Sunday, 4 February 2018

Havdalah

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Havdalah is a brief ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat. The name Havdalah comes from the Hebrew word Mavdil meaning division. The ceremony marks the division between the "holy" (Shabbat) and the "profane" (rest of the work week).

The Havdalah candle frequently has six wicks (sometimes nine). The last act of the Havdalah ceremony is to extinguish the candle in the remaining wine. This is the bookend to the Shabbat which begins with lighting candles.

Even in the creation story, God created light before He created the Sun, and then God called the light "good". Here are a couple of other verses that mention light.

John 1:4-5 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it."

John 8:12 "Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

The very presence of God (called the "shekenah glory") was the only light in the Holy of Holies. Then God tells us to be His light.

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Have a great week.