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The Fascinating History of Kabbalat Shabbat and Lecha Dodi
A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org.
The Germans occupied France in 1940, yet the Great Synagogue of Lyon resolutely continued to function for prayer services. French Nazi collaborators, known as the Milice, decided to take advantage of the situation by attacking the Jews in their synagogue on the Friday night of December 10, 1943.
Friday night services in synagogue begin with Kabbalat Shabbat, the “Welcoming the Shabbat” liturgy. This prayer consists of six chapters of Psalms, followed by a poetic prayer that was composed in the 1500s, called Lecha Dodi.
When reciting the final stanza of Lecha Dodi, the custom is for all to turn around and face the back of the synagogue to usher in the Sabbath Queen.
As the congregation of Lyon welcomed Shabbat with the prayer service, the would-be murderer silently entered the synagogue from the back. He prepared to throw grenades into the crowd, when he had the shock of his life. The entire congregation that had been facing forward suddenly turned to face him! He was so shocked that he dropped the grenades and ran out of the shul, fortunately only causing injuries and killing no one.
As the shul rabbi described, Divine Providence arranged for the Milice collaborator to walk in precisely as the congregation was reciting the final stanza of Lecha Dodi, which saved their lives.
The History of Welcoming the Shabbat
When Shabbat begins, we welcome it with song, as it says, “A psalm, a song for the Shabbat day” (Psalm 92:1).
But why do we start Shabbat with singing?
Rabbi Shimshon Pincus answers that when one is overcome with emotion and joy, words are limiting. Song, on the other hand, is expansive. Each week when Shabbat begins, the Jewish people are so joyous that words are not adequate to express it. We turn to songs to fully express our joy and connection.
Initially, Jews would begin Shabbat by going to shul to recite the Shabbat Maariv (evening prayer), which differed only slightly from the weekday Maariv. No additional prayers or psalms were recited.
Reciting Psalm 92, a Song for Shabbat Day, and Psalm 93 before the Maariv service on Friday night became widespread during the 12th and 13th centuries.
In 1488, the Italian Sage, Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura traveled to Alexandria, Egypt. He wrote that the Jews there prepare for Shabbat, light candles and then serve food for the evening meal. “Afterward, everyone comes to the synagogue dressed in fresh, pressed clothing, and they begin with song and praise and pray for a lengthy Maariv for two hours after nightfall.” However, we do not know what prayers they were singing.
In the 16th century, the Kabbalat Shabbat service began to take the form we know of today. Jews would recite six chapters of Psalms, beginning with chapters 95-99 and then chapter 29, corresponding to the six days of Creation.
At around this time, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz who lived in Safed composed a poetic prayer welcoming Shabbat and describing the joy of leaving aside weekday worries. He spoke about the Jewish people returning to their greatness, and “leaving the Valley of Tears.” His prayer was known as Lecha Dodi, after the first two words of the refrain.
His words struck a chord in the Jewish people, and soon became universally accepted — recited by Jews the world over as Shabbat begins. In fact, his prayer is such an integral part of the liturgy that Jewish law states that the congregation accepts the sanctity of Shabbat with the final paragraph of Lecha Dodi.
The Author of Lecha Dodi
Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz was born in Salonika in the early 1500s. In 1529, he married the daughter of Yitzchak Cohen, a wealthy man from Salonika. Rather than giving his wife a traditional wedding gift of jewelry, he presented her with his newly completed Torah work, Manos HaLevi. His bride’s family greatly valued Torah study and respected Torah scholars, and were delighted at this gift, their joy surpassing that of receiving jewelry.
Shortly afterward, Rabbi Alkabetz and his wife decided to settle in the Land of Israel. On the way, they stopped in Adrianople, Turkey. Recognizing the spiritual stature of their visitor, the people begged him to remain and guide them how to serve God and keep the commandments. Rabbi Alkabetz agreed to stay and teach the community, and several of his students became great Torah scholars. He also wrote several works at this time.
Yet, Rabbi Alkabetz would not remain in Adrianople indefinitely since he longed to settle in the Land of Israel. He arrived in Safed in 1535.
