Dayenu ( Hebrew : דַּיֵּנוּ , Dayyēnū ) is a song that is part of the Jewish holiday of Passover . The word "dayenu" means approximately "it would have been enough", "it would have been sufficient", or "it would have sufficed" ( day in Hebrew is "enough", and -enu the first person plural suffix, "to us"). This traditional up-beat Passover song is over one thousand years old. The earliest full text of the song occurs in the first medieval haggadah , which is part of the ninth-century Seder Rav Amram . The song is about being grateful to God for all of the gifts given to the Jewish people, such as taking them out of slavery, giving them the Torah and Shabbat , and had God only given one of the gifts, it would have still been enough. This is to show much greater appreciation for all of them as a whole. The song appears in the haggadah after the telling of the story of the exodus and just before the explanation of Passover, matzah , and the maror .
61-516: Dayenu has 15 stanzas representing the 15 gifts God bestowed. The first five involve freeing the Jews from slavery, the next describe the miracles He did for them, and the last five for the closeness to God He gave them. Each of the stanzas is followed by the word "Dayenu" (it would have been enough) sung repeatedly. The 15 stanzas are as follows: If He had given us the Shabbat , and not built for us
122-479: A Shabbat scooter. It is intended only for individuals whose limited mobility is dependent on a scooter or automobile consistently throughout the week. Seemingly "forbidden" acts may be performed by modifying technology such that no law is actually violated. In Sabbath mode , a " Sabbath elevator " will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step on and off without anyone having to press any buttons, which would normally be needed to work. ( Dynamic braking
183-527: A cup of wine, and with the use of fragrant spices and a candle, usually braided. Some communities delay havdalah later into the night in order to prolong Shabbat. There are different customs regarding how much time one should wait after the stars have surfaced until the sabbath technically ends. Some people hold by 72 minutes later and other hold longer and shorter than that. Jewish law (halakha) prohibits doing any form of melakhah (מְלָאכָה, plural melakhoth ) on Shabbat, unless an urgent human or medical need
244-439: A few minutes before sunset. Candles are lit at this time. It is customary in many communities to light the candles 18 minutes before sundown ( tosefet Shabbat , although sometimes 36 minutes), and most printed Jewish calendars adhere to this custom. The Kabbalat Shabbat service is a prayer service welcoming the arrival of Shabbat. Before Friday night dinner, it is customary to sing two songs, one "greeting" two Shabbat angels into
305-455: A fire (category 37). If the appliance is purposed for light or heat (such as an incandescent bulb or electric oven), then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire that falls under both lighting a fire (category 37) and cooking (i.e., baking, category 11). Turning lights off would be extinguishing a fire (category 36). Another view is that completing an electrical circuit constitutes building (category 35) and turning off
366-517: A form of Sumerian sa-bat ("mid-rest"), rendered in Akkadian as um nuh libbi ("day of mid-repose"). Connection to Sabbath observance has been suggested in the designation of the seventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eight days of a lunar month in an Assyrian religious calendar as a 'holy day', also called 'evil days' (meaning "unsuitable" for prohibited activities). The prohibitions on these days, spaced seven days apart (except
427-457: A future Messianic Age . Since the Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday . Shabbat observance entails refraining from work activities , often with great rigor , and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that the unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among
488-482: A human life is in danger (pikuach nefesh), then a Jew is not only allowed, but required, to violate any halakhic law that stands in the way of saving that person (excluding murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual acts). The concept of life being in danger is interpreted broadly: for example, it is mandated that one violate Shabbat to bring a woman in active labor to a hospital. Lesser rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances (a patient who
549-494: A light in a room to be turned on or off at will while the electricity remains on. A special mechanism blocks out the light when the off position is desired without violating Shabbat. The Shabbos App is a proposed Android app claimed by its creators to enable Orthodox Jews , and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a smartphone to text on the Jewish Sabbath. It has met with resistance from some authorities. If
610-460: A person to use all five senses: feel the cup, smell the spices, see the flame of the candle, hear the blessings and taste the wine. Following a normal Shabbat, the order of the prayers corresponds to the acrostic יבנ"ה Yavneh . This acrostic consists of the initials Y ayin (wine), B esamim (spices), N er (candle), and H avdalah (the Havdalah prayer). The order of elements when Havdalah
