(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ ח) "זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ". כְּלוֹמַר זָכְרֵהוּ זְכִירַת שֶׁבַח וְקִדּוּשׁ. וְצָרִיךְ לְזָכְרֵהוּ בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ וּבִיצִיאָתוֹ. בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ בְּקִדּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם וּבִיצִיאָתוֹ בְּהַבְדָּלָה:
(1) It is biblically mandated positive commandment to sanctify the Sabbath with speech, as it is written (Exodus 20, 7): "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." i.e. Remember through remberance of praise and through Kiddush. And it must be remembered when it begins and when it ends. When it begins - with Kiddush, and when it ends - with Havdala.
Question:
1. According to Maimonides, what is the significance of Havdalah?
Many have the custom to recite introductory verses of the Tanakh before Havdalah, but the core of Havdalah is as follows [instructions are in italics].
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל, בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל:
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
[The person reciting Havdalah does NOT drink the grape juice yet.]
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who creates the various spices.
[Preferably everyone should smell the spices if possible at this point.]
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who creates the lights of fire.
[At this point, many have the custom to hold their fingernails to the flame so that the light reflects off them.]
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between sacred and secular, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work. Blessed are You, LORD, who distinguishes between sacred and secular.
[At this point, the flame is put out (many do so by dipping it in spilt wine/grape juice), and the person reciting Havdalah drinks the wine/grape juice.]
According to Rabbi David Abudraham (the author of a medieval commentary on the liturgy), the reason for smelling spices at Havdalah comes from the following source:
As Rabbi Shimon b. Lakish said: An extra soul is given to a person by the Holy One, blessed be He, on the eve of Shabbat. At the end of Shabbat, it is taken away from him, as it says, "Shavat Vayinafash" (Exodus 31:17)--once he has rested, Vay! [woe!], that he has lost a soul!
Question:
2. How would this passage explain why we smell spices at Havdalah?
Rava said: a torch for Havdalah is the ideal way to perform the mitzvah.
The following source comes from Rabbi Moshe Isserlis, who wrote notes to the Shulchan Arukh to reflect Ashkenazic practice. (The Shulchan Arukh was written by Rabbi Yosef Karo, who was of Sephardic origin.)
הַגָּה: וְנֵר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שְׁתֵּי פְּתִילוֹת מִקְרֵי אֲבוּקָה (אֲגֻדָּה).
Note: a candle whose fire comes from two wicks is considered a torch.
According to many commentators, the following talmudic legend is the reason for reciting a blessing on fire with Havdalah:
במחשבה עלה ליבראות בערב שבת ולא נברא עד מוצאי שבת דתניא ר' יוסי אומר שני דברים עלו במחשבה ליבראות בערב שבת ולא נבראו עד מוצאי שבת ובמוצאי שבת נתן הקב"ה דיעה באדם הראשון מעין דוגמא של מעלה והביא שני אבנים וטחנן זו בזו ויצא מהן אור
[God] thought to create [fire] before Shabbat [in the week of creation], but it was not created until after Shabbat [on Saturday night]. As Rabbi Yossi taught in a braita...after Shabbat, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Adam wisdom akin to that of the Divine. He [Adam] brought two stones, ground them against each other, out of which came fire.
Question:
3. Does this reason for lighting a fire at Havdalah appeal to you? Explain why or why not.
It is customary to hold one's fingernails up to the flame. The following source is one reason given for this practice:
אין מברכין על הנר עד שיאותו לאורו:
We do not bless over the flame until its light is used/benefitted from.
The Mishnah Brurah is a commentary to the Shulchan Arukh written Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagen, who lived in the 20th century in Eastern Europe. First, he explains that we hold up our fingernails to benefit from the light. However, the then provides a more symbolic explanation:
...ועוד שהצפרנים הן סימן ברכה שהן פרות ורבות לעולם...
Also because the fingernails are a sign of blessing, since they always grow [literally, that they are fruitful and multiply forever].
Question:
4. Which of the two approaches appeals to you more and why?