Sing: Shavua Tov

A Yeminite song for Havdalah:

My soul longs for the candle and the spices.
If only you would pour me a cup of wine for Havdalah


O angels on high, pave a way for me,
clear the path for the bewildered [daughter of Zion]
and open the gates that I may enter
My heart yearning
I shall lift up my eyes to the Lord,
who provides for my needs day and night.

From the treasures of your goodness,
give me the minimum I need,
for your goodness has no end nor limit.
Rejuvenate my joy, my bread and my blessing,
Remove all sorrow, pain and darkness.

Now the days of activity begin once again
May they be renewed in peace and in goodness.
Amen.

Susan Fischer Weis has been creating Judaica for many years, a seder plate of hers is displayed in the Spertus Museum. Her work is whimsical but inspired. And best of all she works in polymer clay!!! Creating one-of-a-kind works of art is the most rewarding part of Susan Fischer Weis’s art career. These pieces come directly from her heart, mind and soul. They represent her truest self. The Garden of Eden Havdallah spice box makes use of fresh spices in a truly original design, evoking the peace and serenity of the Garden of Eden. To sustain us through the week, we seek a lingering reminder of Shabbat through our sense of smell.

This was a particularly wonderful week for me and the Judaica Journal. I got to begin and end the week with Polymer Clay Artists!

A box of spices

I found a lovely article written by a Hindu woman about Havdalah. I thought I would share it with you.

I love havdalah. It is such a sensory experience- we see the flames, and feel its heat. We taste the wine. We hear the blessings and the sound of the candle as it is extinguished. And of course we smell the aroma of the spices. Havdalah can be a true mind body experience.

Here today, for your Shabbat pleasure are some Havdalah spice boxes.

From SARA PELLY-WERTSMAN, a resident in the Ein Hod artist's village are these cobalt blue glass and metal spice boxes. Aren't they lovely?

From Ina Golub, whose work we have seen before a spectacular spice box which won the The 1998 Philip and Sylvia Spertus Judaica Prize. Of her prize winning piece, Ina says this, "Myriads of sparkling seed beads, symbolizing abundance and fertility, are woven together to form my Havdalah Spice Container based on a fanciful image of Leviathan, mythical sea creature. Symbol of divine protection, fertility, and the coming of the Messianic Age, the fish has been a popular form for Havdalah boxes throughout the centuries, particularly in North Africa, the Middle East, and some eastern European communities. At the Shabbat evening meal which foreshadows the world to come, it is traditional to eat fish. At that redemptive time, it is said, the Holy One will prepare a feast of Leviathan flesh for the righteous and will spread its skin over the walls of Jerusalem so its radiance will shine brightly from one end of the world to the other."


May your Shabbat be very sweet.