YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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HALAKHA: A WEEKLY SHIUR IN HALAKHIC TOPICS

Kabbalat Shabbat

By Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein
Translated by David Silverberg

	We use the term "Kabbalat Shabbat" (literally, "the welcoming of Shabbat") to refer to the series of chapters from Tehillim and poems recited with the onset of Shabbat prior to arvit on Friday evening.  Although the custom of this recitation received its final form as we know it only in 16th-century Tzefat[1], the basic idea of welcoming the Shabbat queen appears already in the Talmud.  The Gemara (Shabbat 119a) [2] tells of the following practices: 

"Rabbi Chanina would wrap himself and stand towards evening of Erev Shabbat and say, 'Come, let us go to greet the Shabbat queen!'  Rabbi Yannai would don his garment on Erev Shabbat and say, 'Come, O queen, come O queen!'"  

Indeed, in "Lekha Dodi," the majestic hymn of Rav Shlomo Alkabetz, we follow Rabbi Chanina's example and go out to welcome the Shabbat queen.

	However, when we carefully consider the Kabbalat Shabbat service, we immediately take note of the fact that the concept of going out to welcome the Shabbat queen is nowhere reflected in the Psalms we recite in this service.  They do not relate to our greeting of the queen that occurs in "Lekha Dodi."  Why, then, do we recite these chapters of Tehillim as we bring in Shabbat?

	The group of introductory Psalms deals with the completion of creation and the psalmist's wonder and amazement over this phenomenon.  The onset of Shabbat marks not only the moment of the arrival of the Shabbat queen at our doorstep accompanied by the ministering angels, but also the completion of the six days of the workweek.  Shabbat constitutes not only a day of rest and intimacy similar to the world to come, a day when the individual experiences private communion with the Almighty by abstaining from the mundane world of activity, but also the "seventh day" that blends with the six workdays.  Its sanctity flows not only from its characteristic of "the day of Shabbat," but also from its being "the seventh day."[3]  Therefore, the transition from the workweek to Shabbat finds its expression in our liturgy through a look back, a surveying of the enterprise of creation.  This unit of Psalms (Tehillim 95-99) does not welcome Shabbat, but rather praises the greatness of the Creator as manifest in the creation.  The Kabbalists expressed this idea by noting that these selected chapters correspond to the six days of creation, or the six days of the workweek.

	In truth, we speak here not only of a different angle, but of viewing man's position in the world in an entirely different light.  "Lekha Dodi" expresses the importance of man as he goes to welcome Shabbat together with her Beloved, in a manner appropriately befitting the queen.  Shabbat is Kenesset Yisrael's mate, as it were[4], for this purpose the individual receives "an additional soul,"[5] and Shabbat constitutes the covenant between him and the Almighty.  Shabbat is reserved for Am Yisrael, the firstborn son of the Almighty.  The other nations have no share in it, as the Gemara stresses (Beitza 16a), based on Scriptural sources.  Whereas a non-Jew who observes Shabbat is liable for the death penalty, a Jew observes Shabbat as a day of enjoyment.

	The angle of "Lekhu Neranena" (the first of the Psalms recited in Kabbalat Shabbat), by contrast, takes the perspective of Tehillim 8: 

"When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place: what is man that You have been mindful of him, mortal man that You have taken note of him?"  

Standing opposite the endless vastness of existence, man senses his nothingness with respect to the boundless domains of time and space; his smallness and insignificance are revealed to him in full force.  With the closing of the six days of creation, as the individual stands before the Creator at the moments of transition from the world of activity to the world of rest and cessation, he contemplates creation and declares the need to praise and thank the Creator on account of His greatness and power: 

"For the Lord is a great God, the great King of all divine beings.  In His hand are the depths of the earth; the peaks of the mountains are His.  His is the sea, He made it; and the land, which His hands fashioned." (Tehillim 95, the first Psalm recited)

This idea runs like a thread through the other Psalms, starting from chapter 96, which turns to the individual and calls upon him to tell of the wonders of creation and the powers of the awesome God, in whose presence the entire world trembles.[6]  This theme then continues throughout the other Psalms, in which man is portrayed standing before the greatness of the Creator, His majesty and splendor.  They speak not of the relationship between a lover and her beloved, but of a creature gazing in awe at the eminence of his master.  In this sense, no distinction exists between Jew and gentile, between those included in the covenant and those on the outside: they all stand in submission before the King.

