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Lekhah Dodi: the Most Famous Jewish Love Poem

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Lekhah Dodi: the Most Famous Jewish Love Poem Lekhah Dodi: The Most Famous Jewish Love Poem Rabbi Elie Kaunfer – [email protected] Global Day of Jewish Learning 2015 לכה דודי של ר שלמה אלקבץ A. Lekhah Dodi of R. Shlomo Alkabetz ​ ​ לָכה דוִֹדי ִלקַראת ַכָּלּה, /Chorus: Come/Go, my Beloved, to greet the bride ְ ְ ְפּנֵי ַשָׁבּת נְַקְבָּלה. .Let us welcome the presence of Shabbat 1) ָשׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר ְבִּדבּוּר ֶאָחד, ִה ְשִמיָענוּ ֵאל ַהְמּיָֻחד, Keep” and “remember” in one act of speech/ The unique“ (1 יְיָ ֶאָחד וּ ְשׁמוֹ ֶאָחד, ְל ֵשׁם וְּלִתְפֶאֶרת וְִלְתִהָלּה. לכה God made us hear/ YHVH is one and His name is one/ For fame, for glory and for praise. 2) ִלְקַראת ַשָׁבּת ְלכוּ וְנְֵלָכה, ִכּי ִהיא ְמקוֹר ַהְבָּרָכה, To greet Shabbat come let us go/ For she is the source of (2 ֵמראשׁ ִמֶקֶּדם נְסוָּכה, סוֹף ַמֲע ֶשׂה ְבַּמֲח ָשָׁבה ְתִּחָלּה. /blessing/ From the beginning, as of old, she was anointed לכה .Last in deed, first in thought 3) ִמְקַדּשׁ ֶמֶלְך ִעיר ְמלוָּכה, ֽקוִּמי ְצִאי ִמתּוְֹך Sanctuary of the King, royal city/ Rise up, go forth from (3 ַהֲהֵפָכה, ַרב ָלְך ֶשֶׁבת ְבֵּעֶמק ַהָבָּכא, וְהוּא יֲַחמוֹל /the upheaval/ Too long have you dwelt in the valley of tears ָעַליְִך ֶחְמָלה. לכה .He will show compassion to you 4) ִהְתנֲַעִרי ֵמָעָפר ֽקוִּמי, ִלְב ִשׁי ִבּגְֵדי ִתְפאְַרֵתְּך ַעִמּי, Shake yourself off, rise up from the dust/ Put on the (4 ַעל יַד ֶבּן יִַשׁי ֵבּית ַהַלְּחִמי, ָקְרָבה ֶאל נְַפ ִשׁי גְאָָלהּ. clothes of glory, my people/ Through the son of Jesse the לכה .Bethlehemite/ Draw near to my soul and redeem it 5) ִהְתעוְֹרִרי ִהְתעוְֹרִרי, ִכּי ָבא אוֵֹרְך ֽקוִּמי ֽאוִֹרי, Wake up, wake up/ For your light has come, let my light (5 ֽעוִּרי ֽעוִּרי ִשׁיר ַדֵּבִּרי, ְכּבוֹד יְיָ ָעַליְִך נִגְָלה. לכה rise up/ Awaken, awaken, speak a poem/ YHVH’s glory is revealed upon you. 1 Lekhah Dodi – November 2015 Elie Kaunfer – www.mechonhadar.org 6) לא ֵתֽבוֹ ִשׁי וְלא ִתָכְּלִמי, ַמה ִתּ ְשׁתּוֲֹחִחי וַּמה Do not be ashamed, do not be humiliated/ Why are you (6 ֶתֱּהִמי, ָבְּך יֱֶחסוּ ֲענִיֵּי ַעִמּי, וְנְִבנְָתה ִעיר ַעל ִתָּלּהּ. downcast, Why are you disconsolate/ In you the needy of My לכה people will find shelter/ And the city shall be rebuilt on its hill. 7) וְָהיוּ ִלְמ ִשָׁסּה שׁאָסיְִך, וְָרֲחקוּ ָכּל ְמַבְלָּעיְִך, יִָשׂישׂ May those who oppress you be oppressed/ And may those (7 ָעַליְִך ֱאלָהיְִך, ִכְּמשׂוֹשׂ ָחָתן ַעל ַכָּלּה. לכה who devour you be far away/ Your God will rejoice over you/ As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride. 8) יִָמין וּ ְשׂמאל ִתְּפֽרוִֹצי, וְֶאת יְיָ ַתֲּעִריִצי, ַעל יַד Right and left shall you break out/ And you will praise (8 ִאישׁ ֶבּן ַפְּרִצי, וְנְִשְׂמָחה וְנָגִיָלה. לכה YHVH/ Through the descendent of Peretz (lit. “the one who broke out”)/ We shall rejoice and be glad. 9) ֽבּוִֹאי ְב ָשׁלוֹם ֲעֶטֶרת ַבְּעָלהּ, גַּם ְבּ ִשְׂמָחה וְּבָצֳהָלה, Come in peace, crown of her husband/ Both with joy and (9 תּוְֹך ֱאמוּנֵי ַעם ְסגָֻלּה, ֽבּוִֹאי ַכָלּה, ֽבּוִֹאי ַכָלּה. לכה jubilation/ Among the faithful of the treasured people/ Come bride, come bride. 