yiddish or German that means “hunt a hare!”

Blessings

See also: List of Jewish prayers and blessings § Havdalah

The words said before Havdalah can change depending on the community. In one tradition, the words come from books like Isaiah, Psalms, and Esther. Another tradition starts with words about God giving light and success. There is also a third set of words used by some families.

The main blessings said during Havdalah are mostly the same for everyone. They include thanks for the wine, spices, candle, and for the difference between special holy days and regular days. Some modern songs for Havdalah were created by musicians like Shlomo Carlebach, Neshama Carlebach, and Debbie Friedman.