Safed at the time was a city steeped in Torah knowledge and mysticism. One of the renowned leaders living there at the time was Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, known as the Arizal. He is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah since he formulated the study of Kabbalah into a comprehensive system, known as Lurianic Kabbalah. Two other great leaders were Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, the foremost classic the Code of Jewish Law, and Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (the Ramak) one of the most prolific and systematic teachers and authors on the teachings of the Zohar (the “Book of Splendor” which is the foundational work of Kabbalistic literature). Both Rabbi Karo and the Ramak became Rabbi Alkabetz’s disciples, testimony to his greatness.
The Yosef Karo Synagogue in Safed
Every week, as Shabbat began, the great Kabbalists of Safed would go out to the fields to greet Shabbat in a display of love and honor for this special day. They would joyously recite Psalms, and call out “Welcome Bride, Shabbat Queen.”
Around 1540, Rabbi Alkabetz composed the prayer of Lecha Dodi, which includes many Biblical references in its words, as well as an acronym of Rabbi Alkabetz’s name. His prayer was incorporated as part of Kabbalat Shabbat, in Safed and the rest of the world.
Rabbi Alkabetz died in 1580 and was buried in the old cemetery in Safed, where one can still go and pray by his graveside.
Outdoors or Indoors
Over the centuries, many have followed the example of the Kabbalists of Safed who welcomed Shabbat in the fields by reciting the final paragraph of Lecha Dodi outdoors. The Turkish Sage, Rabbi Chaim Benveniste (1603-1673), author of the halachic work K’nesses Hagedolah, writes that when he became rabbi in Tite and discovered that the congregation remained indoors for the entire Kabbalat Shabbat, he directed them to go back to the older custom of going outside to welcome Shabbat the way they did in Safed.
Rabbi Yechiel Michel Halevi Epstein (1829-1908), in his classic work Aruch Hashulchan, stated that going outdoors to greet Shabbos had been largely forgotten in his time. Yet, what remains of this custom today is that we turn to the back of the shul with the final paragraph of Lecha Dodi, turning westward with the setting sun as we welcome Shabbat.
A Son Returns
In a moving turn of events, Rabbi Alkabetz’s own descendant returned to his roots thanks to the prayer of Lecha Dodi.
A young man appeared at a synagogue in Israel and was invited to someone’s home as a guest. He was utterly unfamiliar with Shabbat rituals, but did his best to follow along. During the meal, he asked if they could sing Lecha Dodi again, explaining that he found the song exceptionally beautiful when he had heard it in the synagogue. Politely, his hosts sang Lecha Dodi again, and again, and again, as per their guest’s requests.
At the end of the meal, the hosts spoke to him some more and discovered their guest was actually Mahmoud from Ramallah. At their shocked expressions, he hesitantly explained that recently he had many questions about Islam and had asked his father why Islam treated Jews so badly. In response, his father threw him out of the house.
His mother managed to contact Mahmoud. She told him that his father had been infuriated by his questions, since he, Mahmoud, was actually Jewish since she was a Jew. She admitted that she made a terrible mistake in marrying an Arab man and gave him his birth certificate and her old Israeli ID card, proving what she said to be true. The final item she gave him as she bade him goodbye was a picture of her parents standing next to the grave of an ancestor of the family.
When Mahmoud finished his story, his hosts asked Mahmoud if they could see the picture. They were amazed at what it showed: an older couple standing next to a grave, on which the name Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz — the great composer of Lecha Dodi — could be seen clearly.
Rabbi Alkabetz’s descendant had been so moved by Lecha Dodi, not realizing that this holy prayer was written by his own ancestor.
For the past 500 years, why have the words of Lecha Dodi resonated with all segments of the Jewish people? It continues to inspire and reconnect Jews wherever they are — in a shul, at the Western Wall, in Safed. It’s not merely because of the beautiful words that Rabbi Alkabetz wrote, but rather based on what the words really mean.
Lecha Dodi is a reminder to Jews of the beauty of our relationship with Shabbat and with God. Jews have kept Shabbat for millennia, as a testimony that God created the world and of His special relationship with His nation. Each week, we can once again experience how Shabbat protects us and continues to be an eternal source of blessing for the Jewish nation.
Rabbi Menachem Levine is the CEO of JDBY-YTT, the largest Jewish school in the Midwest. He served as Rabbi of Congregation Am Echad in San Jose, CA from 2007 – 2020. He is a popular speaker and has written for numerous publications. Rabbi Levine’s personal website is https://thinktorah.org. A version of this article was originally published by Aish.
