Go forth my love to meet the bride.
Shabbat’s reception has arrived!
Commentary to Lecha Dodi in italics
Dedicated to the Embrace Shabbos women, Nachlaot, Jerusalem, Feb 2020
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לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
We are approaching the cosmic Shabbos, the 7th millennium feminine phase [1]
Of pleasure and bliss when the moon’s regained light will defy human gaze [2]
שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, הִשְמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד. יְיָ אֶחָד וּשְמוֹ אֶחָד. לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה: לכה
“Observe” and “Remember” in a single word,
He caused us to hear, the One and Only Lord.
G‑d is One and His Name is One,
For renown, for glory and in song.
On Shabbos “Observe” and “Remember” come as one, equal and aligned, [3]
This represents the feminine and masculine in consummate meeting refined
לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה. כִּי הִיא מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה. מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּדֶם נְסוּכָה. סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה: לכה
To welcome the Shabbat, let us progress,
For that is the source, from which to bless.
From the beginning, chosen before time,
Last in deed, but in thought – prime.
As woman was created last of all [4]
Last to appear but in God’s Thought she stood tall
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
מִקְדַּשׁ מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה. רַב לָךְ שֶׁבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמוֹל עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה: לכה
Sanctuary of the King, city royal,
Arise, go out from amidst the turmoil.
In the vale of tears too long you have dwelt,
He will show you the compassion He has felt.
We have cried all our tears, through diminishment [5] and curse
But when things turn around, what was least likely to peak is revealed as first [6]
הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי: עַל יַד בֶּן יִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשִׁי גְאָלָהּ: לכה
Arise, now, shake off the dust,
Don your robes of glory – my people – you must.
Through the son of Jesse, the Bethelemite,
Draw near to my soul, set her free from her plight.
The story of Dovid is the story of Malchut and the moon [7]
The lowness of dust becomes a redemption tune
הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי. כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ קוּמִי אוֹרִי. עוּרִי עוּרִי שִׁיר דַבֵּרִי. כְּבוֹד יְיָ עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה: לכה
Wake up, wake up,
Your light has come, rise and shine.
Awaken, awaken; sing a melody,
The glory of G‑d to be revealed upon thee.
No rewording here: this is our song:
Wake up, wake up,
Your light has come, rise and shine.
Awaken, awaken; sing a melody,
The glory of G‑d to be revealed upon thee.
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
לֹא תֵבוֹשִׁי וְלֹא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשְתּוֹחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי. בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי, וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ: לכה
Be not ashamed, nor confounded,
Why are you downcast, why astounded?
In you, refuge for My poor people will be found,
The city will be rebuilt on its former mound.
The path of humility has paved the way thus far [8]
Above shame and confusion we come out over par [9]
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
וְהָיוּ לִמְשִׁסָּה שֹׁאסָיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָיִךְ. יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ. כִּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה: לכה
May your plunderers be treated the same way,
And all who would devour you be kept at bay.
Over you Your G‑d will rejoice,
As a groom exults in his bride of choice.
As women we represent the inner essence of mankind [10]
And receive Hashem’s love forever protected, sublime[11]
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל תִּפְרוֹצִי. וְאֶת־יְיָ תַּעֲרִיצִי. עַל יַד אִישׁ בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשְׂמְחָה וְנָגִילָה: לכה
To right and left you’ll spread abroad,
And the Eternal One you shall laud.
Through the man from Peretz’s family,
We shall rejoice and sing happily.
The daughters of Peretz [12], the moon that bursts forth
In her roundabout melody, till infinity will now soareth [13]
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
בּוֹאִי בְשָׁלוֹם עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה. תּוֹךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻּלָּה. בּוֹאִי כַלָּה, בּוֹאִי כַלָּה: לכה:
Come in peace, her Husband’s crown of pride,
With song (on Festivals: rejoicing) and good cheer.
Among the faithful of the people so dear
Enter O Bride, enter O Bride;
A crown unto creation [14]… she enters, the bride
The one who ushers in reality’s better side
O Bride, Shabbat Queen, now come here!
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
Wake up, wake up,
Your light has come, rise and shine.
Awaken, awaken; sing a melody,
The glory of G‑d to be revealed upon thee. [15]
~
[1] Chazal tell us that the six days of creation parallel the six millennia. The seventh day, Shabbos [a bride, i.e. feminine], corresponds to the messianic era
[2] the moon was originally created as an equal luminary to the sun but then lost her full capacity for light. Isaai 30:26 tells us that in the end of days she will regain her full glow.
