Havdalah means separation, distinguishing, setting boundaries. It begins when it's dark enough to see three stars in the sky on Saturday evening, making Shabbat about 25 hours long. We are in no hurry to end Shabbat, this time of rest, and rush back into the energy of the rest of the week.

Ritual items for the Havdalah service:
• Cup of wine or grape juice
• Braided Havdalah candle with two or more wicks intertwined 
• Sweet smelling spices like cloves & cinnamon, or herbs

Havdalah is a wistful time. We're a little sad to be leaving the cozy blanket of Shabbat. During Shabbat, we have had time to unplug, notice, reflect and relax. With the aspirational ethical and spiritual principles of Shabbat, it became a tradition to sing about our redemption during Havdalah as we shift back into the ordinariness of the week.

The Talmud teaches that we receive an extra soul on Shabbat, a little more spiritual life. During Havdalah, the spices symbolize this extra soul. Even though we're sad this soul is leaving as Shabbat ends, we hang onto the memory when we smell the fragrant spices. 
 

Adapted from: Shabbat, A Personal Guide to the Spiritual Observance of Shabbat by Rabbi Michael Lerner and the members of Beyt Tikkun
https://www.tikkun.org/ShabbatManual.pdf

Opening Prayer for Havdalah
As Shabbat ends, we sing this prayer with a bit of longing for the holiness and joy of Shabbat that is now ending. 

הִנֵּה אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי, אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד, כִּי עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ יְיָ, וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה. וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם מַֽיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן, מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה. לַייָ הַיְשׁוּעָה, עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶֽךָ סֶּֽלָה. יְיָ צְבָאוֹת עִמָּֽנוּ, מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶֽלָה. יְיָ צְבָאוֹת, אַשְרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵֽחַ בָּךְ. יְיָ הוֹשִֽׁיעָה, הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַעֲנֵֽנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵֽנוּ. לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן וִיקָר. כֵּן תִּהְיֶה לָּֽנוּ. כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא, וּבְשֵׁם יְיָ אֶקְרָא.

Hinei El yeshuati, evtach velo efchad, ki ozi vezimrat yah, Adonai vayehili liyeshuah. Ushavtem mayim besasson mima’anei hayeshuah.  La’Adonai hayeshuah, al amcha virchatecha, selah.  Adonai tzeva’ot imanu, misgav lanu, Elohay Ya’akov, selah.   Adonai tzeva’ot, ashray adam botayach bach.  Adonai hoshi’ah, hamelech ya’anaynu veyom koraynu.   Layehudim hayetah orah vesimcha vesason vikar.  Kain tehiyeh lanu.   Kos yeshuot esa uveshaym Adonai ekrah.

Behold, God is my savior, I will trust God and not be afraid, for my strong faith and song of praise for God will be my salvation. You will draw water joyously from the wellsprings of salvation. Salvation is God’s; may Your blessing rest upon Your people. God of the heavenly armies is with us; the Lord of Ya’akov is a fortress protecting us. God of the heavenly armies, happy is the individual who trusts You. God, redeem us! Our Source will answer us on the day we call God. The Jews had light, happiness, joy and honor; may we have the same. I will raise the cup of salvation and call out in the name of the God.

Musical recording of the Havdalah blessings with the prayers in Hebrew, English and transliterated Hebrew, as well as guitar chords

The Blessing over Wine or Grape Juice

Lift the cup as you say the blessing

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha’olam, boray pri hagafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessing of Spices

Pass around a spice box filled with cinnamon and cloves, a basket with herbs like rosemary and sage, or any spices that smell good to you. Take a deep breath in and let the fragrant scents remind you of the joys of Shabbat as it draws to a close. 
 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים.

Baruch atah, Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha’olam, boray minay vesamim.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates different fragrant spices.

Blessing of Fire for Havdalah

Lift the candle high and invite everyone to reach up look at the flame to see the reflected light
 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ.

Baruch atah, Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha’olam, boray me’oray ha’aysh.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fire's lights

Blessing for Ending Shabbat

Havdalah means separation. We are marking the transition from the specialness, the holiness of Shabbat and into the ordinariness of the rest of the week. At the end of this blessing, we dip the candle into the cup of wine, extinguishing the flame with a sizzle.
Some people have a custom of dipping their fingertips into the wine and then onto their eyelids and pockets to bring the blessings of Shabbat with them into the rest of the week.
 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחוֹל, בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹֽשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵֽׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחוֹל.

Baruch atah, Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha’olam, hamavdil  bayn kodesh lechol   bayn or lechoshech   bayn Yisrael la’amim   bayn yom hashevi’i leshayshet yemay hama’aseh.  Baruch atah, Adonai, hamavdil bayn kodesh lechol.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who separates between the holy and the ordinary; between the light and the dark; between Israel and other communities; between the seventh day and the six days of the week. Blessed are You, God, who separates between the holy and the ordinary.

Shavua Tov song to end Shabbat during Havdalah, and to welcome the new week

Sung by Jessie Rubenstein

Havdalah is the ceremony that closes Shabbat, and Eliyahu is the traditional song Jewish people sing as it closes before wishing each other a Shavua Tov - or a good week. We sing: 

Elijah the prophet, Elijah of Tishbi, Elijah of Gilead, may he soon come to us along with the Messiah, son of David. 

Sung by Isaac Zones
Produced by Shaboom! 

A simple song to greet the new week 
 

Shavu-a tov! (8x)

A good week, a week of peace, may gladness reign and joy increase (2x)

Eliyahu HaNavi

A song about Elijah the Prophet, whom tradition tells us will announce the coming of the messiah. We sing it during the Passover seder too. This version includes a verse for Miriam the Prophetess, who will lead us in song and dance in this time where all our ideals are realized.
 

Eliyahu hanavi,
Eliyahu hatishbi,
Eliyahu, Eliyahu,
Eliyahu hagiladi.
Bimheyra v’yameynu yavo eyleynu
im mashiach ben David, im mashiach ben David 

Elijah the prophet, from Tishbi, from Gilead—come quickly and bring with you the Messiah, oh son of David.

Miriyam haneviya,
oz v’zimra b’yada
Miriyam, Miriyam,
letaken et ha-olam
Bimheyra v’yameynu tavo eyleynu
im mashiach bat David im mashiach bat David.

Miriam the prophetess, with strength and singing in her hand, Miriam, come to bring us a tikkun & repair of the world. Come quickly and bring with you the Messiah, oh daughter of David.
 

Adapted from: Shabbat, A Personal Guide to the Spiritual Observance of Shabbat by Rabbi Michael Lerner and the members of Beyt Tikkun
https://www.tikkun.org/ShabbatManual.pdf

The Gift
By Rachel Kann

Don't I know this
Feeling of homelessness.

And don't I know
How real the loneliness
In your bones is.

Slow down and notice 
The gloriousness afforded;
The view through the newly-opened window 
Of your broken heart.

This gift of clear vision.
Think on
The sacred company 
You're in:

Has there been one instance
Of wisdom 
In the history
Of this misbegotten existence
Elicited from anything but heart-brokenness?

It is an act of grace
To shatter the packaging,
To peel the encasement,

To reveal your true soul’s face and,
Say, with outstretched arms,
Here, here is the shape of my heart.

There is nothing left 
but to be swept 
away by love.