2 Lekhah Dodi – November 2015 Elie Kaunfer – www.mechonhadar.org B. Lekhah Dodi printed in Seder Ha-Yom ​ ​ ואח"כ נאמר פזמון א' אוֹ ב' ואלו הם Afterward is said a pizmon (poem with a refrain) or two. Here ​ ​ they are: ​ לכה דודי לקראת כלה, פני שבת נקבלה /Chorus: Come, my Beloved, to greet the bride ​ Let us welcome the presence of Shabbat. 1) זכור ושמור בדיבור אחד, נתן לנו המלך Remember” and “Keep” in one act of speech/ The“ (1 המיוחד, ה' אחד ושמו אחד, לשם ולתפארת /unique king gave to us/ YHVH is One and His name is One ולתפלה, לכה דודי וכו' For fame, for glory and for prayer. Come my beloved ​ … ​ ​ 2) קדושת שבת הנחלתנו, ועל הר סיני קרבתנו, The holiness of the Shabbat You bequeathed to us/ And (2 בתורה ומצות עטרתנו, וקראתנו עם סגולה, לכה on Mt. Sinai You drew us close/ With Torah and Mitzvot You ​ ​ ​ דודי .crowned us/ And called us a treasured nation 3) נודה לך אלי'נו, כי ממצרים הוצאתנו, ומבית We are thankful to You, our God/ For You brought us out (3 עבד' פדיתנו, בכח ידך הגדולה, לכה דודי /of Egypt/ And redeemed us from the house of bondage ​ Through the strength of Your great hand. 4) בתוך ים סוף הדרכתנו, ובנפול אויב שמחתנו, You Led us in the midst of Yam Suf/ You caused us to (4 ​ ​ חיים וחסד עשית עמנו, להעבירנו במצולה, לכה rejoice in the downfall of the enemy/ Life and love you have ​ דודי .done for us/ to lead us through the depths 5) אתה אלהי האלהים, ומי כמוך באלים, משפיל /You are God of gods/ Who is like You among gods (5 גאים המגדילים, ומרי' אביון לגדולה, לכה דודי Lowering the prideful ones who aggrandize/ And raising up ​ the poor to greatness. 6) בואי בשלום עטרת בעלה, וגם בשמחה Come in peace, crown of her husband/ Both with joy and (6 ובצהלה, תוך אמוני עם סגולה, בואי כלה, בואי jubilation/ Among the faithful of the treasured people/ Come כלה, .bride, come bride 3 Lekhah Dodi – November 2015 Elie Kaunfer – www.mechonhadar.org Come bride, come bride, come to peace, Queen Shabbat. בואי כלה, בואי כלה, בואי לשלום שבת מלכתא And say: “Mizmor, A song for the Day of Shabbat, etc.” ​ ​ ויאמ' מזמור שיר ליום השבת וכו' .(Psalm 92) 1) You are the God who works wonders/ You took us out of 1) אתה האל עושה פלא, הוצאתנו מבית כלא, prison/ You caused us to inherit a full house/ a fair and הורשתנו בית מלא, ארץ צבי מהוללה, לכה דודי praiseworthy land. Come, my Beloved ​ … ​ 1. Talmudic source of Kabbalat Shabbat תלמוד בבלי שבת קיט. Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 119a רבי חנינא מיעטף וקאי אפניא דמעלי שבתא, אמר: Rabbi Hanina would wrap himself in a cloak on erev Shabbat ​ ​ בואו ונצא לקראת שבת המלכה. רבי ינאי לביש ”.and say: “Come, let’s go out and greet Shabbat the Queen ​ מאניה מעלי שבת, ואמר: בואי כלה בואי כלה Rabbi Yannai would wear (new) clothes on erev Shabbat and ​ say: “Come bride, come bride.” 2. Talmudic source of Kabbalat Shabbat II תלמוד בבלי בבא קמא לב.