HAVDALA

Every week, when we say goodbye to Shabbat, we have a special ceremony called HAVDALA. When we see three stars clearly in the sky, we know that Shabbat is over, and Motzei Shabbat has arrived.

After the prayer "Maariv" we make Havdalah. The first part of Havdala is a collection of lines from various parts of the Bible, like:

"Once The Jews had light and joy, gladness and honor. May it be that way for us".

Then we say blessings over three things: a cup of wine, fragrant spices and a candle with two or more wicks.

The wine is a symbol of joy and celebration. We begin Shabbat and end it with wine. The spices are a symbol of the sweetness and richness of Shabbat. We are sad that Shabbat is leaving, and the fragrant spices make us feel better. Creating a fire is our first act of creation for the new week. The two wicks bring together the "keep" and "remember" of the Friday night candles.

We use all of our senses in Havdala: we hear the words of the prayers, see and feel the candle flame, smell the spices and taste the wine.

After Havdala, a little wine is poured and used to extinguish the candle to show that the Havdala candle is lit for Havdala only.

 

 

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