671-637: A step taken by dozens of congregations in the United States in late 19th century. More rabbinically traditional Reform and Reconstructionist Jews believe that these halakhoth in general may be valid, but that it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply them. A small fraction of Jews in the Progressive Jewish community accept these laws in much the same way as Orthodox Jews. The Talmud, especially in tractate Shabbat, defines rituals and activities to both "remember" and "keep"
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#1732780806682732-605: A weekly day of worship on Sunday , which is often called the " Lord's Day ". Several Christian denominations, such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church , the Church of God (7th Day) , the Seventh Day Baptists , and others , observe seventh-day Sabbath . This observance is celebrated from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Samaritans also observe Shabbat. Some hold the biblical sabbath
793-410: Is "ceasing [from work]." The notion of active cessation from labour is also regarded as more consistent with an omnipotent God 's activity on the seventh day of creation according to Genesis . A cognate Babylonian Sapattu or Sabattu is reconstructed from the lost fifth Enūma Eliš creation account, which is read as: " [Sa]bbatu shalt thou then encounter, mid[month]ly". It is regarded as
854-470: Is "creative", or that exercises control or dominion over one's environment . In addition to the 39 melakhot , additional activities were prohibited by the rabbis for various reasons. The term shomer Shabbat is used for a person (or organization) who adheres to Shabbat laws consistently. The (strict) observance of the Sabbath is often seen as a benchmark for orthodoxy and indeed has legal bearing on
915-462: Is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices (Hebrew: בְּשָׂמִים , romanized: bǝśāmim , lit. '"besamim"', Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בסמני , romanized: busmē , lit. 'spice, scent'). Shabbat ends on Saturday night after
976-407: Is also disabled if it is normally used, i.e., shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the gravitational potential energy of passengers, into a resistor network.) However, many rabbinical authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a violation of Shabbat, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in
1037-512: Is changed to "distinguishes holiness from holiness" signifying that the holiness of the holiday is of a lesser degree than the holiness of the concluded Shabbat. The reason that Shabbat is considered a greater holy day, is because it was the first holy day of the Torah, right in the beginning of it, in the Book of Genesis, corresponding to its historical/dating hierarchy. Havdalah is intended to require
1098-619: Is combined with kiddush (e.g., on a Saturday night that is Yom Tov ("holiday", literally "Good Day") is known by the acrostic יקנה"ז Yaknhaz . This acrostic consists of the initials Y ayin (wine), K iddush HaYom (blessing the day), N er (candle), H avdala (the Havdala blessing) and Z man (time, i.e. shehechiyanu ). Near the Qaddesh section in some Ashkenazic versions of the Haggadah (e.g. Mantoba 1560, Prague 1526, Venice 1609 and
1159-525: Is customary to eat three festive meals: Dinner on Shabbat eve (Friday night), lunch on Shabbat day (Saturday), and a third meal (a Seudah shlishit ) in the late afternoon (Saturday). It is also customary to wear nice clothing (different from during the week) on Shabbat to honor the day. Many Jews attend synagogue services on Shabbat even if they do not do so during the week. Services are held on Shabbat eve (Friday night), Shabbat morning (Saturday morning), and late Shabbat afternoon (Saturday afternoon). With
1220-437: Is ill but not critically so). We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked: "Why are you here? There are no Jews here," but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives .... We are desecrating Shabbat with pride. Various other legal principles closely delineate which activities constitute desecration of Shabbat . Examples of these include the principle of shinui ("change" or "deviation"): A violation
1281-469: Is life-threatening. Though melakhah is commonly translated as "work" in English , a better definition is "deliberate activity" or "skill and craftmanship". There are 39 categories of melakhah : The 39 melakhoth are not so much activities as "categories of activity". For example, while "winnowing" usually refers exclusively to the separation of chaff from grain , and "selecting" refers exclusively to
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#17327808066821342-445: Is not regarded as severe if the prohibited act was performed in a way that would be considered abnormal on a weekday. Examples include writing with one's nondominant hand, according to many rabbinic authorities. This legal principle operates bedi'avad ( ex post facto ) and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances. Generally, adherents of Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism believe that
1403-415: Is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting blessings over wine and bread. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten: The first one is held on Friday evening, the second is traditionally a lunch meal on Saturday, and the third is held later Saturday afternoon. The evening meal and the early afternoon meal typically begin with a blessing called kiddush ( sanctification ), said over a cup of wine. At
