spice box

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Pronunciations

spice box (SPYES bahks) listen

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Definitions

Example Sentences

  • "I wonder if my son can turn a wooden spice box. It would need carving, to have holes to smell through, although you can lift the cover. And it needs a cover, which is tricky to turn. I don’t think he has mastered that. But, I’d love him to make a spice box!" (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • English

Who Uses This

  • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

Regions

  • North America

Dictionaries

  • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

Notes

  • See also besamim.

    "During the Havdalah ceremony the spice box is passed around and sniffed while the appropriate blessing is said. Tradition says that during Havdalah one should worship God with all five senses. The spice box represents the sense of smell. The spices are also thought to cheer the soul, which is saddened by the departure of Shabbat. Spice boxes can be made of metal, olive wood, or other materials; they often are in the shape of a house or castle." (JPS)

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