About
Havdallah:
Havdallah
(also spelled havdala, havdalla,and havdalah) means
separation. It is the ritual performed Saturday night, which
marks the close of the Sabbath. Thus, Havdallah separates
the Sabbath from the rest of the week.
Havdala
begins when 3 stars are sighted in the Saturday night sky.
This assures us that the sun has really set and the day is
really over. In non-halachic households, havdalah is often
celebrated before the youngest child is put to sleep, even
if this is before or after sunset.
The
havdalla ceremony has four elements: (1) Wine
or Juice, (2) Spices,
(3) Candle, (4) Separation.
We say a prayer for each. The prayers, in Hebrew,
transliteration and English are included in your Havdala Kit.
[View
PDF of Havdallah Blessings]
1)
Wine or juice: Your week should be sweet like the
havdallah wine/ juice.
2)
Spices: The sense of smell lingers longer than any
other scent. A smell can invoke a memory or a feeling. This
is why real estate agent often suggest baking an apple pie
when you are selling your home.
During havdallah, we pass around a spice box filled with spices,
usually sweet spice such as cinnamon and cloves, in hopes
that the sweetness of Shabbat will linger into our week. Although
our kit comes with spices, you can refill it with spices from
your home spice kit or use a flower or tea bag.
3) Candle:
Havdalah candles have at least 2 wicks. Ours have three. The
multiple wicks remind us that fire can be used for destruction
(such as a forest or house fire) or nurturing (such as cooking
and heating).
We too have the ability to be helpful or harmful. We pray
that in the week ahead we will use our powers for good.
Our candles are Safed Candles, handmade in Israel in the very
spiritual mountain town of Safed. Many of the Jewish mystical
traditions begin in Safed, and so your candle carries that
mystical potency with them.
4)
Separation: After we have blessed the wine, spices
and the light, we bless separation, by extinguishing the candle
in the wine or juice. Without separation, our lives would
be a run-on sentence. Havdallah is like the period to that
sentence. Havdallah reminds us, "OK this week is over.
Let's start again, well-rested from Shabbat, and see where
this week takes us."
The Adventure Rabbi Shabbat and Havdallah Kit for
Travelers and Backpackers was designed by Alison Wallis, an
avid outdoors-person and one of our favorite guides! Tired
of randomly gathering Shabbat and Havdallah "gear"
for her weekend outings, Alison finally decided she should
design one that was useful, practical, and beautiful.
The bags are sewn and assembled by talented members of the
Adventure Rabbi team, and are individually blessed by a Rabbi.
Proceeds from the kits are used to support programs at Adventure
Rabbi: Synagogue Without Walls. Adventure Rabbi is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization.
|
Backpacking
and Traveling
Our
Backpacker and Traveler Havdalah Kit will help you celebrate
Shabbat and Havdallah wherever your travels take you.