[3] Zachor (like the Hebrew word זכר) represents the male in that it is an active behavior. Shamor represents the female in that it is a negative behavior (observing the לא תעשה). Zachor and Shamor coming at once represents their total union. (see Shevuot 20b:9, below)
[4] The archetype woman is synonymous with the Shabbos bride, the Shechina, and Hashem’s Malchut i.e. revelation in the world (see sources below)
[5] As Hashem told the moon, the symbol of the feminine archetype, לכי ומעטי את עצמך – “go and make yourself small”. This coincided with the klalot to Chava after the fall.
[6] ההפכה means turning around, or flip – reminiscent of the verse (psalms, Hallel) “אבן שמאסו הבונים היתה לראש פינה” – the stone that the builders rejected will become the cornerstone
[7] Dovid is the “seventh shepherd”, the last of the seven embodiments of the middos of Hashem (also called ushpizin), named “malchut”, kindship. See the Kiddush Lavana liturgy to see the connection between Dovid and the moon. (See the school HERE)
[8] Everything Hashem does is for the good. Klala, as translated as curses, misses this important point. Tikkun is a more helpful term to understand the diminishment. The secret to growing through the curses/ tikkunim is to embrace them with love. This brings closer the time when they are no longer needed than does resisting them.
[9] When the primordial serpent contaminated Chava and subsequently Adam, in addition to ingesting the fruit, the shame and disgrace which was not part of our makeup lodged itself within. The only way to emerging out of shame is to through connection to Hashem. There will come a time when our skin bodies will return to the light bodies they originally were, and nakedness will carry no smidgen of corruption.
[10] The Jewish people are likened to a woman in relation to G-d, in their being receptive and in need of His beneficence. (Song of songs) As such, womankind is a symbol for humanity itself vis a vis her lover, Adam, analogous to G-d Himself. The numerical value of the name of Chava before her diminishment, Chaya, is 23. The is the numerical center-point to the name of Adam, which is in gematria, 45. Hence femininity is the inner essence of humanity and has much to bring to the ultimate healing of mankind.
[11] In the future, the archetype of all femininity, Chava, will become Chedva, which means joy and gladness. There is no joy other than receiving Hashem’s flow of Loving-Kindness and light. The goal and path to our development as women is to rise above the shame and open up to Hashem’s love, and receive it directly.
[12] Peretz literally means to “burst forth” and depicts the moon’s waxing and waning nature. Peretz’s twin brother, Zerach, means to shine, like the son. The line of Jewish monarchy comes from Peretz. (Kli Yakar on the Torah)
[13] The medrash (shir hashirim) says that all redemptions before the ultimate coming of moshiach are called shira, in the feminine, but the ultimate harbinger will be called a shir, in the masculine. This is because women conceive and carry pregnancies, and when they deliver (their offspring) once again conceive and thus go into another period of “exile” in need of redemption. But the ultimate redemption will be final and is thus called a “shir”, as all potential will have become actualized at that time.
[14] See the Chava course for an in-depth description of what the attainment of our crown could be referring to https://thenexus.org//school-2/
[15] Interestingly though, on shabbos, this relationships inverts and we as the Jewish people are compared to the Groom of the Shabbos, who becomes our bride. (See source from the sefer HaPliah, below) Thus, it can be said that Hashem’s Shechina (feminine Presence) becomes receptive to our influence.
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Sources and references for Lecha Dodi, (Sefaria )
רבי חנינא מיעטף וקאי אפניא דמעלי שבתא אמר בואו ונצא לקראת שבת המלכה רבי ינאי לביש מאניה מעלי שבת ואמר בואי כלה בואי כלה
- Hanina would cover himself [in a cloak] and stand towards the beginning of Shabbat and say: Come, let us go out to greet the Sabbath queen. R. Yannai would wear a [special] garment on Sabbath eve and say Come, bride; come, bride.
(יב) לְכָ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ נֵצֵ֣א הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָלִ֖ינָה בַּכְּפָרִֽים׃
(12) Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Shlomo Alkabetz on Shir HaShirim:
Here this verse specifies the necessary condition for prophetic inspiration – namely, the need for self-imposed solitude (hitbodedut). For anyone who wishes to unite (dvekut) one’s soul with supreme spiritual forces, must remove distractions and go out to the field for that is a place of meditational solitude.
Sefer HaPeliah I 36b
Just as the Kallah arrives before the Hatan, dressed beautifully, with jewelry and perfume, So Shabbat arrives before Israel dressed beautifully with jewelry….
