A time for recharging with Jewish Havdallah ceremony

Posted By: David Fortier July 3, 2024

To the editor:

Right now, many people are on vacation. We all look forward to time off, as it gives us a chance to relax and recharge. Yet, we all know that vacations do not last forever. We all must get back to our regular lives. It is not easy to transition from one to the other. The ceremony of Havdallah was created to help us with these kinds of transitions.

Jewish people observe a day of rest every week. It is called Shabbat, which means the “Sabbath.” Yet, when Shabbat is over, we return to our hectic lives: going to work or school, making appointments, running errands, etc. The ceremony of Havdallah helps guide us from the holiness and restfulness of Shabbat to our regular everyday lives. Havdallah literally means, “the separation.” It takes place at home when the Sabbath comes to an end on Saturday evening, after three stars have appeared in the sky (the Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday). Havdallah marks the separation of the holy from the mundane, the Sabbath from the rest of the week.

There are three ritual objects needed for Havdallah: 1. a kiddush cup (a special wine goblet) filled with either sweet wine or grape juice, 2. a spice box filled with sweet-smelling spices (usually cloves and/myrtle and cinnamon), and 3. a multi-wick braided candle, known as a Havdallah candle. The ritual of Havdallah is a full sensory experience. The wine symbolizes the joy of Shabbat. When we taste it, we are reminded to hold on to that joy as we enter into a new week. We smell the sweet spices of the spice box to remind us of the sweetness of Shabbat. We use the light of the braided candle to look at the light reflecting off our fingernails and palms, reminding us of the distinction between light and darkness. Havdallah allows us to take a bit of Shabbat with us into the next week.

As many of us continue to enjoy summer vacations, let us use this time not just to rest, but to re-charge, so that when we return from vacation, or Shabbat, we will be able to resume our lives invigorated and ready to take on our next set of challenges.

If you would like to learn more about Havdallah or other Jewish rituals that take place at home, please join me at Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation in Southington on Sunday, July 14 at 2 p.m. for an Adult Education class on Jewish Rituals at Home. For more information, email rabbi@gsjc.org.

Alana Wasserman

Note: The writer is rabbi at Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation in Southington.

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

  • Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
  • Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.