Separation

Havdalah is the beautiful ceremony marking the end of Shabbat, using wine, a braided candle, and fragrant spices. The word means 'separation,' distinguishing between the sacred (Shabbat) and the ordinary (weekday). The multi-wicked candle is held high, spices are inhaled to comfort the soul as the 'extra Shabbat soul' departs, and the candle is extinguished in the wine—a multisensory farewell to the day of rest.