1464-692: The Holy Temple Jews in Afghanistan and Iran hit each other over the head with green onions during the refrain beginning with the ninth stanza (Even if you had supplied our needs in the desert for 40 years but not provided us with manna ). This may be due to a passage in Numbers 11:5–6, where the Israelites see manna and recall Egypt. "We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt,
1525-548: The Sabbath ( / ˈ s æ b ə θ / ), also called Shabbos ( UK : / ˈ ʃ æ b ə s / , US : / ˈ ʃ ɑː b ə s / ) by Ashkenazim , is Judaism 's day of rest on the seventh day of the week —i.e., Saturday . On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the creation of the heaven and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt, and look forward to
1586-521: The Tabernacle ( Exodus 35:4 etc. ) – that they are the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle . They are not explicitly listed in the Torah; the Mishnah observes that "the laws of Shabbat ... are like mountains hanging by a hair, for they are little Scripture but many laws". Many rabbinic scholars have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that
1647-532: The lunar cycle in the Babylonian calendar containing four weeks ending in a Sabbath, plus one or two additional unreckoned days per month. The difficulties of this theory include reconciling the differences between an unbroken week and a lunar week, and explaining the absence of texts naming the lunar week as Sabbath in any language. Seventh-day Shabbat did not originate with the Egyptians , to whom it
1708-407: The mitzvah , are handed around so that everyone can smell the fragrance. In many Sefardic and Mizrahi communities, branches of aromatic plants are used for this purpose, while Ashkenazi Jews have traditionally used cloves . A special braided havdalah candle with more than one wick is lit, and a blessing is recited. If a special havdalah candle is not available, two candles can be used, and
1769-542: The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards permits driving to a synagogue on Shabbat, as an emergency measure, on the grounds that if Jews lost contact with synagogue life, they would become lost to the Jewish people. A halakhically authorized Shabbat mode added to a power-operated mobility scooter may be used on the observance of Shabbat for those with walking limitations, often referred to as
1830-560: The Goldschmidt Edition), there is a picture of a hunter chasing a hare. This picture is a useful mnemonic for the acrostic יקנה"ז Yaknhaz as it can be described by a Yiddish or German sentence that sounds like Yaknhaz . The Yiddish sentence יאָג 'ן האָז yog 'n hoz means "hunt a/the hare!" (cf. Yiddish יאָג דעם האָז yog dem hoz ). The colloquial German sentence Jag 'en Has' [jakenhaz] also means "hunt a/the hare!" (cf. German Jag einen/den Hasen! ). The text of
1891-578: The Havdalah service exists in two main forms, Ashkenazic and Sephardic. The introductory verses in the Ashkenazic version (beginning הנה אל, Hinei El ) are taken from the biblical books of Isaiah , Psalms and Esther . In the Sephardic liturgy, the introduction begins with the words ראשון לציון, Rishon L'tsion and consists of biblical verses describing God giving light and success interspersed with later liturgical prose. The four blessings over
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1952-574: The Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. The origins of Shabbat and a seven-day week are not clear to scholars; the Mosaic tradition claims an origin from the Genesis creation narrative. The first non-Biblical reference to Sabbath is in an ostracon found in excavations at Mesad Hashavyahu , which has been dated to approximately 630 BCE. The Tanakh and siddur describe Shabbat as having three purposes: Judaism accords Shabbat
2013-530: The Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the Abrahamic and many other religions . According to halakha (Jewish religious law), Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before the sun sets on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night, or an hour after sundown. Shabbat
2074-446: The Sabbath and to sanctify it at home and in the synagogue. In addition to refraining from creative work, the sanctification of the day through blessings over wine , the preparation of special Sabbath meals , and engaging in prayer and Torah study were required as an active part of Shabbat observance to promote intellectual activity and spiritual regeneration on the day of rest from physical creation. According to many scribes, half of
2135-551: The Sabbath), as also in Exodus 20:8-11 (as one of the Ten Commandments ). Sabbath is commanded and commended many more times in the Torah and Tanakh ; double the normal number of animal sacrifices are to be offered on the day. Sabbath is also described by the prophets Isaiah , Jeremiah , Ezekiel , Hosea , Amos , and Nehemiah . The longstanding Jewish position is that unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among
2196-538: The Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud and Maimonides to allude to the positive commandments of Shabbat. These include: Havdalah (Hebrew: הַבְדָּלָה, "separation") is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat, and ushers in the new week. At the conclusion of Shabbat at nightfall, after the appearance of three stars in the sky, the havdalah blessings are recited over
