Sephardic Havdalah Besamim Practice
The Sephardic and Mizrachi custom of using whole spices — clove, cinnamon, or myrtle — for the Havdalah besamim blessing.
At the close of Shabbat, Jews recite Havdalah, a ceremony marking the boundary between the sacred day and the rest of the week. One element of that ceremony is smelling fragrant spices — besamim — as a small comfort for the departure of Shabbat's special spirit. While Ashkenazi communities came to use a dedicated spice box, often shaped like a tower and pre-filled with a blend of spices, Sephardic and Mizrachi communities developed the custom of using whole, natural spices: a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a sprig of myrtle, or similar aromatics. This difference reflects the broader tendency in Sephardic practice to use natural, unprocessed forms of ritual objects where possible. Both customs fulfill the same halachic requirement; the variation is one of community tradition rather than law.
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