	This characterizes the basic frame of reference of these Psalms.  We will now proceed to a more detailed analysis of these chapters.  As in other places in Tehillim, we can learn much about the meaning of these Psalms by studying their relationship with one another.  It is easy to notice that chapters 96-97 parallel chapters 98-99.  Even a momentary glance at the opening and concluding verses of chapters 96 in comparison with those of chapter 98 immediately confirms this premise, just as the introduction to chapter 97 parallels that of chapter 99.  We thus have in this unit two corresponding sections, each containing two Psalms (96-97; 98-99) that relate to creation.  We must address the systematic repetition on the one hand, and, on the other, the need for two Psalms in each section.

	The answer to the second question seems clear.  In each group, the first Psalm relates to creation itself and the response to it, while the second chapter deals with God's kingship in the world and His judgment of the world, which both stem from creation.  The second Psalm of both units focuses not on nature itself, but rather the control and authority over it.  If you will, the first of the pair deals with the past, the period of creation itself and that which came into existence at the time, while the second relates to the Almighty's ongoing involvement in the natural world as king and magistrate.  It speaks of the continuing reality resulting from creation, as opposed to the actual moment of creation.

	It remains, however, for us to explain the differences between the two pairs, on account of which the Psalmist saw fit to address the subject of creation twice.  We must conclude that although both groups react to creation and the greatness of the Creator, they differ in the manner in which they relate to this issue.

	In the first two chapters, nature expresses the greatness and power of the Creator but is not portrayed as a threatening force.  An element of joy runs throughout these chapters, while the sense of tension and fear appears only minimally.  In the second unit, by contrast, the struggle against evil takes center stage; the harmony of the earlier two chapters gives way to an aura of conflict and friction.  From here evolves an additional difference between the two pairs: how they relate to Yisrael and the other nations.  The first Psalms issue a universal call to all creatures who are struck by the majesty and grandeur of creation and enjoy divine justice.  The second group, by contrast, speaks of God's assistance to Benei Yisrael.  Although the first chapters do speak of the contrast between God and idols and emphasize His power over them (96:5; 97:7-8), this contrast is described as clear and obvious to all, with no need for struggle or conflict.  Even the most blatant such expression in this group, "All who worship images, who vaunt their idols are ashamed," which contrasts "Zion, hearing it, rejoices, the daughters of Yehuda exult," depicts the shame of the false beliefs as opposed to the true faith, now revealed in all its glory and grandeur, rather than a struggle between Yisrael and the nations.

	A comparison between the chapters' introductory verses clearly exemplifies the first point mentioned.  The two chapters open with a call to "sing a new song" (for the creation) to the Almighty; in this sense, the two resemble one another.  However, after the initial call, the Psalms follow divergent paths until they reunite with parallel clauses in their second halves. Chapter 96 proceeds to call upon all nations to tell of the wonders and glory of the Creator as a continuation to the "new song," while chapter 98 emphasizes the struggle against the nations and the ultimate salvation of Benei Yisrael.

	A careful examination of the opening verses of chapters 97 and 99 yields the same result.  The former opens with the declaration, "God is king!  Let the earth exult, the many islands rejoice!"  whereas the latter begins, "God, enthroned on cherubim, is king, peoples tremble, the earth quakes.  God is great in Zion, and exalted above all people."  This distinction continues throughout the duration of these two Psalms.  The first speaks of God's greatness as expressed in nature, the divine justice implanted within nature, and the negation of the power of idols.  The second, by contrast, revolves around the Almighty's special relationship to His nation and their closeness to Him.

	We have now reached the concluding Psalm of the first unit of Kabbalat Shabbat.  Ashkenazic communities have the custom of reciting Tehillim 29 ("Mizmor le-David havu le-Hashem benei eilim") immediately after chapter 99.  Eastern communities, by contrast, follow the progression in the text and continue with Psalm 100 ("Mizmor le-toda").  

	In truth, logic would dictate continuing with chapter 100, once we recognize its connection to chapter 95.  Among the most widespread poetic devices in Sefer Tehillim is the conclusion of a chapter or unit in a manner similar to its opening.  (See, for example, Psalms 103, 104, 1-2, 113-117, 118 and others.)  Already Rav Amos Chakham, in his commentary to Sefer Tehillim (as part of the "Da'at Mikra" series)[7], observed the textual parallels between chapters 95 and 100: 

"Here we note that Psalm 100, 'Mizmor le-toda,' very strongly resembles the first part of Psalm 95: 'let us raise a shout for our rock and deliverer' - 'Raise a shout for God, all the earth'; 'Come, let us sing joyously to God… let us come into His presence' - 'come into His presence with shouts of joy'; for He is our God' - 'Acknowledge that the Lord is God'; '… He made it… the Lord who made us' - 'He made us'; 'and we are His people He tends and the flock in His care' - and we are His people, the flock He tends'; 'let us come into His presence with thanksgiving… come' - 'Come into His gates with thanksgiving.'"

