Havdalah • הבדלה
As we take leave of Shabbat after a night and day of divine rest, we once again pronounce its holiness, and distinguish it from the week.
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When is it?
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The Havadalah (Separation) ceremony is conducted after nightfall on Saturday evening, which is when Shabbat ends. “Nightfall” is the point at which it grows dark enough for three medium-sized stars to become visible.
What do I need?
The Blessing (Hebrew)
סַבְרִי מָרָנָן
.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים
.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ
בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה
.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל
הִנֵּה אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד
כִּי עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ יי וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה
וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם מַיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה
לַיי הַיְשׁוּעָה עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה
יי צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה
יי צְבָאוֹת אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּוטֵחַ בָּךְ
יי הוֹשִׁיעָה, הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָרּ כֵּן תִּהְיֶה לָנוּ
:כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם יי אֶקְרָא
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The Blessing (Transliterated)
Heenay, Ail Yeshua-tee Evtach, Ve-Lo Efchad,
Kee Azee V'zimrat Yah Adonai, Va-y'hee Lee Lee-shua:
Oo-sh'av-tem Mayim B'sason, Mee-ma-i-nai Ha-yeshua:
La-Ado-nai, Ha-yeshua, Al Am'cha Virchatecha Selah:
Ado-nai Tz'va-ot Eema-noo Misgav Lanu Elohai Yaakov Selah:
Adonai Tz'va-ot Ashray Adam Botai-ach Bach:
Adonai Ho-she-ah Ha-Melach Ya-anai-nu Ve-yom Korai-nu:
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La-yehudim Hayitah Orah V'simcha, V'Sason Vee-kar: Kain Tee-h'yeh Lanu:
Kos Ye-shuos Esa, Uve-sheim Adonai Ekra:
Sav-ree Maranan:
Blessing over the Grape Juice
Baruch Ata Adonai, Elo-hai-nu Melech Ha-Olam, Borai Peri Ha-Gafen.
Blessing over the Spices
Baruch Ata Adonai, Elo-hai-nu Melech Ha-Olam, Borai Mee-nay Be-Sa-mim.
Smell the cloves.
Blessing over the Fire*
Baruch Ata Adonai, Elo-hai-nu Melech Ha-Olam, Borai M'Orai Ha-Aish.
Boruch Ata Adonai, Elo-hai-nu Melech Ha-Olam,
Ha-M av-dil Bain Kodesh Le-chol, Bain Or Le-Cho-shech, Bain Yisrael LoAmim, Bain Yom Ha-Sh'vee-ee Le-Shai-shet Yimei HaMa-aseh: Baruch Ata Adonai, Ha-M av-dil Bain Kodesh Le-Chol.
Drink the grape juice, and extinguish the flame (if present).
Shavua Tov! Wishing you a good week!
The Blessing (English)
Indeed, G‑d is my deliverance; I am confident and shall not fear,
for G‑d the L‑rd is my strength and song, and He has been a help to me.
You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of deliverance.
Deliverance is the L‑rd’s; may Your blessing be upon Your people forever.
The L‑rd of hosts is with us; the G‑d of Jacob is our everlasting stronghold.
L‑rd of hosts, happy is the man who trusts in You.
L‑rd, deliver us; may the King answer us on the day we call.
For the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor—so let it be with us!
I will raise the cup of deliverance and invoke the name of the L‑rd.
Attention, Gentlemen!
Blessing over the Grape Juice
Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessing over the Spices
Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates various kinds of spices.
Smell the cloves.
Blessing over the Fire*
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Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the lights of fire.
Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who makes a distinction between sacred and mundane,
between light and darkness,
between Israel and the nations, between the Seventh Day
and the six workdays.
Blessed are You, L‑rd, who makes a distinction between
sacred and mundane.
Drink the grape juice, and extinguish the flame
(if present).
Shavua Tov! Wishing you a good week!
Watch a musical Havdalah!
Why do we make Havdalah?
“Remember the Shabbat day to make it holy,” reads the fourth of the Ten Commandments.
On Friday evening, we sanctified Shabbat with the kiddush; now, as we take leave of it after a night and day of Divine rest, we once again pronounce the holiness of the day over a cup of wine.
Paradoxically, this act of separation is what connects Shabbat with the rest of the week. When the boundaries between the holy and the ordinary are blurred, the holy is no longer holy and the ordinary is left with nothing to uplift it.
By defining the separation of Shabbat from the workday week, the relationship between the two is also established—a relationship in which Shabbat imparts its transcendent vision to the rest of the week, and the six days of daily life feed into, and are sublimated within, the sanctity of Shabbat.
Why spices?
We smell aromatic spices during havdalah to uplift our spirits. Shabbat was a special time during which we were gifted with an “added soul.” Now that this extra measure of vitality and spirituality departs from us, we rejuvenate ourselves by smelling spices—smell being the most spiritual of the five senses.
Why a candle?
As the holiness of Shabbat departs, and we are about to go back to our daily life, we may feel that we are no match for the raging tempests coming our way. The havdalah candle reminds us that just as Adam was able to create a flame—from stone!—that combated the swirling darkness, we too can bring light and clarity to the darkest of circumstances from the most unexpected sources.
"Indeed, G-d is my deliverance;
I am confident and shall not fear.
For G-d the Lord is my strength and song"