The Essence

This mystical hymn to the Shabbat was composed by the kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz (c. 5260-5340), teacher and brother-in-law of the famed kabalist Rabbi Moshe Codovero. Rabbi Alkabetz was one of the esteemed members of the Safed circle of scholars and mystics, which included Rabbi Yosef Karo, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari. The author signed his name – Shlomo HaLevi – in the acrostic formed by the first letter of the first eight stanzas of the hymn.

One of the themes of the hymn – preparing oneself to greet the Shabbat – is based on the Talmud’s account of how the Sages would welcome the Holy Day (Shabbat 119a): Rabbi Chanina would wrap himself in his cloak and say, “Come, let us go and greet the Shabbat Queen.” Rabbi Yannai would don his robe and say, “Enter O bride! Enter, O bride! ”

The Shabbat, the seventh day of the week, is the manifestation of the seventh sefira[1] – malchut[2].

Since malchut also corresponds to the Jewish people and to the Shechina [Divine Presence], the hymn may be interpreted as not only referring to the Shabbat, but also alluding to the Jewish people, to the sefira of malchut and to the Shechina. Furthermore, transformation of the workaday world into the holy Shabbat mirrors the redemption of the Shechina and the Jewish people from exile. The hymn thus looks forward to the time when even during the week we will experience the same holiness as we experience on the Shabbat.

The holy Ari included this hymn in his edition of the siddur, and thus it eventually became an integral part of the Shabbat liturgy of Jewish communities everywhere.

Come out: The Ari zal would go out into the fields around Safed on Friday afternoon and receive Shabbat there.[3] The fields, the place of work during the week, correspond to the lower [three of the four] worlds, Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, and specifically to the outer dimension of each of these worlds.[4] Each day of the week corresponds to one of the seven sefirot with which the creation was initiated and is sustained – Sunday corresponds to chesed, Monday to gevura and so on. Shabbat, therefore, corresponds to the seventh sefira – malchut, also called Shechina. During the week malchut does its work of gathering (birur) the sparks embedded within the lower worlds. These sparks are then elevated on the Shabbat.[5]

My Beloved; the Bride: On Shabbat malchut, referred to here as the Bride, becomes elevated to the very highest levels.[6] However, in order for this to happen, malchut must first be stimulated and energized by zeir anpin, referred to here as “my Beloved.” Thus, zeir anpin must “come out” to the fields to meet malchut, the Bride. When malchut has been elevated, and the Shabbat has already been received, the fields then correspond to chakal tapuchin kadishin.

Bride: In the beginning of creation, every day of the week, except Shabbat, had a partner. Day 1 and 4 are linked in the formation of light and the creation of the luminaries; days 2 and 5 are linked in the formation of water and their being gathered into seas; days 2 and 6 are linked in the creation of earth and its vegetation. Only the seventh day was without a partner.

G-d then promised the Shabbat that the Jewish People would be its partner. Therefore, the Jewish People go out to greet the Shabbat just as a groom goes to meet his bride.[7]

The inner light of Shabbat: When malchut is infused with light from the six sefirot comprising zeir anpin and it becomes elevated, it is referred to as pnei Shabbat – the inner dimension of Shabbat – that now begins to shine forth.[8]

Let us greet: When zeir anpin infuses malchut with light, it also receives an additional measure of sanctity and blessing via bina of Atzilut. It is therefore stated in the plural – both zeir anpin and malchut – welcome the inner light of Shabbat.[9]

Rabbi Moshe-Leib Miller was born in South Africa and received his yeshiva education in Israel and America. He is a prolific author and translator, with some twenty books to his name on a wide variety of topics, including a new, authoritative, annotated translation of the Zohar.

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[1] [The Divine emanations that serve as channels for Divine light or life force. Through them, G-d designs and conducts the worlds and interacts with creation. They may thus be considered His “attributes.”]

[2] [Royalty, kingship. Malchut is the tenth and final sefira (and the seventh and final when enumerating only the 'emotional' attributes). In the arrangement of sefirot in three columns, malchut is situated at the bottom of the middle axis, directly beneath yesod. Malchut corresponds to the “crown” of the procreative organ (the corona in the male; the labia in the female). Malchut is often referred to as “the world of speech,” and is therefore also associated with the mouth. Malchut contains two completely opposite qualities, exaltedness (hitnasut), and its opposite – humility (shiflut), like a king who rules over his subjects with authority and majestic dignity, while humbly accepting the authority of the King of kings upon himself. Technically, this means that the most elevated sefira, keter (crown), is wedged in malchut – the end. The reverse is also true – malchut is wedged in keter. This means that the final product, malchut, is the original intention of the entire process of emanation. When malchut is still contained in the original intention (that is, in keter), it is in a state of exaltedness and is the source and justification for the existence of all the other sefirot. But when it descends to its place as the last of the sefirot, it is in a state of humility. Thus, on one hand, malchut receives all that it has from the other sefirot, and is described in Kabala as “having nothing of her own.” The Zohar therefore compares malchut to the moon, which has no light of her own. On the other hand, malchut is the final revelation of the Divine light for which the entire process was begun. It was for the purpose of malchut that all the sefirot were emanated. In one’s service to G-d this means receiving upon oneself “the yoke of the kingdom of heaven” with total devotion and commitment.

[3]. Shaar HaKavanot, Kabbalat Shabbat, drush 1; Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar HaShabbat, ch. 6. This was also the custom of some sages in Talmudic times. See Shabbat 119a; Bava Kama 32a; Rambam, Hilchot Shabbat, ch. 30

[4]. Shaar HaKavanot, Inyan Kabbalat Shabbat, drush 1.

[5]. Ibid.

[6]. Eitz Chaim, Shaar 11, chap. 7.

[7]. Bereishit Rabba 17:5; Maharsha, Chidushei Aggadot, Bava Kama 32b; Avnei Eliyahu in Siddur Ishei Yisrael.

[8]. Maamarei Admor HaZakein, Al Maamarei Razal, p. 456.

[9]. Ibid.