2257-439: The Torah commands Jews to observe (refrain from forbidden activity) and remember (with words, thoughts, and actions) Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolized by the customary two Shabbat candles . Candles are lit usually by the woman of the house (or else by a man who lives alone). Some families light more candles, sometimes in accordance with the number of children. Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as prayer . It
2318-597: The appearance of three stars in the sky. Havdalah may be performed as late as sunset of the Tuesday following Shabbat. Havdalah is also recited at the conclusion of the biblical holidays . Like kiddush , havdalah is recited over a cup of kosher wine or grape juice , although other beverages may be used if wine or grape juice are not available. Spices, called besamim in Hebrew, often stored in an artistically-decorative spice container in order to beautify and honor
2379-422: The arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity. Some Orthodox also hire a " Shabbos goy ", a non Jew to perform prohibited tasks (like operating light switches) on Shabbat. Orthodox and many Conservative authorities completely prohibit the use of automobiles on Shabbat as a violation of multiple categories, including lighting a fire, extinguishing a fire, and transferring between domains (category 39). However,
2440-429: The circuit would be demolishing (category 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by rabbinic injunction , rather than a melakhah . A common solution to the problem of electricity involves preset timers ( Shabbat clocks ) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities reject altogether
2501-470: The conclusion of Havdalah, some or all of the leftover wine is poured into a small dish and the candle is extinguished in it, as a sign that the candle was lit solely for the mitzvah of Havdalah; some pour directly onto the candle. Based on Psalms 19:9 , "the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes," some Jews dip a finger into the leftover wine and touch their eyes or pockets with it. Because it
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2562-414: The conclusion of the following biblical holidays : Rosh Hashanah ; Yom Kippur ; the first days of Sukkot ; Simchat Torah ; Passover ( Pesach ), both its first and last days; and Shavuot . The blessing over the wine is said, as well as the prayer separating the holy from the everyday, but not the prayers over the havdalah candle or the spices (except for the conclusion of Yom Kippur when the prayer over
2623-527: The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all. Nothing but this manna to look at." It is thought that by beating each other with the onions they taught themselves not to yearn for Egypt or to forget Egyptian slavery. Shabbat Shabbat ( UK : / ʃ ə ˈ b æ t / , US : / ʃ ə ˈ b ɑː t / , or / ʃ ə ˈ b ʌ t / ; Hebrew : שַׁבָּת , [ʃa'bat] , lit. ' rest' or 'cessation ' ) or
2684-682: The day should be devoted to Torah study and prayer. The Talmud states that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for "one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires" ( BT , Shabbat 118a-b). All Jewish denominations encourage the following activities on Shabbat: Special Shabbatot are the Shabbatot that precede important Jewish holidays : e.g., Shabbat HaGadol (Shabbat preceding Pesach ), Shabbat Zachor (Shabbat preceding Purim ), and Shabbat Shuvah (Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ). Most Christians do not observe Saturday Sabbath, but instead observe
2745-399: The exception of Yom Kippur , days of public fasting are postponed or advanced if they coincide with Shabbat. Mourners sitting shivah (week of mourning subsequent to the death of a spouse or first-degree relative) outwardly conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are forbidden to display public signs of mourning. Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive, the fourth of
2806-399: The havdalah candle is recited). When a major holiday follows Shabbat, the Havdalah service is recited as part of the holiday kiddush and the blessing over spices is not said. The special braided Havdalah candle is not used since it may not be extinguished after the service, but rather the blessing is recited over the festival candles . The prayer "distinguishes holiness from the everyday"
2867-575: The house ( " Shalom Aleichem " -"Peace Be Upon You") and the other praising the woman of the house for all the work she has done over the past week ( " Eshet Ḥayil " -"Women Of Valour"). After blessings over the wine and challah , a festive meal is served. Singing is traditional at Sabbath meals. In modern times, many composers have written sacred music for use during the Kabbalat Shabbat observance, including Robert Strassburg and Samuel Adler . According to rabbinic literature , God via
2928-522: The individual Jew determines whether to follow Shabbat prohibitions or not. For example, some Jews might find activities, such as writing or cooking for leisure , to be enjoyable enhancements to Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore may encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person, and that only what the person considers "work" is forbidden. The radical Reform rabbi Samuel Holdheim advocated moving Sabbath to Sunday for many no longer observed it,
