Description
Havdalah (Hebrew: הַבְדָּלָה, “separation”) is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special havdalah candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky.:137 Some communities delay the Havdalah in order to prolong Shabbat.
Spices, called besamim in Hebrew, often stored in an artistically decorative spice container in order to beautify and honor the mitzvah, are handed around so that everyone can smell the fragrance.:143 In many Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, branches of aromatic plants are used for this purpose, while Ashkenazim have traditionally used cloves. A special braided Havdalah candle with more than one wic:145 is lit, and a blessing is recited.:144 If a special havdalah candle is not available, two candles can be used, and the two flames joined when reciting the blessing.
When reciting the words “Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam, bo’re m’orei ha’esh,” it is customary for the participants to hold their hands up to the candle and gaze at the reflection of the light in their fingernails.
Havdalah is intended to require a person to use all five senses: feel the cup, smell the spices, see the flame of the candle, hear the blessings, and taste the wine.
Following a normal Shabbat, the order of the prayers corresponds to the acrostic יבנ”ה Yavneh. This acrostic consists of the initials Yayin (wine), Besamim (spices), Ner (candle), and Havdalah (the Havdalah prayer
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