Habdalah

/hɑːbˈdɑːlə/ noun

Definition

A Jewish ceremony marking the end of the Sabbath on Saturday evening, involving blessings over wine, spices, and candlelight.

Etymology

From Hebrew 'havdalah' meaning 'separation' or 'distinction,' from the root 'hdl' meaning to separate. The ceremony distinguishes the holy Sabbath day from ordinary weekdays.

Kelly Says

The habdalah ceremony is poetic—it acknowledges that holy time and ordinary time are fundamentally different, so you need a ritual to transition between them, kind of like spiritual punctuation.

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