Havdalah

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Havdalah (הבדלה) (or Habdalah or Havdala), is a Jewish religious ceremony that symbolically formally concludes the Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and many Jewish holidays. According to Judaism, the Shabbat ends-- and the new week begins-- at nightfall, and not at midnight. Therefore, Havdalah may be made as soon as three stars are visible in the night sky. Some communities have the custom to delay making Havdalah until later, in order to prolong Shabbat. If for some reason one cannot make Havdalah on Saturday night, it may be observed as late as Tuesday evening.

A Hasidic Rebbe reciting Havdalah

Havdalah is normally recited over kosher wine or kosher grape juice, but other beverages may be used under certain circumstances. On completion of the Shabbat, a candle with more than one wick is used, and spices to commemorate the departure of the "added soul" of the day. After Yom Kippur, a candle is used but not spices.

When the blessing is made on the candles, the custom is to look at their fingernails in the light of the candle; this is done because the candles have to be bright enough to be able to distinguish different currencies by its light, and if one is able to distinguish between ones nails and flesh, one knows that the flame is big enough.

At the conclusion of Havdalah, the candle is extinguished in the leftover wine to demonstrate that this candle was lit solely for the mitzvah of havdalah. Many Jews (including Eastern-European Ashkenazic, Hasidic, and Sephardic Jews) based on the verse in Psalms 19:9, "the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes" dip their finger into the leftover wine (since it was used for a mitzvah) and wipe their eyes with it, (as a segulah - a sort of charm - for insight) or their pockets (as a segulah for increased livelihood). Others (mainly Western-European Jews) frown on the practice as superstitious. When a major holiday follows Shabbat, the Havdalah service is a part of the kiddush for the holiday and two of the holiday candles are held together for Havdalah and are not extinguished as extinguishing a flame is prohibited on the major holidays as it is on Shabbat.

Many recite the Yiddish prayer God of Abraham before Havdalah.

Many Sephardic Jews have the custom to laugh during the Havdalah service to begin the new week with happiness.

[edit] The text

The text of Havdalah contains an introductory paragraph, followed by four blessings; a blessing on the wine, on the spices, on the candle and on the separation between the holy and the mundane. See List of Jewish prayers and blessings, Havdala Prayers. The Ashkenazic version of the text of the introductory paragraph (used by both Askenazic and Hasidic Jews) comes from Psalms, the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Esther. The Sefardic version is slightly different.