Welcoming The Shabbat

Visible layers

The attribute of Malchut (kingship) is elevated and united with God’s Oneness on Shabbat

Hebrew

כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִנּוּן מִתְיַחֲדִין לְעֵילָא
בְּאֶחָד, אוּף הָכִי אִיהִי
אִתְיַחֶדֶת לְתַתָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד
לְמֶהֱוֵי עִמְּהוֹן לְעֵילָא חַד לְקָבֵל
חַד. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶחָד
לְעֵילָא, לָא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָא
דִּיקָרֵיהּ עַד דְּאִתְעֲבִידַת אִיהִי
בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ
לְמֶהֱוֵי אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד. וְהָא
אוֹקִימְנָא רָזָא דַּיְיָ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ
אֶחָד.

Sephardi

K’gav’na d’inun mityachadin l’eila
b'echad, uf hachi ihi
mityachedet l’tata b’raza d’echad
l’mehevei im’hon l’eila chad l’kabel
chad. Kudsha berich Hu echad
l’eila, la yativ al kurs’ya
dikarei ad d’it’avidat ihi
b’raza d’echad k’gav’na dilei
l’mehevei echad b'echad. V’ha
ukimna raza d’Adonai echad ushemo
echad.

English

Just as the six divine attributes of Chessed (kindness), Gevurah (severity), Tiferet (beauty), Netzach (victory), Hod (splendor), and Yesod (foundation), unite above as one, so does she—the divine attribute of Malchut (kingship)—unite in the lower worlds in a deep, mysterious<sup>1</sup> level of God’s Oneness, so that it can be with the other divine attributes above—because the unity of Malchut in the lower worlds corresponds to the unity of the six divine attributes above. God, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is One above, does not sit on His throne of glory until Malchut enters into this mysterious level of unity together with the other attributes, which is similar to God’s unity. This oneness of Malchut with the other divine attributes corresponds to the Oneness of God. As we have established and explained elsewhere in Zohar, this is the deeper meaning of the words: The Lord is One, and the divine attributes, which are called “His Name” are united as one.

Hebrew

רָזָא דְשַׁבָּת אִיהִי שַׁבָּת
דְּאִתְאַחֲדַת בְּרָזָא דְאֶחָד
לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ רָזָא דְאֶחָד.
צְלוֹתָא דְמַעֲלֵי שַׁבַּתָּא דְּהָא
אִתְאַחֲדַת כּוּרְסְיָא יַקִּירָא
קַדִּישָׁא בְּרָזָא דְאֶחָד,
וְאִתְתַּקְנַת לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ מַלְכָּא
קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה. כַּד עָיֵיל שַׁבַּתָּא
אִיהִי אִתְיַחֲדַת וְאִתְפָּרְשַׁת
מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְכָל דִּינִין
מִתְעַבְּרִין מִנָּהּ. וְאִיהִי
אִשְׁתְּאַרַת בְּיִחוּדָא דִנְהִירוּ
קַדִּישָׁא וְאִתְעַטְּרַת בְּכַמָּה
עִטְרִין לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל
שׁוּלְטָנֵי רוּגְזִין וּמָארֵי דְדִינָא
כֻּלְּהוּ עָרְקִין וְאִתְעַבְּרוּ מִנָּהּ.
וְלֵית שׁוּלְטָנָא אַחֲרָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ
עָלְמִין. וְאַנְפָּהָא נְהִירִין בִּנְהִירוּ
עִלָּאָה וְאִתְעַטְּרַת לְתַתָּא בְּעַמָּא
קַדִּישָׁא. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִין
בְּנִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין. כְּדֵין שֵׁירוּתָא
דִצְלוֹתָא לְבָרְכָא לָהּ בְּחֶדְוָה
בִּנְהִירוּ דְאַנְפִּין:

