How to Make Havdallah

Printable cards with instructions for how to make havdallah and the havdallah blessings in Hebrew and English. Double-sided.

If you need these cards in a different format, please email Rachel First at firstr@ncsy.org.

Click here to hear all the Havdallah blessings sung in a tune. (Version 1)
Click here to hear all the Havdallah blessings sung in a tune. (Version 2)
Click here to hear "Hinei Keil Yeshuasi" sung in a tune.


Download PDF



Just as we welcome the Shabbos Queen in with Kiddush, we escort the Shabbos Queen away with the Havdallah ceremony. Havdallah extends the holiness of Shabbos into the week. It is a time to think about how we will carry over the spirituality we gained on Shabbos into the activities we will do in the coming week.


Preparing for Havdallah

When the time for the end of Shabbos has passed, recite the following words. This will allow you to do the weekday activities necessary to prepare for Havdallah:

בָּרוּךְ הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל

Baruch ha-mavdil bein kodesh le-chol.

Blessed is the One [God] Who separates between the sacred and the mundane.

(Click here to print these words on a pocket-sized card.)


Introductory Paragraph

Fill a kiddush cup with either wine or grape juice, until the liquid overflows a bit onto the plate below.

Light the Havdalah candle (a braided candle with at least two wicks, or two candles held with their flames touching each other).

Make sure you have spices available - we typically use cloves, but check with a Rabbi if you want to use a different spice.

Hold the wine cup in the palm of your right hand (or in your left hand if you are a "lefty") and recite the following paragraph:

הִנֵּה אֵ-ל יְשׁוּעָתִי אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד
כִּי עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָ-הּ ה׳ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה
וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם מַֽיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה
לַה׳ הַיְשׁוּעָה עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶֽךָ סֶּֽלָה
ה׳ צְבָאוֹת עִמָּֽנוּ מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹקֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶֽלָה
ה׳ צְבָאוֹת אַשְרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵֽחַ בָּךְ
ה׳ הוֹשִֽׁיעָה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַעֲנֵֽנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵֽנוּ
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן וִיקָר
כֵּן תִּהְיֶה לָּֽנוּ
כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא

Hineih Eil yeshuasi, evtach ve-lo efchad, ki azi ve-zimras Yah Adonoy, va-yehi li lishu'ah. Ushav'tem mayim be-sasson mi-ma'ainei ha-yeshuah. La'Adonoy ha-yeshuah, al amecha bircha-secha selah. Adonoy tzeva'os imanu, misgav lanu Elohei Ya'akov selah. Adonoy tzeva'os, ashrei adam botei'ach bach, Adonoy hoshiah, ha-melech ya'aneinu ve-yom kareinu. La-yehudim hay'esa ora ve-simcha, ve-sason vikar. Kein ti'heyeh lanu. Kos yeshuos esa, uve-sheim Adonoy ekra.

Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid. Indeed, God is my strength and my song and He has become my salvation. You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation. Salvation belongs to God; may Your blessings be upon Your people, Selah. The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is a refuge for us, Selah. Lord of Hosts, happy is the man who trusts in You. God, save us; may the King answer us on the day we call. "The Jews had radiance and happiness, joy and honor." So may it be for us. I will raise the cup of salvations and invoke the name of God.


Blessing Over the Wine

While you are still holding the wine cup in the same hand, recite the following blessing (Skip the first line if you are making Havdallah alone):

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Savri maranan ve-rabanan ve-rabotai:
Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, Borei peri ha-gafen.

Listen, honored and distinguished ones:
Blessed are You, God, King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.


Blessing Over Spices

Pass the wine cup to your left hand. Now pick up the spices in your right hand, and recite the following blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים

Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
Borei mini vesamim.

Blessed are You, God, King of the Universe,
Who creates various kinds of spices.
After reciting the above blessing, smell the spices.
If other people are present, pass the spices
around for everyone else to smell.


Blessing Over a Flame

With the wine cup still in your left hand, recite the following blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ

Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
Borei me'orei ha-aish.

Blessed are You, God, King of the Universe,
Who creates the lights of fire.

Hold up your fingers to the candle, and gaze at your fingernails under the candle's illimnation. If other people are present, they should do the same.


The Final Blessing

Pass the cup of wine back to your right hand, and recite the concluding blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמַּבְדִיל
בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים
בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל

Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
ha-mavdil bein kodesh le-chol, bein ohr le-choshech, bein Yisrael la-amin,
bein yom ha-shevi'i le-sheishes yemei ha-ma'aseh.
Baruch ata Adonoy, ha-mavdil bein kodesh le-chol.

Blessed are You, God, King of the Universe, who makes a distinction between sacred and mundane, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work.

Blessed are you, God, Who makes a distinction between sacred and mundane.

Drink at least 2 ounces of the wine.

Use the rest of the wine to extinguish the flame: pour some wine into a dish and immerse the flame in the wine until the fire goes out. It is customary to dip your fingers into the spilled wine, and place some drops onto your eyelids or ears as an omen to "see and hear" good things throughout the week.


Click here to hear all the Havdallah blessings sung in a tune.
Click here to hear "Hinei Keil Yeshuasi" sung in a tune.