Shabbat has ended, and it's time for Havdalah. Typically, this ceremony requires a few essential items, but what if you're away from home or find yourself without them? Maybe you’ve run out of wine, spices, or candles. Don't worry! In this article, we'll walk you through various scenarios and what you can do in each situation.

First: Why and How We Ordinarily Make Havdalah

The Torah tells us to "remember the Shabbat day to make it holy."1 Our sages interpret this to mean that we must verbally acknowledge Shabbat's holiness both at its start and end. On Friday night, we sanctified Shabbat with Kiddush; now, as we bid farewell to this day of rest, we again declare its holiness over a cup of wine.

Typically, the basics of the Havdalah ceremony are as follows:

  • We fill a cup with wine until it overflows, symbolizing the abundant blessings we hope to receive in the coming week.
  • We smell besamim, aromatic spices, to uplift our spirits, as the "added soul" we received during Shabbat is now departing. Smell is the most spiritual sense, so the pleasant fragrance helps rejuvenate us.
  • Based on the Midrash, which tells us that Adam and Eve first discovered fire at the close of the first Shabbat, we express our gratitude for fire by using a braided candle with multiple wicks, representing the various forms of fire that benefit us.

Waiting to Recite Havdalah

Now, what do you do if you’re missing one or all of the components necessary for Havdalah? Your first option might be to delay Havdalah until you can gather everything. If you plan to wait, keep two things in mind:

Prohibition of work: Even after Shabbat is over, you shouldn’t do any work that’s forbidden on Shabbat, until you’ve recited Havdalah verbally. You can do this by either including it in Maariv (in the section known as Ata Chonantonu), or by simply saying, Baruch hamavdil bein kodesh lechol—“Blessed is He Who makes a distinction between the holy and the mundane.”

Eating before havdala: There is a difference of opinion on what to do if you don't have wine or another suitable beverage for Havdalah and won't be able to obtain it until the following day.

Some authorities say that, in this instance, if you’ve mentioned Havdalah during the Evening Service,2 you can eat afterwards. According to them, it's merely an act of piety to wait until the next day to recite Havdalah over a cup.

Other authorities, however, maintain that if you expect to obtain a cup of wine (or chamar medinah—more on that later) the next day, you shouldn’t eat until you recite Havdalah over it. But if you don't expect to have wine the following day, you’re not required to fast until you can perform Havdalah, and you’re allowed to eat on Saturday night.

The recommended approach is to follow the stricter opinion and refrain from eating until you can perform Havdalah the next day. However, if you’re feeling weak and fasting would be difficult, you may rely on the more lenient opinion and eat.3

When is the latest I can do Havdalah?

Havdalah is ideally recited on Saturday night, but if you couldn’t do it then, don’t worry! You can still make Havdalah (day or night) until sunset on Tuesday. The first three days of the week are considered an extension of the previous Shabbat, while the last three days are viewed as preparation for the upcoming one.4

However, if you’re making Havdalah after Saturday night, you won’t use the candle or spices and will omit the corresponding blessings.5

(In this case, many have the custom to skip the introductory verses of Havdalah and begin with the blessing over the drink, followed by the actual Havdalah blessing.6 Others,7 including Chabad, recite the regular verses but skip the blessings for the besamim and fire.8)

Let’s go through each of the items needed and see what can be used as a possible substitute.

When You Have No Wine or Grape Juice

Ideally, Havdalah should be recited over wine. But if you don’t have wine, don’t panic! As long as you have other acceptable beverages at home, you don't need to buy wine (although it’s considered an “elevated mitzvah” to do so if possible).9

If you have just a reviit (2.9 oz.) of wine, and your cup is larger than that, it’s better to use a semi-full cup of wine than a full cup of another beverage. If you don’t even have that much wine, you can add water or juice as long as the wine content remains significant enough that you can still say the Hagafen blessing.10

If you don’t have any wine, the second best option is grape juice.

If you don’t have grape juice, you can use what’s known as chamar medinah, a drink (not water) that’s considered significant in your society and would be served to guests, almost like wine.

Here’s a list of some such drinks in order of preference:11

  • First Choice: Alcoholic beverages like beer or liquor.
  • Second Choice: Tea or coffee.
  • Third Choice (according to some): Natural, pure fruit juice. However, there’s some disagreement on whether fruit juice is a viable option, so use it only as a last resort.

Note: Soft drinks should not be used for Havdalah, as they are considered too similar to water.

Also note: In all these cases, substitute the blessing of Hagafen with Shehakol.

When You Have No Fragrant Spices

The sages established the practice of smelling spices on Saturday night (unless it’s a holiday). But this is only necessary if you have spices on hand, and, you don’t need to seek them out.12 So if you don’t have spices, simply omit the blessing.

The classic spices are cloves, cinnamon, and myrtle. But there are plenty of alternatives, so don’t just assume you don’t have spices. You can use any naturally sweet-smelling item, including fragrant fruits. (The blessing on besamim in the Havdalah ceremony remains the same.) However, avoid using ground pepper, ginger, and similar spices, even if you find them pleasant.13

Don’t use spices or substances that are designed to mask bad odors, like air fresheners used in bathrooms.14 Additionally, according to many, you may not use man-made substances.15

Let’s say you couldn’t find any acceptable spices and made Havdalah without that blessing, and then you found spices later. In this case, you can say the blessing and smell the spices up until daybreak on Sunday morning.

When You Have No Fire

Similar to the blessing on the spices, if no candle is readily available on Motzei Shabbat, there’s no obligation to search for one. But if you do find a candle after reciting Havdalah, you should say the blessing over it up until daybreak.16

It’s ideal to use a “torch” for Havdalah, meaning any candle with two or more wicks, even if the wicks don’t touch each other. For example, if two candles are braided together, it’s considered a torch, even if the wicks remain separate but the fires join.17

If a double-wicked candle isn’t available, you can light two separate candles or matches and bring their flames together when reciting the blessing. If this isn't possible, or if you only have one candle, you can still say the blessing over a single-wicked candle.18

If that is not available you can use a match or even a lighter.

If no fire is available, some authorities permit using an incandescent light in a time of need. In fact, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky, one of the leading halachic authorities in pre-war Europe, reportedly used an electric bulb for Havdalah regularly to emphasize that it was acceptable. However, others discourage this practice, arguing that the Havdalah blessing mentions "fire," implying the need for an actual flame.19

Note: Fluorescent or LED bulbs are not considered fire and should not be used for Havdalah (although they may be used for Shabbat candles in extenuating circumstances, where the main point is to have light).20 Also, you must be able to see the fire (the glowing filament), so frosted bulbs or those encased in a shade are not suitable.21

Why Do We Make a Blessing on Fire at Havdalah?