This straightforward post presents the Reform tradition for the Havdalah ceremony that concludes Shabbat, including an audio recording that uses Jewish American singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman‘s popular melody and the full Hebrew, English and transliterated texts of the blessing. The Reform Havdalah ceremony contains only the four central blessings of the ceremony, without any preceding verses. This resource from ReformJudaism.org, the official website of the Reform movement, is a helpful resource for anyone looking to learn a shorter version of the Havdalah ceremony.
Reform Havdalah Ceremony
Blessings over the wine, spices, candle and between the separation of holy and commonplace. The Havdalahservice marks the separation between the end of Shabbat and the week.
Lift the cup of wine of grape juice, and recite the blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Hold up the spice box, and recite the blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam borei minei v’samim.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of all spices.
Lift the Havdalah candle, and recite the blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei m’orei ha-eish.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of fire.
Hold the Havdalah candle, and recite the blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam,
hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol, bein or l’choshech,
bein Yisrael laamim,
bein yom hash-vi-i l’sheishet y’mei hamaaseh.
Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe: You distinguish the commonplace from the holy; You create light and darkness, Israel and the nations, the seventh day of rest and the six days of labor. We praise You, O God: You call us to distinguish the commonplace from the holy.