Earlier in the semester I attended a Havdalah service with Hillel of Richmond. Havdalah is the traditional ceremony marking the end of Shabbat, and takes place on Saturday evening after sundown. The entire ceremony is of course conducted in Hebrew, and it was really enjoyable to listen as they progressed through the ceremony with a series of recitations and songs.
The word “Havdalah” means separation, and in the same way the candles of Friday night welcome Shabbat, the candle of Havdalah shows the separation of Shabbat from the rest of the week. At one point in the ceremony, everyone holds their cupped hands to the light from the candle so that a shadow is cast on their hands, symbolizing this separation. The blessing that accompanies this part reads “Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who distinguishes between sacred and ordinary, between light and darkness, between the seventh day and the sixth days of creation. Blessed are you, Adonai, Who distinguishes between sacred and ordinary.” After reflecting on this, it occurs to me that the fact that these American, Jewish, college students gathering on a Saturday night to recite blessings and prayers in a language very few, if any, of them understand outside of taking part in religious services, is in itself an example of separation. The Hebrew language helps set them apart from others, and provides a meaning to the ceremony that would be lost if it were to be performed in English.
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