!test popup 2 – Shavuot: Core Concepts — Elementor

The Second Commandment is the root of all 365 negative commandments. And really, says the TEST 111 TEST 222, both the positive and the negative are contained within the first one.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT: UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYTHING COMES FROM GOD

If we really understood what it means that God is one, as expressed through the First Commandment, our instinctive and reflexive response to the world would always accord with [the Torah]. And so, the entire Torah is contained within the first commandment… Every Jewish soul heard these words straight from their Creator… The goal of our lives individually and collectively is to achieve an ever-deepening integration of what it means that G-d is one. And towards this end, says the midrash, Hashem restates this fundamental truth over and over and over again. Each day Hashem rebroadcasts the First Commandment out into the world. Why don’t we hear it? What keeps us from taking it in? If Hashem bothers to reiterate the First Commandment each day then we need to make the silent space to hear His message. [However, making silent space can only come about through quiet, honest reflection on events without outside distractions. It is only through such a medium that we can consider the meaning of both individual and collective events that we have experienced and focus on the message. Such an experience, when done properly, can allow us to see that nothing happens by coincidence, and every step is part of Hashem’s plan.]

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Havdala

IN BRIEF

Havdala is the ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and the transition back to the regular week. It includes blessings over wine, spices, and fire.

EXPANDED EXPLANATION

Havdala consists of the following stages:

1. Verses
  - Although not required, verses that express our hope for a positive week are customarily recited at the beginning of Havdala.
  - Ashkenazim recite a series of verses beginning with “Hinei Kel Yeshu’ati” (Yeshayahu 12:2) available here, while Sephardim recite a series of verses beginning with “Rishon Letzion” (Yeshayahu 41:27) available here .

Wine

- Blessing: Borei pri hagafen is recited on the cup of wine.
- Practical Guidelines:
  - Ideally, use kosher wine or grape juice.
  - If unavailable, significant beverages like beer or coffee may be used.
  - According to some opinions, one may also use other significant beverages if one prefers them over wine.
Spices (besamim)
- Blessing: A blessing is recited on fragrant spices.
  - Ashkenazim: The general blessing of Borei minei besamim (Who creates types of spices) is recited.
  - Sephardim: Specific blessings are recited, such as Borei atzei besamim (Who creates fragrant branches) or Borei isvei besamim (Who creates fragrant herbs).
- Practical Guidelines:
  - One should not use spices designed only to remove a foul odor (such as bathroom freshener).
  - If the one reciting havdala cannot smell, another individual recites the blessing during havdala (Ashkenazim) or after havdala (Sephardim).
Candle
- Blessing: Borei me’orei ha’esh is recited on the flame.
- Practical Guidelines:
  - Preferably, use a special havdala candle with multiple wicks.
  - After the blessing, view one’s fingernails by the light to appreciate the flame. Some halakhic authorities hold that one does this before reciting the blessing.
Blessing of Separation and Drinking the Wine
- Blessing: The blessing of “Hamavdil” is recited, which marks the distinction between “holy” (i.e., Shabbat) and “mundane” (i.e., the weekdays), followed by drinking the cup of wine.
- Practical Guidelines:
  - Everyone should listen to the blessing without interruption, as missing part of this blessing invalidates the mitzva.
  - The leader drinks the wine; others may assist if necessary.

The leader must drink at least a cheekful (approximately 44 cc). Ideally, a full revi’it (86 cc) is consumed, requiring an after-blessing.

PHILOSOPHICAL & MYSTICAL MEANINGS

Symbolic Meaning
- Purpose: Havdala, which means separation, transitions from Shabbat’s sanctity to weekday activity. The blessing’s text, “He separates between holy and mundane, between light and dark…between the seventh day and the six days of work,” reinforces that holiness is preserved through separation.
- Symbolism:
  - Smelling spices enables the soul to cope with losing the additional soul (neshama yeteira), which joins a person on Shabbat.
  - Seeing the flame commemorates the creation of fire on Saturday night by Adam in the Garden of Eden.
  - Smelling spices and seeing the flame also awaken the senses, helping to carry Shabbat’s spiritual elevation into the week.
Mystical Insights
- Neshama Yeteira: In addition to the connection between the departure of the additional soul and smelling the spices, the entire havdala ceremony also helps ease the loss of the additional soul.
- Symbolism of Ritual Objects:
  - Candle: Reflects divine light.
  - Wine: Represents divine abundance.

Separation and Integration: Light and darkness represent distinct realms, as do sacred and mundane and Shabbat and the rest of the week. However, light illuminates the darkness, the holy illuminates the mundane, and Shabbat illuminates the rest of the week. Havdala demonstrates that these different realms must remain distinct but that Shabbat can impact the rest of the week, bridging sanctity with the material world.

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

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