An Open Letter from Jewish Students at Columbia
4 min read
Add some fresh herbs to your life.
Image Source: Sari Srulovich
For over forty years, I’ve grown an herb garden: a culinary herb garden filled with rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, green onions, chives, tarragon, mint, parsley and occasional tries of other herbs—such as lavender, which I’ve never successfully grown!
I love going out to the garden to pick fresh herbs for my cooking, a connection to the earth, to planting and growing and the cycles of the seasons. Rubbing them between my fingers brings out beautiful and distinctive aromas. Recently I had the idea to use them for havdalah.
Havdalah is the beautiful ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of our normal week. This ceremony can be very spiritual and can include beautiful songs, but it always includes a few distinct props.
A special braided candle, a sweet wine and “besamim,” fragrant spices often placed in a special box or bag to be used in the ceremony.
The Besamim are often associated with the use of cinnamon and/or cloves, maybe because they have a strong scent that lasts a long time, but other fresh and fragrant herbs and spices can be added to make a unique havdalah scent.
The fragrant aromas of fresh herbs from a homegrown garden make for a very fresh and special havdalah. When I was in Israel, some went outside to pick sprigs of rosemary, which often grow to a shrub height and have a strong fresh smell.
Make a little bouquet of your favorite herbs to add to your Havdalah mix. It not only smells good but looks beautiful too. If you live in a colder climate, plant some of your favorites in pots and put the herbs in a sunny widow.
Most herbs are easy to grow. They love the sun, although mint can be grown almost anywhere. Many herbs can be planted from seed and most common herbs are available from nurseries in your area or by mail order. Many herbs come in quite a few varieties. I read on one site that there are over 600 types of mint!
I grow 4 types of thyme, 2 kinds of basil, oregano and mint each, and a single variety for the rest. There are many websites that can help you decide which herbs grow best in your geographic area and what soil would be best. It’s a good idea to read these first. Many states have agricultural extensions which give free advice, so check to see if your state has this resource.
You must decide a few things before starting your garden. Is this to be an outdoor or indoor garden or a combination, i.e. outdoor in the warm months and indoor in the cold months? How much room do you have? If you live in a small apartment, perhaps one pot with several herbs would do the trick. I have a large garden so I plant 9 distinct herbs with different varieties among my vegetables.
Havdalah uses pleasant smelling herbs, so perhaps green onions may not be the best choice! A small bouquet of rosemary, basil and thyme would be fragrant, as would varieties of mint. You can also place the sprigs in small cloth bags for each person if you have a large crowd. This technique is great for Shabbat get-togethers for family or large groups of friends. Be sure to wash the herbs carefully, so as not to bring in insects into your house or to discover a spider crawling up your arm!
Of course, these herbs also have a culinary use. Save the herbs you picked and make a Havdalah bread— a nice crusty peasant bread or a Focaccia with some or all of these herbs: rosemary; thyme; chives; basil and oregano. Remove any thick stems and use the washed and dried leaves.
If you don’t have or want a garden, many grocery stores sell fresh herbs in the produce department. The herbs keep well in the refrigerator in a bit of water. You can still enjoy the fresh herb aroma for Havdalah and make these wonderful breads. The aroma will fill your kitchen from Havdalah and from baking.
We say the blessing over separating the holy Shabbat from weekday life. Keep a bit of the fragrance of Shabbat with these wonderfully fresh herbs and delicious breads.
Have A Sweet New Year filled with fragrant spices.
I will get my seeds this week to begin a herb garden.