Rabbi Roodyn

Having learnt through the six chapters of Kabalas Shabbos we can now proceed to approach the piyut, lecha dodi. Of all the piyutim written for Shabbos davening, this is by far the most widely accepted and most popular. Although it is hard for us to imagine bringing in Shabbos without it, it is important to remember that this was, relatively speaking a recent innovation that took time to be accepted across the Jewish world, being written by Rav Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz in around 1540. The fact that the whole Kabbalas Shabbos service including Lecha Dodi was accepted by Jewish communities worldwide is testimony to the esteem in which the Kabbalists of Tzefat were held.

The task ahead of us is somewhat daunting as there are relatively few commentaries that go through lecha dodi line by line. I intend to use whatever commentaries I have to hand as well as to explain the pesukim that the various verses are derived from.

Rav Hirsh in his siddur brings a Medrash which says that when Hashem introduced Shabbos into creation  it complained bitterly, that all the other days were created with pairs (Sunday and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and it was left all alone with no mate. Hashem responds lovingly, ‘I still have one more work of creation to bring forth and that will be the people of Yisrael and they shall be your betrothed’.

This perspective provides us with the backdrop to Lecha Dodi as shall be explained.

Rav Hirsch continues to say, thus when Hashem gave the Torah to His people on Mount Sinai, He said, ‘Behold, the Sabbath stands there alone and forgotten, remember her and hallow her unto yourselves just like a bridegroom sanctifies the bride to himself on their wedding  day.’

Ever since that day, every week, Klal Yisrael has celebrated its eternal betrothal to the Sabbath and Yisrael supports, protects, loves and cherishes Shabbos just like a faithful husband cherishes his beloved wife. Every week the people of Yisrael welcomes in Shabbos and leads her into its midst as the true, blessed friend and companion that has been betrothed to Yisrael, forever gladdening and sustaining him. Without Yisrael to keep it, the Sabbath would have vanished entirely from mankind long ago. On the other hand, were it not for Shabbos the people of Yisrael would have succumbed a long time ago to the misery and affliction that have accompanied us through our wanderings throughout history.