Havdalah Lamp

Havdalah is Hebrew for separation. It is the Jewish ritual performed at the end of the Sabbath to mark the transition from the holy day to everyday life. After the wine and spices are blessed, a blessing is recited over the light. A Kiddush cup is filled to the brim with wine and the Havdalah candle is extinguished in it, causing it to overflow. This symbolizes the hope that the coming week will overflow with blessings as well. An especially eye-catching feature of this lamp is the male figure supporting it. He wears the dress of an eighteenth-century Frankfurt Jew, including a cape and a lace collar. In accordance with religious law, he has a beard. He holds a besamim tower and a Kiddush cup in his hands.