Over the last few weeks, on Fridays, we have been discussing the various aspects of Shabbat and making it a real part of our lives. We have been talking, mainly, about how to enjoy and respect Shabbat in ways outside of what most people consider Shabbat Observance, but which are a very large part of the true Shabbat experience. This week, I want to talk about one aspect of Shabbat that many people don’t associate with Shabbat – Havdala. As we have said in the past, Shabbat has 4 categories to it, Honor, Enjoy, Remember and Keep, and one of the key ways of remembering Shabbat is by making a separation between it and the rest of the week. When you have something special, something that you enjoy very much, and something that is very valuable, it is important to make sure that you maintain that things specialness. One way of doing this is by making it clear where that thing ends and other things begin.
Shabbat is no different. Shabbat is a very special part of our lives and we need to cherish it, we also need to make a clear distinction between Shabbat and the rest of the week. This also leads us to a deeper insight about life in general, it is always important to be able to distinguish between things, between those things which are special and not, those things which are holy and not, etc.
So, today’s Jewish Mission is to gather your family and friends and after having an amazingly inspirational Shabbat, say goodbye and make a clear distinction between Shabbat and the rest of the week. For more details on making Havdala see the video below (I know, its a little cheesy…).