It’s Time to Make Havdalah

Havdalah is an affirmation of the importance of the Shabbos. It is also the recognition that we must appreciate the need for separation and division in our lives. During Shabbos, we are uplifted and do not need to be reminded of the boundaries between the holy and the profane that must be respected. As we take leave of the Shabbos and enter into the regular weekdays, we must fortify ourselves with the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong—the division between light and darkness. Thus, the Havdalah service is about boundaries.

Establishing a Yeshivah in Egypt

Before Jacob made his way to Egypt, to be reunited with his son Joseph, the Torah relates how he sent his son Judah “l’horot-to “show the way.” Rashi, however, citing the Midrash, translates the word l’horot, to mean “to instruct.” According to Rashi, Jacob sent Judah to Egypt, to establish a “House of Study,” to serve as a source for spiritual instruction and guidance.

Before Jacob would set foot on Egyptian soil, he wanted to make sure that there would be a source of spiritual knowledge that would sustain the spiritual needs of his progeny in the otherwise morally depraved land of Egypt.

The Midrash Tanchuma—known for the cryptic associations it makes between Biblical verses and Jewish law—cites the following discussion as a commentary on Judah’s mission to establish a House of Study in Egypt:

“When do we recite the benediction on the

[Havdalah/Separation] candle, Saturday night? Our Sages have stated thus: ‘One does not recite the benediction over the candle until one has benefited from the light.’ How do we know this? From the verse ‘And G-d saw the light that it was good.’ Only after that does the Torah state: ‘And G-d separated between the light and the darkness.’”

The obvious question here is what possible connection can there be between the law concerning the Havdalah candle at the end of the Sabbath and Judah’s mission to establish a House of Study?

Setting Boundaries

To understand this rather cryptic Midrash, let us focus on the ritual of Havdalah. One can easily understand the need for the Kiddush prayer as we usher in the Sabbath. It is our way of acknowledging that this day is special and holy. But why do we have to acknowledge the significance of the Sabbath at the end of the day?

In truth, Havdalah is more than just an affirmation of the importance of the Shabbos. It is the recognition that we must appreciate the need for separation and division in our lives. During Shabbos, we are uplifted and do not need to be reminded of the boundaries between the holy and the profane that must be respected. But as we take leave of the Shabbos and enter into the regular weekdays, we must fortify ourselves with the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong—the division between light and darkness.

Thus, the Havdalah service is about boundaries. And the Havdalah candle that we must derive benefit from is indicative of the benefits we enjoy when we are endowed with and make use of the power of discernment between the holy and the profane, light and darkness; when our moral compass in in order.

This explains why Judah was sent to Egypt to establish a “House of Study.” If there was ever a need to provide people with the power of discernment it was when the nucleus of the Jewish people was making its home in the Land of Egypt. In that land—known, simultaneously, for its advanced culture and its degenerate moral position—it was crucial that the fledgling Jewish nation acquire this “Havdalah” mindset, to provide them with the benefit of distinguishing between the holy and the profane, so that they can navigate themselves through the murky waters of Egyptian life.

Maintain Our Balance

However, the Havdalah service and idea goes further. Much of Judaism is about balance. There are times when we gravitate towards an extreme position. We either become obsessed with the weekday aspects of life, or become enamored with the Sabbath dimension of existence. When we go in one direction it is usually at the expense of the other.

To assist us in this dilemma, we were given the Havdalah service. When the Shabbos ends we declare our appreciation to G-d for giving us the requisite power of discernment (Havdalah in Hebrew) to know that there are two distinct realties and experiences, that of the Shabbos and that of the weekday; there is a time and a place for the Shabbos experience and a time and place for the weekday experience.

To further dispel the notion that only the Shabbos experience is positive, we were given the ritual of lighting the Havdalah candle to underscore that the weekday period is also one that is part of the experience of light. Not only to we light up the world when we usher in the Shabbos and other holy days; even when we take leave of the Shabbos we light the Havdalah candle—and derive some benefit from it—to stress that the weekdays are also part of our G-dly mission. And though they differ in form, the Shabbos and weekdays are essentially the same in substance—they both enable us to make the world a “Dwelling place for G-d.”

Havdalah Candle of Jewish History

By Judah establishing a center of instruction in Egypt, he served as the “Havdalah candle” of Jewish history. It was Jacob’s message to the future generation of Jews: “No matter where you are situated—whether it is the Shabbos oriented places or the weekday locations—your missions is to bring the light of Torah to that place or experience.

It is interesting to note that the House of Study that Judah established in Egypt was situated in the province of Goshen. The Hebrew word Goshnah-to Goshen employed by the Biblical text here is the numerical equivalent of the word Moshiach.

Perhaps the hint here is that the catalyst for the Messianic Age is to make Havdalah, to appreciate the boundaries between good and evil, light and darkness. But, even more importantly, the Havdalah ideal imparts the awareness of how instilling light even into weekday experiences is even more crucial to affecting the world and preparing it for the ultimate age of goodness.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Vayigash by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.