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UK Muslim Groups Reject Interfaith Pact With Jewish Leaders Because Chief Rabbi Is a ‘Zionist’
The signing of the Drumlanrig Accords at Buckingham Palace. Photo: Screenshot
A coalition of Muslim organizations in the United Kingdom has rejected a recently announced Muslim-Jewish reconciliation agreement aimed at improving relations between the two communities, condemning the landmark pact over the involvement of British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who they denounced as a “staunch Zionist.”
In a joint statement, more than 25 Muslim groups, including Friends of Al Aqsa and The Cordoba Foundation, expressed strong opposition to the Drumlanrig Accords over Mirvis’s support for Israel. They also argued that the agreement, which was drafted in January and signed last month, lacked legitimate representation as it was backed by “self-appointed” Muslim leaders who do not represent the will of the Muslim community.
The signatories “failed to consult widely with grassroot organizations supported by the Muslim community before they signed these accords with the chief rabbi, who is a staunch Zionist,” the statement said.
“Rabbi Mirvis has supported Israel’s war on the Palestinians in Gaza,” the coalition continued, before citing debunked casualty figures supplied by Hamas-controlled authorities. “We cannot in good faith acknowledge these accords when the chief rabbi has made public statements supporting Israel despite the horrific actions of the Israeli Occupation Forces.”
In January, representatives of 11 denominations from Judaism and Islam met at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland to agree to a pact aimed at improving relations between the two faiths. The signatories said the accords were designed to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain to “help tackle both antisemitism and Islamophobia, as well as poverty and isolation,” while promoting mutual respect and solidarity.
Jewish and Muslim leaders formally signed the agreement last month and presented it to Britain’s King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London.
“The Drumlanrig Accords represent a bold first step toward rebuilding a meaningful trust between Muslim and Jewish communities over the long term,” Mirvis said in a statement following the signing of the accords. “They do not gloss over our differences; they acknowledge them.”
“They also send out a powerful message that in times of division, when it is far easier to retreat into fear and suspicion, we are prepared to take the more challenging path to reconciliation,” he continued. “We do so not because it is easy, but because it is necessary.”
In their statement released earlier this week, Muslim leaders explained they would only accept and support the accords if the UK’s chief rabbi condemns the “genocide and apartheid being enacted against the Palestinian people,” welcoming a collective multi-faith movement against oppression.
“Until then, we wholly reject these accords made purportedly on behalf of the Muslim community,” the coalition said. “A central facet of Islam is the complete rejection of oppression. As a community, we do not shy away from rejecting oppression in all its forms against anyone.”
The statement did not acknowledge Hamas’s widely recognized military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
In Monday’s statement, the groups also argued that the Muslim leaders who signed the accords were “self-appointed” and do not represent the wider British Muslim community, but rather they only speak for a small minority.
“These self-appointed Muslims were fully aware that they only represent a small minority of the overall British Muslim population,” the statement read. “The majority of the British Muslim community do not even know who these individual Muslim ‘leaders’ are. Their actions and decisions were made independently without consulting the wider Muslim community.”
According to their statement, these Muslim groups would be “wholly supportive” of interfaith relations if carried out in good faith.
“We note the significant rise in anti-Muslim hatred within the Jewish community and support engagement on challenging hatred in all its forms,” the signatories said.
The signing of the accords came amid an ongoing surge in antisemitic crimes across the UK since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.
Last month, the Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, released data showing the UK experienced its second worst year ever for antisemitism in 2024, despite recording an 18 percent drop in antisemitic incidents from the previous year’s all-time high.
In one of the latest incidents, a visibly Jewish man in England was brutally attacked after a prayer service, leaving him fearing for his eyesight, with local police investigating the assault as a hate crime.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war in Gaza when they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages during their invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
In January, both sides reached a ceasefire and hostage-release deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar with the support of the United States.
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Legal Nonprofit Launches Civil Rights Blitz Against Campus Antisemitism in California
Illustrative: A pro-Hamas demonstrator uses a megaphone on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, in New York City, US, Oct. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law has launched a legal blitz in California, announcing on Thursday that it filed three federal civil rights complaints against California State Polytechnic, Humboldt (Cal Poly), Scripps College, and the Etiwanda School District in San Bernardino County.
