Havdalah is one of the strangest rituals to do alone. Many times over lockdown, as I lit the candle, I thought, “It’s just you and me g?d, do we really need all these pyrotechnics?” Havdalah is ritual immersive theater at its finest, and while it was awkward at first alone, it did give me a sense of freedom. This melody was born from that freedom, an embrace of the pageantry of ritual and a decision to stay for a moment in the liminal space between holy and workday. “Hinei,” we begin. Behold, take head, be here, be here, be here. Here, I am dancing with the fire and the sweet scent and the liquid joy, with my spiritual ancestors and my past, present, and future Jewish sacred family. It’s just me in this kitchen, but here, I am far from alone. And here, it morphed from an acapella stomp-clap situation to a full-on jam with the whole holy crowd. What a blessing, to be here.
here, despite everything, i acknowledge the possibility of redemption. i am confident and unafraid. my strength and the song of the universe will be my saving grace in difficult times. with joy, we will draw water from the deep well of resilience. the capacity for change resides in all things, the capacity for blessing resides in all people. the arc of the universe is with us- all of time and space give us strength. the fountain of hope is with us, and entrusts us with blessing. we call out for help even in this strength, we call out for answers in the darkness. we ask for light, joy, and honor, and draw upon the memory of our ancestors for guidance. we are not alone. the potential of deliverance is a cup overflowing- we raise it high and invoke the source of life.
we experience your blessing, holy breath and presence, our mother, spirit of the universe,
as the source of distinction, between the holy and the every-day, between light/day and dark/night, between Israel and all unique peoples, between the seventh day and the six days of creation
we experience your blessing, holy breath and presence, as the
source of distinction between the holy and the every-day
Text from the havdalah liturgy
credits
from ORAH HI,
released August 31, 2023
Co-sponsored by B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, MD & our fundrazr community of support. Thank you!
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