Sunday, October 17, 2010

Havdalah, the Expanded Version: Pesachim 104a

Here is an expanded version of the Havdalah prayer said at the end of the sabbath. I was excited to read this last sabbath, because I was already planning to propose to J., my fiance, right after Havdalah that evening. I felt like reading this was a little 'thumbs up' from the Gemara. Departures from the standard text are bolded.

The order of Havdalah is as follows: "[Praised are you G-d, King of the Universe] who distinguishes between holiness and unholiness, light and darkness, Israel and other nations, the Seventh Day and the six days of creation, purity and impurity, the sea and dry land, the upper water and lower water, between the family of Cohenim, the tribe of Levi, and the rest of Israel. Praised are you G-d, who orders nature." Others close the prayer with, "who forms creation."

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