Monday was a Special Day and we did all things Shabbat: singing, reading and creating.
In yetzirah, the children explored 3 components of Havdalah: the kiddush cup, the braided candle and the spice box. During Havdalah we sip the sweet wine/grape juice, see the warm bring light of the candle and smell the sweet spices to help us not be so sad that Shabbat is over.
Six very different smelling spices were available for sniffing and children had lots of things to say about which ones they liked and which they’d rather not smell again!
“This one smells like toothpaste!” One boy exclaimed as he pressed his nose against the mint leaves. What a cute connection!
“And these looks like mini torahs!” all three of these children said about the cinnamon sticks.
After deciding which spices they liked (and which really did smell sweet like Shabbat) the children gathered a pinch of each in their spice bag.
Then, they decorated their spice bags with he Hebrew word בשמים (b’sa-mim, spices), and on the other side an illustration of their choice. Some chose a keshet, a design with loads of tzeva’em and some chose more detailed illustrations of Shabbat and Havdalah.
They were very proud of their creations, anxious to take them home! We hope you enjoy smelling the sweetness of Shabbat with your children, too!
