Personally Connecting to L’cha Dodi

L’cha Dodi “on one foot”:

L’cha Dodi is a prayer in the first part of the Friday evening service (the “Kabbalat Shabbat” part). It follows 6 psalms, representing the 6 days of Creation. It was written in 1529* by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz in Tzfat. It is about greeting Shabbat, applying the metaphor of Shabbat as a bride. Many communities sit until the last verse, but some stand throughout it.

*According to Jewish Worship, written by Abraham Millgram in 1971.

Historical Background of L’cha Dodi

Between 1492 and 1529, Jews were kicked out of Spain, Portugal, Nuremberg, Bavaria, the Papal States, Milan, and Naples. Then in 1520, Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire conquered the Egypt and the Land of Israel from the Mamelukes. This led to a population explosion in Tzfat / Safed as Jews from all over came to this city in the Galilee near Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s grave in Meron. Among those who gathered there was the Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as “the Ari”. Around him gathered other Kabbalists, such as Rabbis Joseph Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch), Elazar Azikri (author of “Yedid Nefesh”), Moshe Cordevero (the leading Kabbalist before Luria), and his brother-in-law Shlomo Alkabetz. They would all go out into the fields at dusk on Friday, singing psalms and songs to welcome Shabbat; this custom spread to other communities but they did it inside the synagogue just before Ma’ariv / Arvit. Inspired by the text in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 119a:2), Alkabetz wrote “L’cha Dodi” as the centerpiece for this new service, “Kabbalat Shabbat” (“Receiving the Sabbath”). He wrote it as an acrostic using his name for the first 8 stances (Shlomo haLevi). Kabbalat Shabbat became the last universally accepted addition to Jewish liturgy.

L’cha Dodi Itself

Context: This is the refrain of “L’cha Dodi”, happening at the beginning and then again after each of the 9 verses. The phrase “L’cha dodi” comes from Song of Songs 7:12. The rest of the refrain is based on phrases from Shabbat 119a:2. The idea of the Jewish people being wedded to Shabbat comes from Genesis Rabba 11:8; in this Midrash Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish (a.k.a. Reish Lakish) imagines Shabbat as complaining to G-d that the other 6 days of the week have a partner (1 with 2, or 1 with 4, 3 with 4, or 3 with 6, etc.), but Shabbat has no partner, so G-d promises that the Jewish people will be the partner of Shabbat.

Additionally, the Fourth Commandment says to “Remember Shabbat and keep it holy”, but the word for “keep it holy” (l’kadsho) is similar to the word for the marriage ceremony (Kiddushin), thus reinforcing the idea of Shabbat as the bride of the Jewish people.

The first half of the refrain has 15 letters, while the second half has 11 letters. This is equal to the numeric value of the four letters in G-d’s name: yud, then hey, then vav, and then another hey.

What would it look like if we considered each person at Friday evening services to be a “Beloved Friend”?

Context: This first verse of L’cha Dodi is based on the conundrum that in the first version of the Ten Commandments it says “Zachor”, “Remember the Sabbath Day”, while in the second version it says “Shamor”, “Observe the Sabbath Day”. Modern scholars chalk that up to 2 different textual traditions, but the rabbis of the Talmud solved it differently. They said that “Zachor” and “Shamor” were said “b’dibur echad”, in one utterance (and in fact, they do sound somewhat similar). That phrase from Shevuot 20b:9 and Rosh Hashanah 27a:2 (and Rashi on Exodus 20:8) became the basis for this verse of L’cha Dodi.

The Kabbalists also took this idea and instituted lighting 2 Shabbat candles that together cast 1 light (Ibn Gikatalia, Shaarei Orah I 136; Rabbi Yaacov Landau, Seder Agur 358; Reuven Kimmelman, p. 37-41). They also noticed that “zachor” (“remember”) sounds like “zachar” (“male”), while “shamor” (“observe”) starts with the same letter as “Shechina” (“the Divine Presence”, thought to be G-d’s female side). Thus, for the Kabbalists Shabbat represented a uniting of G-d’s various facets.

The phrase “l’sheim ultiferet v’litehila” comes from Jeremiah 13:11 and can also be found paraphrased in Deuteronomy 26:19.

When have you said one thing and somebody else thought you said something different?

Context: This is the second verse of L’cha Dodi. It is based on Isaiah 46:10, where G-d says that everything G-d was going to do has been planned out. From this, the Kabbalists developed the idea of Shabbat as having been part of the blueprint of Creation, even though it didn’t come until the 7th “day”. The phrase “l’chu v’neilcha” comes from I Samuel 9:9 and Isaiah 2:5, while “meirosh mikedem” comes from Proverbs 8:23. There is an allusion to the Kabbalists’ custom of going out into the fields to greet Shabbat.

In what way has Shabbat been a source of blessing for you?

Context: This is the third verse of L’cha Dodi. The words switch from talking about Shabbat to talking about Jerusalem here. The imagery, drawn from the Book of Eicha, is that Jerusalem has been sitting shiva and now needs to rise. The phrase “yachmol alayich” comes from Jeremiah 15:5.

When have you come forth from upheaval?

Context: This is the fourth verse of L’cha Dodi. Covering oneself in dust and shabby clothing is a sign of mourning, such as what Mordechai did when he heard the extermination decree (Esther 4:1). The phrase “hitna’ari mei-afar kumi” comes from Isaiah 52:2, while “livshi bigdei tifarteich” comes from Isaiah 52:1, where Jerusalem is told to stop mourning, presumably for her lost children. These verses are part of the Haftarah for Parashat Shoftim, one of the Haftarot of Consolation between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah.