	As Rav Chakham concludes, these chapters - 95-100 - form an integrated unit whose conclusion parallels its introduction; accordingly, the custom of including Psalm 100 in Kabbalat Shabbat seems quite reasonable.[8]  In fact, its connection to the preceding chapters seems so obvious that we must take pains to understand the practice of omitting it.  It would seem that the Ashkenazic communities excluded it from Kabbalat Shabbat because unlike the preceding chapters, this Psalm does not relate to the creation of the world.  Alternatively - albeit less convincingly - , this Psalm's association with the "korban toda" (thanksgiving offering), which was not brought on Shabbat, led to its exclusion from the Friday evening service, just as it is omitted in Shacharit on Shabbat.[9]

	However, the preference for chapter 29 ("Mizmor le-David"), which relates to creation, over Psalm 100, reflects a far more basic decision regarding the nature of Kabbalat Shabbat.  In my article on the topic of Hallel (in the VBM's 5762 Sukkot mailing), I elaborated on the distinction between the chapters of "hallel" - praise - and those of "hoda'a" - thanksgiving.  I cite here from that discussion the following paragraph, which includes the central points we developed:

"Although we tend to combine hallel and hoda'a into one in our vernacular and blend together the obligations of hallel and hoda'a, in truth we speak of two different concepts.  The first means giving praise to the Almighty for His majesty and greatness, and it focuses on the Almighty, to whom we praise and glorify and whose qualities and honor we sanctify.  The second, meanwhile, means offering thanks to the Master of the world for the goodness He has bestowed upon us.  True, we obviously thank Him for His goodness.  But the significance of hoda'a lies in the fact that man's life is the purpose for which God performs His kindness and that He acknowledges its importance."

	Just as there I addressed this question concerning the Hallel service, so must we examine regarding Kabbalat Shabbat whether the Psalms express the concept of hallel or that of hoda'a.  The opening verses of the first Psalm - "Lekhu Neranena," which present before us the psalmist's goals - "Come, let us sing joyously to God, raise a shout for our rock and deliverer; let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us raise a shout for Him in song!" - and stress the "thanksgiving" as well as the "songs and shouts," allow for both possibilities.  By contrast, the other Psalms of Kabbalat Shabbat emphasize the concept of hallel, rather than hoda'a.  Therefore, the decision as to whether or not to include Mizmor le-toda is critical.  Its inclusion in Kabbalat Shabbat would have balanced the element of hallel with an element of hoda'a.  A double system of hallel and hoda'a would thus emerge, with chapters 96-99 carrying out the function of hallel and chapter 100 (or chapters 95 and 100) complementing them with the theme of hoda'a - "Mizmor le-TODA."  Omitting Mizmor le-toda and creating a succession from chapters 96-99 and chapter 29 means establishing Kabbalat Shabbat as an expression of hallel, praise to the Almighty for the creation of the world, without any inclusion of hoda'a.

	Until now, we have explained the first unit of Kabbalat Shabbat by analyzing its structure.  Now we must turn our attention to the rest of the service.  Already from a brief overview one can clearly discern three distinct sections of Kabbalat Shabbat: the group of Psalms preceding "Lekha Dodi," "Lekha Dodi" itself, and two Psalms following this hymn.  As we saw, this is true not only with regard to the historical development of the service, but also in terms of its content.  Each section relates to a different motif connected to Shabbat: the introductory chapters involve the completion of creation and express the reaction to "The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array," and "Lekha Dodi" views Shabbat as the "mate" of Kenesset Yisrael and emphasizes the intimacy and covenant between us and the Almighty on the sacred day of Shabbat.  What remains, then, is to determine the function of the conclusion of Kabbalat Shabbat, Psalm 92 -  "Mizmor shir le-yom ha-Shabbat."

	This Psalm, the only one explicitly associated with Shabbat by the verses themselves, does not, on the surface, appear to speak of the seventh day.  It relates neither to creation nor to the rest of Shabbat.  Like dozens of other chapters of Tehillim, this Psalm speaks of the struggle against evil and the destruction of the wicked.  Its connection to Shabbat involves neither a commemoration of creation nor a commemoration of the Exodus, but rather the quality of Shabbat as "me-ein olam ha-ba" - a quasi world to come.  Shabbat, which marks the completion of creation and was blessed and sanctified by the Almighty, represents the world of perfection with no deficiency or defect.  "Mizmor shir le-yom ha-Shabbat," too, speaks of the perfection of the world and the achievement of completion in the wake of the destruction of evil.  As opposed to many other chapters that discuss the actual struggle against the wicked and focus on the moments of contention themselves and the experience of conflict, this Psalm depicts the situation after the defeat of evil.  It describes a world of perfection, focusing on the peace and tranquillity resulting from this reality.  In this sense it shares a common theme with Shabbat, and is thus the Psalm of Shabbat.  The mishna at the end of Masekhet Tamid explicitly points to Shabbat's resemblance to the world to come as the basis for this Psalm's association with Shabbat.  It explains that this chapter is identified as the song of Shabbat because it is a "a psalm, a song for the future, for the day that is entirely Shabbat and rest for all eternity."