“While an increasing number of schools recognize that their Jewish students are being targeted both for their religious beliefs and due to their ancestral connection to Israel, and are taking necessary steps to address both classic and contemporary forms of antisemitism, some shamefully continue to turn a blind eye,” Brandeis Center founder and chairman Kenneth Marcus said in a statement announcing the actions. “The law and the federal government recognize Jews share a common faith and they are a people with a shared history and heritage rooted in the land of Israel.”
According to the Brandeis Center, the three complaints are being supported by several co-litigants — with Jewish on Campus (JOC) being a party to the Cal Poly complaint; the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Arnold & Porter LLP to the Scripps College complaint; and StandWithUs and the ADL to the Etiwanda School District complaint.
Cal Poly is accused of allowing Jewish students to be subjected to “vicious antisemitism,” standing down while pro-Hamas activists doused them in fake blood and committed other acts of intimidation, such as antisemitic graffiti and hate speech. Rather than correcting the hostile environment, the Brandeis Center and JOC alleged, the university recommended that those being targeted hide any indicators of their Jewishness and even terminated their participation in a club fair as an alternative to disciplining a pro-Hamas student who physically harassed them at the event.
At Scripps College, in Claremont, California, a Jewish student was allegedly ordered to remove her Star of David and routinely taunted with antisemitic tropes accusing Jews of being “immoral,” rapacious, and exercising “control” over media. Living openly as a Jewish woman has become an unrelenting tribulation for this student, the Brandeis Center and Arnold & Peter added, noting that she has seen her social network collapse due to her attending Shabbat dinners and “studying Torah with the campus rabbi.” In addition to allegedly neglecting to respond to these indignities, Scripps has been accused of showing further disregard for the civil rights of Jewish students by helping pro-Hamas agitators evade accountability for behaviors such as vandalism. The situation, the groups said, has prompted many Jewish students to leave the country to participate in study abroad programs rather than remain on campus.
The Etiwanda school district case recounts the experience of a 12-year-old Jewish girl who was allegedly assaulted on school grounds — being beaten with a stick — told to “shut your Jewish ass up,” and teased with jokes about Hitler. According to the court filings, one student said such behavior would have never happened were she not Jewish. Despite receiving a slew of complaints about the discriminatory treatment, a substantial amount of which occurred in the classroom, school officials have allegedly eschewed punishing her tormentors.
The Algemeiner has reached out to Cal Poly, Scripps College, and the Etiwanda school district for comment and will update this story if they respond.
Cal Poly told the Lost Coast Outpost, a local media outlet, that it is “reviewing the federal complaint and will, of course, fully cooperate with the [US Department of Education’s] Office of Civil Rights in any investigation.” The school added, “Hatred or discrimination in any form, including antisemitism, is contrary to our core values. The university unequivocally condemns all acts of hatred, bigotry, and violence, and we are committed to keeping safe our students, staff, and faculty of all religions. We will continue to work together to foster a learning and working environment where we can all feel safe, included, and respected.”
According to leading voices behind the federal complaints, administrators at many educational institutions are not doing enough to combat anti-Jewish discrimination.
“Too many of our nation’s young minds are being corrupted by the disease of antisemitism. It is the duty of K-12 educators and administrators to provide the necessary education to inoculate them — not indoctrinate them,” StandWithUs chief executive officer and founder Roz Rothstein said in a statement. “As long as students continue to find themselves on the receiving end of anti-Jewish hate and bigotry from their peers or teachers, and their appeals to administration continue to fall on deaf ears, we will continue to show up and support them in holding their schools accountable.”
The ADL’s vice president of national litigation, James Pasch, added, “ADL and our partners will not sit idly by as Jewish students are attacked for their identity — from our college campuses to our K-12 schools, our educational institutions have an obligation to protect their Jewish students and ensure that all its students receive an education free of harassment and discrimination.”
The Brandeis Center has spearheaded litigation for dozens of complaints of antisemitism in recent years, taking on large, powerful institutions, as well as lesser-known ones, across the US. Recently, it achieved the pausing of the Santa Ana Unified School District’s (SAUSD) implementation of an ethnic studies curriculum that, according to the lawsuit, district leaders in California intentionally hid from the Jewish community to conceal its antisemitic content.
