by Aly Adelstein
We’re beginning Torah again anew, and one of the early verses in Bereishit that jumped out at me was how G-d “separated light from darkness.” This verse is very familiar because we say it each week in the exit ceremony for Shabbat, it is recited every Saturday night in Havdalah.
It reminded me of the Talmud Pesachim discussion about how many and which “separations” should be mentioned in Havdalah. The Talmud settles on a minimum of three and a maximum of seven.
Our common Havdalah practice (based on the Talmud) is to mention 4 such distinctive separations: Our Havdalah service states: Blessed… who separates between:
(1) holy and mundane (2) light and darkness (3) Jewish people and the nations (4) Shabbat and the weekday (the 6 and the 7….).
But why focus on separations and divides? Why not emphasize what’s special instead?
The truth is that we appreciate happiness because of sadness, we respect courage only because we know fear, light is light because of its contrast with darkness.
The distinctive difference and contrast helps us better appreciate. It gives us context, it establishes parameters. It gives the words and concepts meaning.