“The order at the close of (i.e., after) Yom Kippur” - Containing five paragraphs.
We pray the Evening Prayer225Arvit, ערבית, the Evening Service; see footnote 144. and say the Havdalah226Havdalah, הבדלה, literally means distinction. It is a blessing that is recited at the termination of Sabbaths and festivals in order to help distinguish the holy of the holiday from the profane or ordinary nature of the regular weekday. According to the Talmud (Ber. 33a) the men of the Great Synagogue instituted these prayers. At times the prayer was said in the Amidah, but when Israel got richer and could afford it, the prayer was said over a cup of wine and, therefore taken out of the Amidah and placed at the end of the Service. The location of the prayer varied through the tannaitic period. In different rites, different prayers begin the ceremony. Most Ashkenazim recite Isaiah 12:2-3, "Behold, God is my salvation". The introduction is followed by three blessings, over wine, spices, and light, the order varied before it was set down in the Mishna.
The blessing over light was to display that work (lighting fire) was now permitted as the Sabbath or festival was over. The blessing over wine comes from the early established duty to recite the prayer over wine. There is no agreement as to the origin of the blessing over the spices. The rishonim (see footnote 16) state that it is to compensate the Jew for the loss of his "additional soul" which traditionally accompanied him throughout the Sabbath and festivals, although other reasons have also been given.
The actual Havdalah blessing itself, the blessing over the separation of holy from profane, is the fourth blessing in the ceremony. It developed over the years into various versions. It was decided that the prayer must mention at least one distinction, that between holy and profane. When a festival is followed immediately by the Sabbath the distinction mentioned is between the holy and the holy. When a festival is followed by a weekday, Havdalah may be recited over wine alone without the candle and spices. Many local customs developed around this mystical ceremony as did many special songs and hymns.
Editorial Staff, E. J., v. 7, pp. 1481-82. (the “separation”) in the benediction “חונן הדעת227According to the Sephardi ritual, the Havdalah ceremony was part of the Arvit Service (see footnote 144) and the recitation of the Havdalah was done during the Amidah (see footnote 43). It was inserted into the fourth benediction of the regular nineteen benedictions which make up the weekday Amidah, Ḥonen ha-Da'at, חונן הדעת, a prayer of thanking God for knowledge and understanding.”.
One has to add some time (i.e., lengthen the day of Yom Kippur)228"Add some time," means one must wait a little while and not rush for the conclusion of the Day of Atonement. One should prolong the day a bit by not rushing into the Havdalah prayer, (see footnote 226). from the profane to the holy229From "the profane to the holy" means that by waiting a bit to recite the Havdalah prayer one takes away a bit of the profane, that is the weekday, and adds a bit to the holy, that is Yom Kippur, by prolonging the Day of Atonement a bit longer than is actually dictated by the fall of night. also when (Yom Kippur is over, that is they should wait a little after the stars appear in the sky.230When three stars appear in the sky that is the definate distinction between light and dark, between day and night. The sight of the three stars definitely establishes the fact that it is night, that the holiday is over, that a new day has begun according to the Hebrew calendar, and that the Havdalah Prayer can be recited.
One says Havdalah over the cup (of wine) but one does not say the benediction over the spices even if it (Yom Kippur) falls on the Sabbath.231For an explanation of this special case regarding the Havdalah, see the end of footnote 226.
We (say a) blessing over the light, but we do not say a blessing after Yom Kippur on the light which they brought forth now from stones (i.e., sparks). Some say that we do say the benediction over the first fire which was ignited by this spark and onward.232To say the blessing over the lights in the Havdalah ceremony one may not use a fire that one sees from the first spark that results when two stones are struck together. The fire that can be used for the prayer has to be the result of at least the second fire that was ignited by those first sparks. The first sparks do not burn long enough to say a blessing over them. According to the commentator Magen Avraham, a commentary on the Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Ḥayyim by Abraham Abele Gombiner (see footnote 33), the first sparks are not a real fire. Only the second fire ignited from the first sparks is considered a real fire that continues to burn long enough for a benediction to be recited over it.
A Jew who lights the candle from the fire of a non-Jew does not (say a) blessing over it at the close of Yom Kippur even though at the end of the Sabbath we do bless it, because we do not say a blessing over the fire on the close of Yom Kippur, only over light which was not burning during the daytime of Yom Kippur, or over the light that was lighted from it, and (therefore) the custom is to light from the lamps of the synagogue233These candles in the synagogue were kindled before Yom Kippur and therefore they are not the candles that were lighted and used on Yom Kippur by non-Jews. Candles lighted and used on Yom Kippur by Gentiles are not to be used to ignite candles to be blessed during the Havdalah ceremony, but candles in the synagogue that had been ignited prior to Yom Kippur and they burned all through Yom Kippur without being touched can be used to light candles which are to be blessed during the Havdalah ceremony following Yom Kippur.; however if one lighted (his candle) on Yom Kippur, if it was lighted with permission (i.e., if he was allowed to light it), for example for a sick person, we are able to say a blessing over it.