Just weeks prior, the Brandies Center negotiated the resolution of a lawsuit which accused Harvard University of violating the rights of Jewish students by failing to discipline a professor whom a third-party firm had deemed guilty of mistreating Jewish students.
The organization’s legal actions further its mission to combat antisemitism in educational institutions, Marcus noted in Thursday’s press release, saying, “Schools that continue to ignore either aspect of Jewish identity are becoming dangerous breeding grounds for escalating anti-Jewish bigotry, and they must be held accountable.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Hamas Dismisses Trump Threat, Says Hostages Will Only Be Released With Lasting Ceasefire
US President Donald speaking in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC on March 3, 2025. Photo: Leah Millis via Reuters Connect
Hamas on Thursday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s latest threat against the Palestinian terrorist group, saying it will only release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza with a lasting ceasefire.
The “best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages” is through negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said.
The first phase of the truce, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday. During that time, fighting stopped between Israel and Hamas as the former withdrew some forces from Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas released 25 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving lengthy sentences for terrorist activity.
Only limited preparatory talks have been held so far regarding a second phase of the ceasefire, which could include a permanent truce, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and release of the remaining living hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. However, the future of the deal is in doubt, as both sides disagree on how to proceed.
Negotiations were further complicated by Trump, who on Wednesday posted a statement on his social media platform Truth Social in which he issued an ultimatum to Hamas.
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose,” the president’s post began. “Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted!”
Trump added that he is “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job,” and that “not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.”
The US president then noted that he met earlier in the day with several former hostages who were released from Hamas captivity.
“I have just met with your former Hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance,” Trump said
He also warned that Gazans could be killed if they assisted Hamas in detaining Israeli hostages. Several of the hostages freed from Gaza were held by families with connections to the Hamas terrorist group. These hostages reportedly experienced physical and psychological violence while being held in captivity.
“Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER,” Trump wrote.
Beyond calling for the second phase of the ceasefire deal, Hamas also responded to Trump’s threat by arguing that it would embolden Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Such positions are what give the war criminal Netanyahu the strength and ability to continue his crimes,” Hamas spokesman Salama Maroof said on Thursday.
Another spokesman for the terrorist group, Hazem Qassem, reportedly added, “Trump’s threats complicate matters related to the ceasefire agreement and push the occupation’s [Israel’s] government to become more radical. If Trump cares about releasing the occupation’s hostages, he should pressure Netanyahu to begin negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. We fear that the occupation will take advantage of Trump’s statements to intensify the Gaza siege and starvation policy against its residents.”
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, when they invaded, southern Israel, murdered 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the captives and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
Fighting stopped when the ceasefire went into effect on Jan. 19.
Israel recently presented Hamas with a proposal for an extension of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. The proposal would mandate that Hamas release half of the remaining Israeli hostages who were kidnapped into Gaza at the beginning of the extension. The rest of the hostages would be released at the end, if Hamas and Israel can agree on a permanent ceasefire deal. Israel would retain the right to restart the war in Gaza if negotiations are unsuccessful by the 42-day mark.
According to Jerusalem, the ceasefire extension proposal was the brainchild of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
However, Hamas has refused to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal, leading Israel to announce that it would block humanitarian aid transfers into Gaza to pressure the terrorist group into accepting the ceasefire extension.
Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.
Under Trump, the White House has prioritized the release of Israeli hostages during the opening weeks of the new administration. Last month, Trump vowed to let “hell break out” in Gaza if Hamas did not release the remaining hostages.
“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock … I would say, cancel it [the hostage deal] and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump said at the time,
The Trump administration has also started direct communications with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, over the release of US hostages in Gaza.
“When it comes to the negotiations … the special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. “Israel was consulted on this matter. Dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people, is something that the president has proven, what he believes is good-faith effort to do what’s right for the American people.”
According to reports, US special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has been leading the discussions with Hamas in Doha, Qatar. The talks have mainly focused on securing the release of American hostages still in Hamas captivity. However, Hamas and US officials have also reportedly discussed brokering an agreement to release all remaining hostages in the enclave.
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