Although this verse is about Jerusalem, it can also be thought of as relating to Shabbat with the idea that regardless of how bad the week was we can leave it aside as we step into the “palace of time” of Shabbat (to borrow Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s language in The Sabbath).

When have you felt like you’ve worn “garments of glory”?

Context: This is the fifth verse of L’cha Dodi. The phrase “Hitor’ri hitor’ri…kumi” comes from Isaiah 51:17 (the Haftarah for Parashat Shoftim, and one of the Haftarot of Consolation between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah), “uri uri shir dabeiri” comes from the Song of Deborah, Judges 5:12, while “k’vod Adonai alayich nigla” comes from Isaiah 40:5 (the Haftarah for Parashat Vaetchanan and the first Haftarah of Consolation).

The word “oreich” (your light) is the midpoint of this prayer, with 65 words before it and 65 words after it. This seems to suggest that Shabbat may bring light into our lives. Similarly, the words “uri uri”, “awake, awake” could be taken to urge us to spiritually wake up to see G-d’s presence in the world.

When has your light come?

Context: This is the sixth verse of L’cha Dodi. Many people switch tunes here. The phrase “Lo teivoshi v’lo tikalmi” here is related to the phrase “v’lo neivosh v’lo nikaleim” in the “V’ha-eir eineinu” section of “Ahava Rabba”; it comes from Isaiah 54:4 (the Haftarah for Parashat Ki Teitzei and one of the Haftarot of Consolation between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah).

Is there a time when you have felt embarrassed or ashamed?

Context: This is the seventh verse of L’cha Dodi.

Have you ever experienced people getting their just rewards?

Context: This is the eighth verse of L’cha Dodi. Peretz was the son of Judah through Tamar. He became the ancestor of Boaz, who married Ruth. Boaz and Ruth were the great-grandparents of King David, from whom the messiah is supposed to descend. The phrase “yamin usmol tifrotzi” comes from Isaiah 54:3 (the Haftarah for Parashat Ki Teitzei and one of the Haftarot of Consolation between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah), while “v’nism’cha v’nagila” comes from Song of Songs 1:4. There is a pun between “partzi” and “tifrotzi”.

When one spreads out, one often encounters others. When is a time you have tried to spread your ideas to other people, and how did that go?

Context: This is the ninth and final verse of L’cha Dodi. We are back to talking about Shabbat. It is customary at this verse to stand and face the door, bowing left on the first “Bo’i Kallah” and then right on the second “Bo’i Kallah” as the Sabbath Bride symbolically enters at that point. Sefardic Jews say “gam b’rina” (also [come] with song) while Ashkenazic Jews say “gam b’simcha” (also [come] with joy), which is a phrase that Sefardic Jews only add when Shabbat and a Festival overlap.

Building on this idea of inviting in Shabbat, the Zohar (mystical text attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai but probably actually written by Moses de Leon in the 1200s in Spain) takes a verse from Isaiah about calling Shabbat a delight (Isaiah 58:13) and says that this means inviting Shabbat to come in to our homes that are set up to honor and welcome her. (Zohar 3:94b:7).

The phrase “ateret ba’la” comes from Proverbs 12:4, while “l’am segulah” comes from Deuteronomy 7:6.

After this verse, those who are in mourning come into the service, since they are not feeling the anticipatory joy leading up to the entrance of Shabbat. The mourners are greeted with the phrase “HaMakom y’nachem etchem b’toch sha’ar aveilei Tziyon virushalayim” - “May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.” Some synagogues add this every week, recognizing that they don’t know the personal losses of everybody attending a service.

We welcome Shabbat to come in peace. When have you experienced a moment of a peaceful Shabbat?

The Music of L’cha Dodi

L’cha Dodi doesn’t have a specific tune that it is traditionally done to, other than “Eili Tziyon” the Friday evening before Tisha B’Av, so there has been much room for congregational melodies. Some tunes have been written specifically for this prayer, while others have been contrafacted from other songs. In 2021, the Cantors Assembly released a set of videos with a different tune for each day of the Omer; they had so many that they released “outtakes” that didn’t make the top 49 submissions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO-AP1a71Go&list=PLKK5_3wTHcbpNAlIQqV2H7ukjAAgNVR96). Here are 9 versions, one for each verse. Consider which tunes fit the mood of the words.

This is a Sephardic tune for L’cha Dodi. It is being performed by Cantors Liz Berke and Rachel Brook (left to right) and Todd Kessler on guitar, all of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago.

Not sure who wrote this, but it's not Cantor Aaron Bensoussan. You can hear his version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzVrp5J0uJI

This is from the Maccabeats in 2010, singing L'cha Dodi to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (through 3:16 - thereafter they sing Aleinu). For a very different singing group take on L'cha Dodi, you can see the Reut Choir Haifa sing Louis Lewandowki's version from the 1800s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__wPfpJr94Q

Context: This tune comes from Kol HaNeshama, a congregation in Jerusalem. The video shows text from Tefillah Trainer, a product of Kinnor Software that was notated by Cantor Neil Schwartz

​​​​​​​Another tune; not sure who wrote this one.

L'cha Dodi as sung by the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda (for a Moroccan version, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LkCYloa_fU)

One of the tunes for L'cha Dodi written by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (you can hear the other one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtEvj2HBMHw).

Craig Taubman's version of L'cha Dodi.

Debbie Friedman's version of L'cha Dodi.

With appreciation to Rabbi Dina Rosenberg, Josh Franklin, Shir Yaakov Feit, Lawrence Szenes-Strauss, Rabbi Ahuvah Loewenthal, Yasmine Torbati, Siddur Lev Shalem

Appendix A: The Full Text of L’cha Dodi in 3 Translations