Hagah: There are those who say that one is to say the Prayer of Havdalah234Havdalah, הבדלה; see footnote 226. over the light of the synagogue, (המגיד ואבודרהם וא״ז),235Ha-Maggid and Abudarham and Or Zarua'a, וא״ז המגיד ואבודרהם.
Ha-Maggid, המגיד, refers to the work Maggid Mishneh, a commentary to the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides, (see footnote 59) . It was written by a Spanish rabbi known as Vidal Yom Tov of Tolosa who lived in the second half of the fourteenth century. He came from Tolosa, Catalonia where he wrote his commentary. The commentary does not cover the entire Mishneh Torah, only Books 3; 4; 5, chapters 1-9; 11; 12, chapters 1-3; and 13 are in existence. Some of his commentaries may have been lost, but it is also possible that he only commented on laws that were practical during his time. His purpose was to clarify the difficult passages of Maimonides and to indicate the sources Maimonides used. Vidal also dealt with criticisms, hassagot, of Abraham b. David of Bosquieres and tried to answer them. He often found both men right attributing the differences to different versions of the text. He also explained the order of the halakhot of Maimonides in each book. He felt that a misunderstanding of Maimonides' order was the reason for the book being so severly criticized. Vidal was quite strict in his rulings where he quoted extensively from Naḥmanides and Solomon b. Abraham Adret and others. The Maggid Mishneh has become the standard commentary on the Mishneh Torah.
Yehoshua Horowitz, E. J., v. 16, pp. 119-20.
Sefer Abudarham, ספר אבודרהם, was written in Seville in 1340 by David ben Joseph Abudarham, a fourteenth century Spanish liturgical commentator. He was a communal leader in Toledo, and he was inspired to write his book because of the fact that customs connected with prayer varied from country to country where the Jews lived. Most of the Jews at this time did not understand the words of the prayers, nor the correct procedures and the reasons for saying them. Abudarham based his decisions on the Talmuds, the decisions of the geonim (see footnote 19), and early and late commentators of Spain, Provence, France and other Ashkenazi origins. Abudarham made much use of the prayer book of Saadiah Gaon. He also used several customs based on the Manhig of Abraham b. Nathan ha-Yarḥi of Lunel and the Minhagot of Asher b. Saul. He derived legal material from Asher b. Jehiel and the Turim of Jacob b. Asher (see footnote 23).
Abudarham traced the various customs in different countries of each prayer and commented on them. He included in his commentary an examination of the Passover Haggadah. He also discussed the weekly division of the Torah readings and their corresponding Haftarot (see footnote 170). He added to his book the rules of various benedictions, dividing them into nine categories and explaining and interpreting them. Sefer Abudarham was first published in Lisbon in 1490. Abudarham also wrote a book commenting on the liturgy of Yom Kippur which has been ascribed to Yose b. Yose, and other liturgical poems.
Zvi Avneri (Hans Lichtenstein) and Editorial Staff, E. J., v. 2, pp. 181-82.
For Or Zaru'a, א״ז; see footnote 118. and there are those who say that one should not use (the light of the synagogue) for Havdalah, rather one lights another light from the synagogue lamp.236In other words one lights the candle over which the Havdalah Prayer is recited from a candle that was lighted from the synagogue candles, thus making the lighting of the candle over which the blessing is said once removed from the synagogue light. In this way, the candle of the synagogue which burned throughout Yom Kippur is not used directly. The correct practice is to say the Havdalah over both of them together, that is to kindle one light from the light of the synagogue, but one should not make the Havdalah over the light of the synagogue alone, (מהרי״ל).237Maharil, מהרי״ל; see footnote 8. For the rest of the laws concerning the light, see above in chapter 298.238The Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, chapter 238 contains the laws of the candle used for the Havdalah ceremony in fifteen chapters. We eat and we rejoice at the close of Yom Kippur because it is somewhat of a holiday,239It is not actually according to official terminology a holiday on the night after Yom Kippur, but that night is celebrated as somewhat of a holiday to mark the end of fasting and the hope of true forgiveness by God for the genuine repenter. (טור ומהרי״ו, א״ז).240Tur and Mahariv and Or Zaru'a, טור ומהרי״ו, א״ז.
For Tur, טור; see footnote 23.
For Mahariv, מהרי״ו; see footnote 27.
