HABHDÄLÄH ("separation"). — A Jewish religious ceremony marking the end of the Sabbath (and, in a reduced form, of every festival day) and the beginning of the work period; this corresponds to the practice of giddäš ("consecration") at the start of the festival day (the festival day begins after sunset on the preceding day).
Originally, the "departure of the Sabbath" was celebrated with a communal meal, at the end of which, as evening fell, a lit candle and burning spices were brought in, as was customary at the conclusion of any communal meal. At this point, scriptural passages (Ps. 141, 67, 91; Gen. 27:28-29) were recited, intended to invoke blessing, abundance, and purity of conduct for the coming period, and to ward off evil influences. This was a "separation" between sacred and profane time, between Israel and the nations estranged from God. The act of distinguishing and separating presupposes intelligence, and thus the mention of habhdäläh was included in the prayers of the "Eighteen Benedictions," specifically in the one that asks the Lord for the gift of intelligence.
In the Middle Ages, a popular belief arose that at the end of the Sabbath, the souls of the wicked returned to their punishments, and thus the recitation of Ps. 91 was incorporated into the ritual.