	In conclusion, it is worthwhile to cite a well known passage in the Tur (O.C. 292), which discusses the institution of three different texts for the three shemoneh esrei prayers on Shabbat (as opposed to Yom Tov, when all three prayers are the same).  The Tur explains, "These three prayers were instituted as corresponding to three Shabbatot: 'Ata kidashta' [the text of the arvit prayer] corresponds to the first Shabbat [of creation]; 'Yismach Moshe' [the text of the Shacharit prayer] corresponds to the Shabbat of Matan Torah; and 'Ata echad' [the text of the Mincha prayer] corresponds to the Shabbat of the future."

	In light of what we have seen, this triple division exists in Kabbalat Shabbat, as well.  The first section, Pslams 95-99 & 29, corresponds to the Shabbat of creation; "Lekha Dodi" relates to Am Yisrael's relationship with Shabbat and God, which resembles that of a bride and groom - a relationship established at Matan Torah (mishna, end of Masekhet Ta'anit); and the conclusion of Kabbalat Shabbat, "Mizmor shir le-yom ha-Shabbat," relates to the Shabbat of the future.  Thus the Kabbalat Shabbat service addresses the various aspects of Shabbat at the moment it arrives, just as they are expressed in the different prayers throughout Shabbat day.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] An accessible survey of this topic appears in Professor D. Sperber's Minhagei Yisrael, vol. 1, pp. 67-70.

[2] See also Bava Kama 32b, and Rashi's remarks in both contexts.

[3] In "Be-inyan Mussaf Shabbat Ve-Yom Tov," in the book, "Zikhron Ha-Rav," my brother, Shai Lichtenstein, demonstrates and proves that the mussaf offering on Shabbat is part of the system of the daily "tamid" offerings because of its sanctity as the seventh day, rather than belonging to the system of mussaf offerings brought on festivals or relating to its sanctity as a day of rest.

[4] Bereishit Rabba 11:9.

[5] Ramban, Bereishit 2:3; as opposed to Rashi, Beitza 16.

[6] "Tell of His glory among the nations, His wondrous deeds, among all peoples.  For God is great and much acclaimed, He is held in awe by all divine beings.  All the gods of the peoples are mere idols, but God made the heavens.  Glory and majesty are before Him; strength and splendor are in His temple.  Ascribe to God, O families of the peoples, ascribe to God glory and strength.  Ascribe to God the glory of His Name, bring tribute and enter His courts.  Bow down to God majestic in holiness; tremble in His presence, all the earth!" (96:3-9).

[7] Summary of Psalm 95; note 13.

[8] The internal, structural connection between these chapters undoubtedly underlies this custom, as Rav Chakham correctly notes, as opposed to Professor Sperber's far-fetched speculation in the aforementioned volume.  His vast breadth of knowledge notwithstanding, it appears that he was unaware of this issue, such that he felt compelled to declare, "It seems to me that no one has yet to discover the reason behind this addition" (p.68).

[9] This reason is less convincing because the function of "Mizmor le-toda" in Kabbalat Shabbat differs from its role in the Shacharit service.  Shacharit was instituted to correspond to the morning "tamid" (daily) offering, and in this context we add this Psalm in commemoration of the thanksgiving offering, in the spirit of "u-neshalema parim sefateinu" - our words replace the actual sacrifices.  For good reason, then, we omit this chapter on Shabbat, when the sacrifice it serves to commemorate was not offered.  In Kabbalat Shabbat, however, this Psalm is meant to blend with the other Psalms of praise without any connection to the thanksgiving offering; this reason, then, seems entirely irrelevant.  However, given that several contemporary scholars have associated this Psalm's omission from Kabbalat Shabbat with the custom of excluding it from Shacharit, without drawing this distinction (see the comments of the two scholars mentioned earlier), we cannot negate the possibility that earlier generations thought this way, as well.  (In other words, we cannot reject this possibility as an explanation for the historical development even if it appears less than convincing from an objective analysis of the present phenomenon.) 

(This shiur appeared originally in Hebrew in Daf Kesher 822 [Av 5761].)