Just as the Hatan is dressed in magnificent attire, so a person should dress magnificently for Shabbat. Just as the Hatan enjoys pleasures all seven days of the wedding,
so a person should indulge in pleasures on Shabbat.
Just as the Hatan takes off from work, so does person refrain for work for Shabbat….
One should not eat on Shabbat afternoon so as to enter Shabbat with an appetite,
just as the Hatan fasts from food and drink on the day of the wedding.
So a person should be very careful to sanctify Shabbat with wine,
Just as Hatan is careful to sanctify (kiddushin) his bride [with wine].
Who is the Bride? Who is the Groom
(ח) ד”א למה ברכו, ר’ ברכיה ורבי דוסתאי ורבי שמואל בר נחמן, רבי דוסתאי אומרים שאין לו בן זוג, חד בשבתא, תרי, תלתא, ארבעתא, חמשא, ערובתא, שבתא לית לה בן זוג. . . . תני ר”ש בן יוחאי: אמרה שבת לפני הקב”ה “רבש”ע לכולן יש בן זוג, ולי אין בן זוג”, א”ל הקב”ה “כנסת ישראל היא בן זוגך”,וכיון שעמדו ישראל לפני הר סיני אמר להם הקב”ה זכרו הדבר שאמרתי לשבת כנסת ישראל היא בן זוגך היינו דבור (שמות כ) “זכור את יום השבת לקדשו”.
Why did God bless Shabbat? Rabbi Berekiah says: “Because it has no partner. The first day of the week has the second, the third has the fourth, the fifth has the sixth, but Shabbat has no partner. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: Shabbat pleased with the Holy One, Blessed be God saying: “Everyone else has a partner, but I have nothing!” God answered saying: “The community of Israel will be your partner.” God continued: “And when they stood before Sinai, God said to the Israelites: “Remember what I said to Shabbat, that the community of Israel is your partner, [in the words of scripture] “Remember Shabbat and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8)…
(ה) כִּ֤י בֹעֲלַ֙יִךְ֙ עֹשַׂ֔יִךְ יי צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ וְגֹֽאֲלֵךְ֙ קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ יִקָּרֵֽא׃ (ו) כִּֽי־כְאִשָּׁ֧ה עֲזוּבָ֛ה וַעֲצ֥וּבַת ר֖וּחַ קְרָאָ֣ךְ יי וְאֵ֧שֶׁת נְעוּרִ֛ים כִּ֥י תִמָּאֵ֖ס אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ (ז) בְּרֶ֥גַע קָטֹ֖ן עֲזַבְתִּ֑יךְ וּבְרַחֲמִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים אֲקַבְּצֵֽךְ׃ (ח) בְּשֶׁ֣צֶף קֶ֗צֶף הִסְתַּ֨רְתִּי פָנַ֥י רֶ֙גַע֙ מִמֵּ֔ךְ וּבְחֶ֥סֶד עוֹלָ֖ם רִֽחַמְתִּ֑יךְ אָמַ֥ר גֹּאֲלֵ֖ךְ יי (ס)
- For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and your redeemer the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the earth.
- For the Lord has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, but a wife of youth, Can she be rejected? says your God.
- For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercy will I gather you.
- In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the Lord your redeemer.
(יח) וְהָיָ֤ה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה תִּקְרְאִ֖י אִישִׁ֑י וְלֹֽא־תִקְרְאִי־לִ֥י ע֖וֹד בַּעְלִֽי׃ (יט) וַהֲסִרֹתִ֛י אֶת־שְׁמ֥וֹת הַבְּעָלִ֖ים מִפִּ֑יהָ וְלֹֽא־יִזָּכְר֥וּ ע֖וֹד בִּשְׁמָֽם׃ (כ) וְכָרַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֤ם בְּרִית֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עִם־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְעִם־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וְקֶ֨שֶׁת וְחֶ֤רֶב וּמִלְחָמָה֙ אֶשְׁבּ֣וֹר מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִשְׁכַּבְתִּ֖ים לָבֶֽטַח׃ (כא) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃ (כב) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)
- And it shall be at that day, says the Lord, that you shall call me My husband (“Ishi”); and shall no more call me My master (“Baali”).
- For I will take away the names of Baalim from her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.
- And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them lie down safely.
- And I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in grace, and in mercies.
- I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.
