Havdallah Intentions A la Carte

A person must be careful not to do any melacha (work) until three small stars can be seen in the sky. The stars must not be spread out, but three consecutive starts. If it is a cloudy day the person must wait until they have no doubt that Shabbat is finished

(27) The soul of man is the lamp of the LORD
Revealing all his inmost parts.

There is a discussion as to when fire was created. According to Levi the original light created on the first day served man for 36 hours, i.e. during the 12 hours before the onset of the first Sabbath, i.e. the first 12 hours after his creation, and the 24 hours of the Sabbath. When the world sank into darkness as a result of God withdrawing the original light, as part of Adam’s punishment for having violated His commandment not to eat from the tree of knowledge, Adam was disconsolate and exclaimed (Psalms 139:11) “is darkness to conceal me permanently?” God responded to his cry of anguish by replacing the original light with fire, sparks, by teaching him how to produce fire by striking two flints against each other. Having been successful in this, Adam blessed the fire.

When discussing Shabbat in the Torah, "Evening" is not written. Rabbi Levi the son of Nezra said: It was 36 hours of light between Friday morning and the end of Shabbat (instead of 24). When Adam saw the sun was setting and the onset of darkness, he started patting his face (from worry) and he said, "Woe unto me! Perhaps this is what God meant when he said, "[Humans] shall strike at your head and [the snake] shall strike at your heel." God is bringing it now, as it says, "Surely darkness will conceal me" (Psalms 139:11). And he was sitting and ruminating in his heart, perhaps the snake that caused me to err on Friday will come and strike at my heel. A pillar of fire to provide him with fire and protect him from all evil things was sent to him. He said this pillar of fire and was glad in his heart and he said, "I know now that God is with me." And he blessed, "Borei Meorei HaEsh." And when his hand moved away from the fire, he said, "Now I know that Shabbat and the weekdays are different from another, since one does not light fire on Shabbat...

Also because the fingernails are a sign of blessing, since they always grow [literally, that they are fruitful and multiply forever].

(4) At the end of Shabbat Adam was meditating in his heart and saying: Perhaps the serpent, which deceived me, will come in the evening, and he will attack me in the heel. A pillar of fire was sent to him to give illumination about him and to guard him from all evil. Adam saw the pillar of fire and rejoiced in his heart, and he put forth his hands to the light of the fire, and said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the flames of fire. And when he removed his hands from the light of the fire, he said: Now I know that the holy day has been separated from the other days, for fire may not be kindled on the Sabbath day; and in that hour he said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who divides the holy from the ordinary.

(5) Rabbi Mana said: How must a man say the Habdalah blessing? (He does this) over the cup of wine, with the light of fire, and he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the various flames of fire; and when he removes his hand from the fire (flame) he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who divides the holy from the profane.

(6) If he have no wine he puts forth his hands towards the light of the lamp and looks at his nails, which are whiter than his body, and he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who divides the holy from the ordinary. and when he has removed his hands from the fire, he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who divides the holy from the ordinary.

(7) If he has no fire, he puts forth his hand to the light of the stars, which are also fire, looks at his nails, and says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the various flames of fire. If the heavens be darkened, he lifts up a stone outside, and says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who divides the holy from the ordinary.

A person should always enter an unfamiliar city at a time of good, i.e., while it is light, as the Torah uses the expression “It is good” with regard to the creation of light (see Genesis 1:4). This goodness is manifest in the sense of security one feels when it is light. And likewise, when one leaves a city he should leave at a time of good, meaning after sunrise the next morning, as it is stated in the verse: “And none of you shall go out of the opening of his house until the morning” (Exodus 12:22).