ויקרא י,י : וּלְהַבְדִּ יל בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵּין הַחֹּל וּבֵּין הַטָּמֵּא וּבֵּין הַטָּהוֹר :
It is the manner of the Chumash to when making distinctions between two subjects to use the word בין twice.
Examples:
- בראשית א,ד: בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵּין הַחֹשֶׁךְ
- שמות כו,לג: בֵּין הַקֹדֶׁש וּבֵּין קֹדֶׁש הַקֳּדָשִׁ ים
- ויקרא יא,מז: לְהַבְדִׁיל בֵּין הַטָמֵּא וּבֵּין הַטָהֹר וּבֵּין הַחַיָה הַנֶׁאֱכֶׁלֶׁת וּבֵּין הַחַיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵּאָכֵּל:
However Chaza”l do not use the word בין twice but only once and use the letter ל in place of the second one.
Examples:
- בֵּין אֲדֹם לָמָקוֹם - בֵּין אֲדֹם לְחֲבֵּירוֹ
- הַמַבְדִׁיל בֵּין קֹדֶׁש לְחוֹל, בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִׁשְ רָאֵּל לָעַמִׁים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְבִׁיעִׁי לְשֵּשֶׁת יְמֵּי הַ מַעֲשֶׁה.
Rabbi Yoseph Karo (O.C. 299:10) decides one should not do melachah after Shabbos is over until one makes Havdalah.(1) This means even if it is dark outside and Shabbos is definitely over. However, if one needs to do a melachah prior to Havdalah one should say “Hamavdil bein haKodesh ubein haChol” (2) without the normal blessing format and then able to do the melachah (3). Rema decides that in such a situation one should say, “Hamavdil bein Kodesh LeChol.” (4)
The Mechaber seems to have selected the language of the Torah, whereas the Rema seems to decide according to the language of Chaza”l. They appear they hold to the same opinions as in another manner. When one takes off Chalah, according to the Mechaber one says “LeHafresh Terumah” (the Chumash calls Challah the term Terumah). Whereas the Rema states the proper blessing is “LeHafresh Challah” (the language of the Mishnah).
Possible answer: All agree to the basic format of berachos. If the blessing is a mitzvah from the Torah, then one would utilize the wording of the Torah. And if the blessing is a mitzvah from Chaza”l then one would utilize the wording of the Rabbis. (Emes KeYaacov)
Thus, Rabbi Yoseph Karo who lived in Eretz Yisrael held that the mitzvah of Challah was from the Torah. Further, he held that the mitzvah of Havdalah is from the Torah (just as one makes Kiddush at the beginning of Shabbos, so one makes Havdalah at the end of Shabbos). The Rema held that one has to be concerned that these two Mitzvos are nowadays from Rabbinic degree, thus one utilizes the language of the Rabbis.
We then can conjecture that Chaza”l understood the importance of Rabbinic decrees and made a difference in the language (in a sense to make it their own) in order to emphasis the Rabbinical nature connected to that mitzvah.
- (1) M”B simon 299:32 states this includes even Rabbinical prohibitions.
- (2) Once a man has davened Maariv and recited ‘Atah Chonantanu’ in the Shemoneh Esrei, he is permitted to perform ‘melacha’ even before reciting Havdalah over the cup; and thus, this short recitation is not necessary. Eating and drinking (other than water), however, remains forbidden until Havdalah is made over the cup.
- (3) The Tur, in Orach Chaim 299, brings the opinion of Rabbeinu Asher and the Ba'al Halachos Gedolos that before doing melacha one should say "Hamavdil" with "Shem v'Malchut", that is, in a normative bracha format. Rashi, however, says that only the words "Baruch HaMavdil bein kodesh l'chol" must be said.
- (4) The Sha’ar Hatsiun writes (Simon 299:51) that even after reciting havdala in sh’moneh esreh one should not perform arduous melacha until havdala is recited over wine. This means that one may turn on lights, drive and perform simple melachos after saying “baruch hamavdil...” but one should not engage in melachos such as cooking, kindling a fire in a fireplace etc. Havdala is recited after Shabbos in order to differentiate (le-havdil) between Shabbos and weekday activities and Chazal enacted a certain beracha with which this is to be accomplished. They taught us that although one may perform basic, simple melachos after reciting the minimum havdala such as baruch hamavdil, one may not behave as a weekday until the correct and full havdala is recited.
