HavdalahPartI

TRANSITIONING FROM SHABBAT TO THE WORKWEEK:

HAVDALAH 21

PART I

Take a cup of wine or grape juice in your right hand and recite the following:

יִּזָע־יִּכ ,דָחְפֶא אֹלְו ,חַטְבֶא יִתָעוּשְׁי לֵא הֵּנִה :הָעוּשׁיִל יִל־יִהְיַו ,הוהי הָּי תָרְמִזְו

:הָעוּשְׁיַה יֵנְיַעַּמִמ ,ןוֹשָׂׂשְּב םִיַמ־םֶּתְבאְַׁשוּ :הָלֶּס ךֶתָכְרִב ךְּמַע־לַע ,הָעוּשְׁיַה הוהיַל בֹקֲעַי יֵהֹלֱא וּנָל בָגְׂשִמ ,וּנָּמִע תוֹאָבְצ הוהי :הָלֶס :ךָבּ ַחֵטֹּב םָדאָ יֵרְׁשאַ ,תוֹאָבְצ הוהי וּנאְרָק־םוֹיְב וּנֵנֲעַי ךֶלֶּמַה ,הָעיִׁשוֹה הוהי :רָקיִו ןֹׂשָׂשְו הָחְמִׂשְו הָרוֹא הָתְיָה םיִדוּהְיַל :וּנָל הֶיְהִּת ןֵּכ :אָרְקֶא הוהי םֵׁשְבוּ ,אָּׂשֶא תוֹעוּשְׁי־סוֹכּ Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not fear, for Yah is my strength and my song. Adonai is my salvation. [God promised:] You will joyously draw waters from the wellsprings of salvation. [As we enter a new workweek to bring about a better world, we are partnering with You, knowing that ultimate] salvation comes from God. May God’s blessing rest upon Your people [and all our endeavors], Selah! Adonai, All‑powerful, is with us; the God of Jacob is our reinforcement; Selah! Adonai, All‑powerful, happy is the one who trusts in You. Adonai, redeem us! Majesty responds to us when we call. [In the days of Esther and Mordechai,] the Jews attained light, joy, gladness, and honor – so may it be with us! I will raise the cup of salvation and call out in the name of Adonai.

Hinei El yishuati evtach velo efchad ki ozi vezimrat Yah, Adonai vayehi li liyeshuah. Ushavtem mayim besasson mima’ayanei hayeshuah. LaAdonai hayeshuah al amcha virchatecha; Selah. Adonai tzeva’ot imanu, misgav lanu, Elohei Ya’akov; Selah. Adonai tzeva’ot ashrei adam bote’ach bach. Adonai hoshiah, haMelech ya’aneinu veyom koreinu. LaYehudim haitah orah vesimchah vesasson vikar. Kein tihyeh lanu. Kos yeshuot esa uvshem Adonai ekra.

21 At the end of a holiday that is not Shabbat, this first paragraph and the blessing for the spices and flame are omitted.

THINK

Havdalah, literally “separation,” marks the transition from the holiness of Shabbat back into the workweek.The ritual is done after nightfall once three medium-sized stars can be seen in the sky. The prayer is said over a glass of wine or grape juice and is accompanied by spices and a candle of multiple wicks.22 In Jewish teachings, escorting guests as they leave is an especially important element of hosting them. With Havdalah, we escort out the Shabbat day, stepping back into the workweek, yearning for and courageously seeking to bring about a time when Shabbat values such as equality, gratitude, and nurturance will be an everyday occurrence for all.

CONNECT

Havdalah recalls the time when Adam and Eve were leaving the Garden of Eden and were about to enter the world of work, with its challenges and dangers. To help them “trust and not fear,” God gave them the gift of teaching them how to make light. Hence, we use a flame for the Havdalah ritual.

REFLECT

What gift has Shabbat given you? What can you take into the coming week to help you be that light in the world, a light that is inclusive of others but still uniquely yours?

PERSONAL PRAYER

The blessing of Shabbat has given me the renewed energy to take on the coming week. As I transition from rest to work, I will take God’s blessings of strength with me. I will reflect on a time spent with loved ones and go forth with a grounding and centering of mind and soul. I will trust and not fear, for my song comes from a promise of partnership with God.

— Lauren Hofing,

Sarasota, Florida

22 Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mourning 14:2.