This beautiful 20 color Lithograph by Jewish artist Michoel Muchnik depicts a Havdalah Spice Box. Each week, in honor of the Shabbat, every Jew is granted is granted the "Neshama Yesairah", literally an extra soul. This soul brings with it additional holiness and a closeness to G-d. However, at the end of Shabbat this special soul leaves us and we are saddened. Therefore, in the Havdallah, the service and prayer which signals that Shabbat is over, we bless each other with good blessings for the coming week and smell fragrant spices to refresh and soothe our remaining soul.

Traditionally, each Jewish home has a beautiful spice box adorned with various ornaments and filled with fragrant spices. Muchnik's version of a Spice Box is a house complete with windows and a door at the base of the Spice Box. Of course a Mezuzah appears on the doorpost. Through the shuttered windows we can see lit Shabbat candles. Shown near the bottom of the Spice Box is a Kiddush Cup and a Havdallah candle, both used in the Havdalah ceremony.

This lithograph is one of Muchniks earlier editions and should be part of a Muchnik Judaica collection.