Sephardi

Raza d’Shabbat ihi Shabbat
d’it’achadat b’raza d’echad
l’mishrei alah raza d’echad.
Tz’lota d’ma’alei Shabbata d’ha
it’achadat kurs’ya yakira
kadisha b’raza d’echad,
v’it’takanat l’mishrei alah Malka
Kadisha Ila’ah. Kad ayil Shabbata
ihi mityachedet v’itpareshet
misitra achara. Vechol dinin
mit’abrin minah. V’ihi
isht’arat b’yichuda din’hiru
kadisha v’it’ateret b’chamah
itrin l’gabei Malka Kadisha. Vechol
shultanei rugzin u’marei d’dina
kul’hu arkin v’it’abru minah.
V’leit shultana achara b’kul’hu
almin. V’anpaha n’hirin bin’hiru
ila’ah v’it’ateret l’tata b’ama
kadisha. V’kul’hu mit’atrin
b’nishmatin chadtin. K’dein sheiruta
ditz’lota l’varcha lah b’chedvah
bin’hiru d’anpin:

English

The unity of Malchut mentioned above is the mystery of Shabbat: On Shabbat, she—the divine attribute of Malchut—is united in the mysterious level of God’s Oneness, so that the mysterious Oneness of God can rest on her. This happens during the prayer of Maariv on the evening of Shabbat, because that is when God’s holy Throne of Glory, which corresponds to the divine attribute of Malchut, also becomes united with God’s mysterious Oneness, and is ready for the holy King above, God, to rest on it. As Shabbat arrives, the divine attribute of Malchut becomes united with God’s Oneness and becomes separated from the “other side,” where evil is found, and all harsh judgments are removed from her. She remains in unity with God’s holy light, and she crowns herself with many crowns for the holy King, God. Then all the powers of anger and evil enemies run away and are removed from her, and besides the power of God’s holiness, no other power rules in any of the worlds. Her face shines with a heavenly light. She crowns herself with the holy people here on earth below, and all of the holy people are themselves crowned with new souls. Then the prayer of Maariv starts by blessing her with joy and with shining faces.

When praying without a minyan, say the following:

Hebrew

וְלוֹמַר בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ, אֶת דַּיְקָא
דָּא שַׁבָּת דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבַּתָּא: בָּרוּךְ יְיָ
הַמְבֹרָךְ דְּהָא אַפִּיקוּ דְבִרְכָאן מִמְקוֹרָא דְחַיֵּי,
וְאֶתֶר דְּנָפְקִין מִנֵּיהּ כָּל שַׁקְיוּ לְאַשְׁקָאָה
לְכֹלָּא. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ מְקוֹרָא דְהַהוּא
בֵּירָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ הַמְבֹרָךְ. אִיהוּ מַבּוּעָא
דְבֵירָא וְכֵיוָן דְּמַטְיָאן הָתָם הָא כֻּלְּהוּ
לְעָלַם וָעֶד. וְדָא אִיהוּ בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ
לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:

Sephardi

V’lomar Barchu et Adonai hamevorach, et daika
Da Shabbat d’ma’alei Shabbata: Baruch Adonai
hamevorach d’ha apiku d’virchan mim’kora d’chayei,
v’atar d’nafkin minei kol shakyu l’ashka’ah
l’chola. U’v’gin d’ihu m’kora d’hahu
beira k’tiv bei hamevorach. Ihu mabu’a
d’veira v’cheivan d’matyan hatam ha kul’hu
le'alam va'ed. V’da ihu Baruch Adonai hamevorach
le'olam va'ed:

English

God, and says: Let us now bless the Lord, Who is Blessed. He specifically uses the word “אֶת,” (the) because it refers to Shabbat evening. The congregation then responds: Blessed is the Lord, Who is blessed. This statement refers to the divine attribute of Yesod (foundation), which brings out the blessings from God, the source of all life, and is the place where the streams that “water” everything in the world and sustains them is taken from, and passed on to Malchut (kingship). Because Yesod is the source from where Malchut receives its blessing, and is the mystery of “the sign of the everlasting covenant”—the circumcision, it is called “the blessed,” because it is like the source of water that feeds the well—Malchut. Since these blessings reach and originate from there, they will all exist forever. This is why the congregation answers: Blessed is the Lord, Who is blessed, forever and ever.