ומאי דבר אחד הן דבדיבור אחד נאמרו כדתניא (שמות כ, ז) זכור (דברים ה, יא) ושמור בדיבור אחד נאמרו מה שאין יכול הפה לדבר ומה שאין האוזן יכול לשמוע
What is the meaning of the phrase “they are one” It means that they were said in one utterance as we find in the Torah Whereas in (Exodus 20:7) it says “remember”, its parallel (Deuteronomy 5:11) reads “observe.” This is to teach that both words were said in a single utterance, one that human mouth can’t utter, and one that a human ear can’t hear.
Tradition connects the two candles lit on Shabbat to the two forms of the Shabbat commandment found in the Torah: “זכור remember” and “שמור observe.”
From a kabbalaistic View, זכור represents זכר (male). The sephirot (system of divine attributes) calls this masculine falice yesod יסוד. The word שמור represents שכינה, God’s female attribute, also called מלכות. On Shabbat, the two unite together, bringing about the offspring of redemption and holiness.
Lecha Dodi Biblical
(יא) כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יִדְבַּ֨ק הָאֵז֜וֹר אֶל־מָתְנֵי־אִ֗ישׁ כֵּ֣ן הִדְבַּ֣קְתִּי אֵ֠לַי אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לִֽהְי֥וֹת לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וּלְשֵׁ֥ם וְלִתְהִלָּ֖ה וּלְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃
- For as the girdle fits tightly to the loins of a man, so have I caused to hold tightly to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the Lord; that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they would not hear.
(ט) לְפָנִ֣ים ׀ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר הָאִישׁ֙ בְּלֶכְתּוֹ֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְכ֥וּ וְנֵלְכָ֖ה עַד־הָרֹאֶ֑ה כִּ֤י לַנָּבִיא֙ הַיּ֔וֹם יִקָּרֵ֥א לְפָנִ֖ים הָרֹאֶֽה׃
(9) Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: ‘Come and let us go to the seer’; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.—
(ה) בֵּ֖ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְכ֥וּ וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּא֥וֹר יי
(5) O house of Jacob, come and let us go in the light of the LORD.
(כג) מֵ֭עוֹלָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵרֹ֗אשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
(23) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.
(יב) עוּרִ֤י עוּרִי֙ דְּבוֹרָ֔ה ע֥וּרִי ע֖וּרִי דַּבְּרִי־שִׁ֑יר ק֥וּם בָּרָ֛ק וּֽשֲׁבֵ֥ה שֶׁבְיְךָ֖ בֶּן־אֲבִינֹֽעַם׃
(12) Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song; Arise, Barak, and lead your captive son Avinoam free.
Zohar:
עור with an ׳ע׳ represents the number 70 for the 70 nations of the world that rule over Israel during our exile from the Garden, from Jerusalem. In the exile we are protected from these 70 wolves by skins of holiness, the Tefillin which are made of animal skins. Yet on Shabbat we have no need of the Tefillin. We are protected by observing Shabbat in such a way as to make amends for the sin in the Garden. In place of the skins we wear Shabbat clothes…
(ה) וְנִגְלָ֖ה כְּב֣וֹד יי וְרָא֤וּ כָל־בָּשָׂר֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו כִּ֛י פִּ֥י יי דִּבֵּֽר׃ (ס)
- And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
(יז) הִתְעוֹרְרִ֣י הִֽתְעוֹרְרִ֗י ק֚וּמִי יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁתִ֛ית מִיַּ֥ד יי אֶת־כּ֣וֹס חֲמָת֑וֹ אֶת־קֻבַּ֜עַת כּ֧וֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָ֛ה שָׁתִ֖ית מָצִֽית׃
- Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, who has drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; you have drunk to the dregs the bowl of staggering.
(ד) מָשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ (ס)
- Draw me after you, we will run; the king has brought me into his chambers; we will be glad
(ו) כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּךָ֞ בָּחַ֣ר ׀ יי אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ לִהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)
- For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
(ה) כִּ֠י מִֽי־יַחְמֹ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וּמִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ וּמִ֣י יָס֔וּר לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לְשָׁלֹ֖ם לָֽךְ׃
- For who shall have pity upon you, O Jerusalem? Who shall bemoan you? Who shall go aside to ask you how you do?
(ב) הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י מֵעָפָ֛ר ק֥וּמִי שְּׁבִ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם התפתחו [הִֽתְפַּתְּחִי֙] מוֹסְרֵ֣י צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ שְׁבִיָּ֖ה בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ס)
(2) Shake off the dust; Arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; Loosen yourself from the shackles, O captive daughter of Zion.
(ד) אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל עֲטֶ֣רֶת בַּעְלָ֑הּ
(4) A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband
