Shabbat part 4

Well before sundown, the men go to the synagogue. The afternoon service is recited, essentially identical to any weekday afternoon service (Minhah), except for the omission of the supplications for forgiveness of sin, recited in most communities on weekdays. Hasidim have the custom of reciting Psalm 107 before Minhah, as it speaks of people being spared of calamities, and giving thanks to G-d. Sadly, for most people, the weekdays are filled with calamities, but now is the time of rescue and thanksgiving. We have come to a safe harbor! We now come to Kabbalat Shabbat (the receiving of Shabbat). This is not an ancient ceremony, and, in most cases, it is a shadow of its early self. (Although several Talmudic rabbis are reported to have said "Come, let us greet the Bride" or "Come o Bride, come o Bride"). No special ceremony is prescribed in the Talmud, other than a verbal acceptance of Shabbat. In Medieval Germany, it became customary to recite the Psalm of Shabbat (92), before the evening service. In 16th century Safed, the Kabbalists instituted a ceremony of Psalms and other prayers, including the Lecha Dodi song by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, composed especially for this occasion. "Come, my friend, to greet the Bride, let us receive the presence of Shabbat!". Originally, it was recited not in the synagogue, but in the hills just outside the city. The men would dress completely in white, with their bodies wrapped in a tallit. They would face the setting Sun, welcoming the Bride into the world and their lives. Two versions of this ceremony have come down to us; the better known one from Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, and a much shorter version by the ARI. The former became the custom of most communities, while the latter is almost exclusively done by Sepharadim of the regions near Eretz Yisrael. After the recitation in the hills, the Kabbalists would then go back home, and repeat the same ceremony, while walking around their table, holding two bunches of hadasim (myrtles). Carrying myrtles was an ancient custom, used primarily at a wedding celebration, in honor of the Bride. It is now the Cosmic Bride who is honored. Then, they would return to the synagogue for evening prayers. Today, the Kabbalat Shabbat is almost always recited at the synagogue. (Except in some anti-Kabbalistic groups where it is not said). In a few communities, it is recited outdoors. Sadly, I know of no communities where this is still done outside of the town. Most people are totally unaware of the history behind this ceremony. Many melodies are used for the Lecha Dodi song. Sometimes, a different melody is used for each stanza. Since the Shabbatean debacle of 1666, many communities have all but erased Kabbalah from their consciousness. For that reason, in most Ashkenazi communities, the reader leaves his usual place of prayer for the recitation of Kabbalat Shabbat. In my opinion, that is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The image of the Bride remains very powerful during the evening of Shabbat. The entire mood is one of femininity for those who are Kabbalistically oriented, switching to masculinity in the morning. More on that next time.