The spice boxes used for the Havdalah ceremony when we take leave of Shabbat are usually tower-shaped. In the Shabbat liturgy, tower appears as the symbol of divine power and help. The physical appearance of spice boxes often follows the typical architectural elements of the relevant region, quite often the towers of public buildings and even churches.

According to the Rabbinic legends every Jew gets an extra, special soul (neshamah yeterah) from the entrance of each Shabbat until its termination. This additional soul leaves the body at the end of the Shabbat, which makes one sad and especially feeble. The ceremony dividing the Shabbat from weekdays is called Havdalah, which means ‘separation’ in Hebrew. “Blessed are You (…) who separates the holy from the secular, light from darkness, Israel from the nations, the Shabbat from weekdays.” The ritual consists of blessings recited over wine, candlelight and spices. The spices are sniffed: their fragrance is supposed to remind us of the sweetness of the Shabbat and comfort us for the departure of the additional soul. The spices are held in a small spice box, which is shaken, sniffed and then passed on. Anything can serve as a spice box as long as the fragrance of the spices can be enjoyed. There are spice boxes in the form of fruits, fish, birds, train, boat and many others. The most widespread form is that of a tower. A possible reason for the popularity of this form might be that the tower is mentioned several times in the Shabbat liturgy with a positive connotation, as the symbol of divine power and assistance.