2989-487: The nineteenth), include abstaining from chariot riding, and the avoidance of eating meat by the King. On these days officials were prohibited from various activities and common men were forbidden to "make a wish", and at least the 28th was known as a "rest-day". The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia advanced a theory of Assyriologists like Friedrich Delitzsch (and of Marcello Craveri ) that Shabbat originally arose from
3050-410: The sabbath to be based of the days of creation, and hence a wholly separate cycle from the monthly cycle, which does not occur automatically and must be rededicated each month. See kiddush hachodesh . Havdalah Havdalah ( Hebrew : הַבְדָּלָה , romanized : haḇdālā , lit. 'separation', Jewish Babylonian Aramaic : אבדלתא , romanized: aḇdāltā )
3111-557: The separation of debris from grain, they refer in the Talmudic sense to any separation of intermixed materials which renders edible that which was inedible. Thus, filtering undrinkable water to make it drinkable falls under this category, as does picking small bones from fish ( gefilte fish is one solution to this problem). The categories of labors prohibited on Shabbat are exegetically derived – on account of Biblical passages juxtaposing Shabbat observance ( Exodus 35:1–3 ) to making
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#17327808066823172-438: The spirit of the day. Many observant Jews avoid the prohibition of carrying by use of an eruv . Others make their keys into a tie bar , part of a belt buckle, or a brooch , because a legitimate article of clothing or jewelry may be worn rather than carried. An elastic band with clips on both ends, and with keys placed between them as integral links, may be considered a belt. Shabbat lamps have been developed to allow
3233-412: The spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. The end of Shabbat is traditionally marked by a ritual called Havdalah, during which blessings are said over wine (or grape juice), aromatic spices, and light, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week. The word Shabbat derives from the Hebrew root ש־ב־ת . Although frequently translated as "rest" (noun or verb), another accurate translation
3294-511: The status of a joyous holy day. In many ways, Jewish law gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the Hebrew calendar : Honoring Shabbat ( kavod Shabbat ) on Preparation Day (Friday) includes bathing, having a haircut and cleaning and beautifying the home (with flowers, for example). Days in the Jewish calendar start at nightfall, therefore many Jewish holidays begin at such time . According to Jewish law, Shabbat starts
3355-454: The third meal a kiddush is not performed, but the hamotzi blessing is recited and challah (braided bread) is eaten. In many communities, this meal is often eaten in the period after the afternoon prayers ( Minchah ) are recited and shortly before Shabbat is formally ended with a Havdalah ritual. Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labours of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate
3416-486: The two flames joined when reciting the blessing. Either right before or right after reciting the words " Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, bo're m'orei ha'esh ," it is customary for the participants to hold their hands up to the candle and gaze at the reflection of the light in their fingernails. This custom was first recorded in the Or Zarua II [ he ] ( c. 1300 ). At
3477-404: The way a Jew is seen by an orthodox religious court regarding their affiliation to Judaism. Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that turning electric devices on or off is prohibited as a melakhah ; however, authorities are not in agreement about exactly which one(s). One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute lighting
3538-664: The wine, spices, candle and praising God for separation between holy and profane are virtually identical between the traditions. The phrase בין ישראל לעמים, bein Yisrael l'amim 'between Israel and the nations' is based on Leviticus 20:26 . In Reconstructionist Judaism , however, the phrase is omitted, as part of founder Mordechai Kaplan 's rejection of the Biblical idea of chosenness . Modern tunes for Havdalah are based on melodies by Shlomo Carlebach , Neshama Carlebach and Debbie Friedman . The Ashkenazi liturgy for havdala after
3599-548: Was not connected to a 7-day week like the Gregorian calendar . Instead the New Moon marks the starting point for counting and the shabbat falls consistently on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th of each month. Biblical text to support using the moon, a light in the heavens, to determine days include Genesis 1:14 , Psalm 104:19 , and Sirach 43:6–8 See references: Rabbinic Jewish tradition and practice does not hold of this, holding
3660-466: Was unknown; and other origin theories based on the day of Saturn , or on the planets generally, have also been abandoned. Sabbath is given special status as a holy day at the very beginning of the Torah in Genesis 2:1-3. It is first commanded after The Exodus from Egypt, in Exodus 16:26 (relating to the cessation of manna ) and in Exodus 16:29 (relating to the distance one may travel by foot on
3721-523: Was used for a mitzvah, the wine is considered a " segulah ," or good omen. After the Havdalah ceremony, it is customary to sing " Eliyahu Hanavi " (" Elijah the Prophet") and/or HaMavdil Bein Kodesh LeChol ("Who separates Holy from ordinary/weekday"), and to bless one another with shavua tov (Hebrew) or gute vokh (Yiddish), meaning "Have a good week". Havdalah is also recited at
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