For Or Zaru'a, א״ז; see footnote 118. There are those who are strict and observe two days of Yom Kippur, and a person can be (halakhically) relieved of this practice,241If one started a second day of Yom Kippur he can be excused of it and stop his observation. The method that should be employed to stop the second day of fasting once it has been begun is the same as the process that is used to annul a vow, hattarat nedarim, declaring that the vow is null and void outloud by the bet din, the rabbinical court made up of three rabbis. and one should not follow this strict practice since there is a fear that a person might be in danger (of his life or health), (א״ז).242Or Zaru'a, א״ז; see footnote 118. He who fasts because he had a bad dream243A fast observed as the result of a bad dream or a nightmare, ta'anit ḥalom, תענית חלום; see footnote 7. on the day after Yom Kippur, there is no need for him to fast all his days244This means that if one has had a bad dream and observes a dream fast (see footnote 7) for it one year immediately after Yom Kippur, there is no need for him to fast every year after Yom Kippur just because he did it once. This one time is sufficient. (after Yom Kippur every year just because he did it once), (מנהגים)245Minhagim, מנהגים;see footnote 13. One does not say prayers of supplication246Taḥanun, תחנון, prayers of supplication; see footnote 10. nor does he say “You are righteous, and you will be righteous, and you were righteous247Ẓidkatkha, צדקתך; see footnote 199.” from Yom Kippur until Sukkot248Sukkot, סוכות, the "Festival of Booths" is one of the three pilgrimage festivals. It begins on the fifteenth of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. It commemorates the event that the Children of Israel dwelt in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. The festival lasts for seven days. The first day (the first two days in the Diaspora) is a yom-tov, a festival on which no work is permitted. On the intermediate days, ḥol ha-mo'ed, work is permitted. Immediately after Sukkot, on the eigth day is the festival of Shemini Aẓeret, "The eighth day of solemn assembly" which is again a yom-tov. In the Diaspora a second day of Shemini Aẓeret is observed called Simḥat Torah, "Rejoicing over the Torah."
The holiday is called the feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering is mentioned often in the Bible, especially in Leviticus 23:39-43. It marks the Fall harvest.
The holiday is celebrated by living in temporarily constructed or completed booths, Succot, of which at least the roof is made especially for the holiday. These booths have a roof which enables those in them to see the sky but more of it has to be covered than not. Dwelling in these booths is to remind the Jews of the wandering of the Israelites through the desert. All meals are to be eaten (by the men) in the Succah, and one (i.e., the men) was supposed to live in the Succah throughout the holiday if the weather permitted this. During the time of the Temple Jews would make Sukkot one of their minimal of three pilgrimages to offer a special sacrifice in honor of the harvest and the festival.
The rabbis established four species of plant, arba'ah minim,to celebrate the festival with based on Leviticus 23:39-43; the citron, etrog; myrtle twigs, hadasim; palm branch, lulav; and willows, aravot.
Louis Jacobs, E. J., v. 15, pp. 495-502. (the Festival of the Booths), and the meticulous ones begin immediately at the close of Yom Kippur to build the Succah249One is to build a Succah for the holiday of Sukkot (see footnote 248). Succah must be at least three sided and its roof must be made of leaves and branches. The roof should be such that it will not be able to withstand a heavy down-pour. One is to dwell in the Succah during the holiday of Sukkot to remind the Jew of the wandering of the Israelites in the desert following the Exodus from Egyptian slavery. If it rains or the weather is severe one is only required to eat meals in the temporary booth of this harvest festival. According to tradition preferably each household is to have its own Succah and the building of it should begin immediately following Yom Kippur. so they can go from one commandment to another commandment,250It is a talmudic principle that one goes from mitzvah to mitzvah, from commandment to commandment. That means that when one is through completing his religious obligations in one area or a good deed, he must immediately begin fulfilling another commandment or doing another good deed. Sukkot is the next festival, following Yom Kippur by only five days. The concern with the festival of Sukkot must occupy the thoughts and the life of a pious person immediately upon the termination of Yom Kippur. Therefore the next day, if it is not the Sabbath, one should begin constructing his Succah (see footnote 249). (מהרי״ל ומנהגים, והגהות מיימוני פרק ב‘ דברכות, מהרי״ו).251Maharil and Minhagim and Hagahot Maimuniyyot, chapter two of the section Berakhot, Blessings, and Mahariv, ומנהגים והגהות מיימוני פרק ב‘ דברכות, מהרי״ו מהרי״ל.
For Maharil, מהרי״ל; see footnote 8.
For Minhagim, מנהגים; see footnote 13.
For Hagahot Maimuniyyot, הגהות מיימוני; see footnote 27.
For Mahariv, מהרי״ו; see footnote 27.