A Torah Commandment: 10 Facts You May Not Know About Havdalah

1. The commandment of Havdalah is a positive commandment from the Torah, as it is written: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," meaning: remember it through praise and sanctification, both when it begins and when it ends. Remembering Shabbat when it begins is through Kiddush, and remembering Shabbat when it ends is through Havdalah.

2. The essence of Havdalah is to distinguish between the seventh day and the six days of work, that is, to express in words the fact that there is a separation between Shabbat and the rest of the week, just as there is a distinction between sacred and mundane, between light and darkness, and between Israel and other nations. These concepts are polar opposites and do not unite, and so the seventh day is also distinguished from the other days.

3. Havdalah is performed in every home immediately upon returning from the synagogue after the evening prayer. One should not eat from the end of Shabbat until Havdalah is performed. If one wishes to do work before Havdalah, and has not yet said "Atah Chonantanu" in the Amidah prayer, one should say the words: "Blessed is He who distinguishes between sacred and mundane."

4. Before the blessings, verses that inspire faith and hope are recited: "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of Hashem," "The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor," and more. All these bring light and blessing at the beginning of the new week ahead.

(Photo: Gershon Elinson / Flash 90)

5. After these verses, the blessings are recited in this order:

• The blessing of Creator of the fruit of the vine.
• The blessing of Creator of various spices. After this blessing, aromatic plants are smelled.
• The blessing of Creator of the lights of fire. After this blessing, it is customary to raise the hands and look at the fire's reflection on the fingernails.
• The Havdalah blessing. The text of the blessing is "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, who distinguishes between sacred and mundane, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work. Blessed are You, Hashem, who distinguishes between sacred and mundane."

6. A mnemonic for remembering the order of the blessings is the acronym of their first letters: Yavneh (Yayin [wine], Besamim [spices], Ner [candle], Havdalah). The order of the blessings follows the head from bottom to top: wine that enters the mouth, spices that are smelled with the nose, fire that is seen with the eye, and Havdalah that is performed with the mind.

7. One of the reasons for smelling spices during Havdalah is that when Shabbat begins, Hashem adds an additional soul to every Jew, helping them to become sanctified and elevated with spiritual uplifting. After Shabbat ends, this additional soul departs from the person, causing some sadness. The pleasant fragrance is compensation for the soul, providing a substitute for the elevation it felt on Shabbat. The fragrance connects the physical to the spiritual, the sacred to the mundane.

8. The third blessing over the candle is intended to thank Hashem for giving us fire, the source of light and heat. We recite this blessing on Saturday night because on the first Saturday night of creation, Adam took two flint stones, struck them together, and created fire for the first time.

9. Someone who did not have wine, or who did not perform Havdalah on Saturday night for another reason, can perform Havdalah until Tuesday.

10. Havdalah should be recited over wine, and kosher grape juice is also suitable for Havdalah. When wine is not available, Havdalah can also be performed over other alcoholic beverages. Several halachic authorities have permitted it to be recited even over other beverages such as coffee and milk, but this is not the preferred practice.