­לב: Babylonian Talmud Bava Kama 32a-b Rabbi Hanina would say: “Come, let’s go out to greet the Queen bride,” and some say (another version): “ to greet … Shabbat, the Queen bride.” Rabbi Yannai would wrap himself, stand and say: “Come bride, come bride.” 3. Kabbalistic practice of greeting Shabbat Kabbalist Avraham Ha-Levi, printed in Schechter, Studies in Judaism, vol. 2, p. 297 ​ כמה כתות יוצאים ע"ש מבעוד יום לבושים לבנים ,A number of groups go out on erev Shabbat while it is still day ​ ​ ומקבלים פני שבת וקורין מזמור הבו לה' בני wearing white, and receive the presence of Shabbat and read 4 Lekhah Dodi – November 2015 Elie Kaunfer – www.mechonhadar.org דאמר ר' חנינא: בואו ונצא לקראת כלה מלכתא; ​ ​ ואמרי לה: לקראת שבת כלה מלכתא. רבי ינאי ​ ​ מתעטף, וקאי ואמר: בואי כלה, בואי כלה ​ אלים ופזמון לכה דודי ומזמור שיר ליום השבת :Psalm 29 and the pizmon Lekhah Dodi, and Psalm 92, and say ​ ​ ​ ​ ואומ' בואי כלה ”.Come bride“ 4. Headline to Alkabetz’s Lekhah Dodi ​ Introduction to Alkabetz Lekhah Dodi, 1584 siddur ​ ​ ​ ואחר כך אומרים זה הפיוט נאה ומשובח יסדו ,Afterward say this beautiful and praiseworthy poem ובנאו החכם האלהי כמ"הרר שלמה הלוי ן' constructed and formulated by the divine scholar Shlomo אלקאביץ ז"ל בעיר צפת תבנה ותכונן במהרה Ha-Levi ibn Alkabetz z”l in the city of Tzfat, may it be rebuilt ​ ​ בימינו אמן: לחן שובי נפשי למנוחיכי speedily in our days. To the tune of “Return my soul to Your resting place” (Psalm 116:7). 5. Biblical source I ​ ​ שיר השירים ז:יב­יד Song of Songs 7:12-14 12 12 ְלָכה דוִֹדי ,C ome, my beloved נֵֵצא ַה ָשּׂדה Let us go into the field ֶ ; נִָלינָה ַבְּכָּפִרים: .Let us lodge among the henna shrubs/villages 13 13 נַשִׁכּיָמה ַלכָּרִמים L et us go early to the vineyards ְ ְ ; נְִרֶאה ִאם ָפְּרָחה ַהגֶֶּפן ,Let us see if the vine has flowered ִפַּתּח ַהְסָּמַדר ,If its blossoms have opened ֵהנֵצוּ ָהִרמּוֹנִים .If the pomegranates are in bloom ָשׁם ֶאֵתּן ֶאת דַֹּדי ָלְך: .There I will give my love to you 14 14 ַהדּוָּדִאים נָתנוּ ֵריַח ,T he mandrakes (dudai’m) yield their fragrance ְ וַעל פָּתֵחינוּ ָכּל מגִָדים At our doors are all choice fruits ְ ְ ְ ; ֲחָד ִשׁים גַּם יְָשׁנִים ,Both freshly picked and long-stored דּוִֹדי ָצַפנְִתּי ָלְך: .Have I kept, my beloved, for you 6. Biblical source: Context 5 Lekhah Dodi – November 2015 Elie Kaunfer – www.mechonhadar.org שיר השירים ב:י­יג Song of Songs 2:10-13 10 10 ָענָה דוִֹדי וְאַָמר ִלי :M y beloved spoke thus to me קוִּמי ָלך ַרעיִָתי Arise my darling‘ ְ ְ ; יָָפִתי וְּלִכי ָלְך: !My fair one, come away 11 11 ִכּי ִהנֵּה הסתו ַהְסָּתיו ָעָבר ,F or now the winter is past ַהגֶּ ֶשׁם ָחַלף ָהַלְך לוֹ: .The rains are over and gone 12 12 ַהנִָּצּנִים נְִראוּ ָבאֶָרץ ,T he blossoms have appeared in the land ֵעת ַהזִָּמיר ִהגִּיַע The time of pruning has come ; וְקוֹל ַהתּוֹר The song of the turtledove נְִשַׁמע ְבּאְַרֵצנוּ: .Is heard in our land 13 13 ַהְתֵּאנָה ָחנְָטה ַפגֶּיָה ,T he green figs form on the fig tree וְַהגְָּפנִים ְסָמַדר נְָתנוּ ֵריַח .The vines in blossom give off fragrance קוִּמי לכי ָלך ַרעיִָתי Arise, my darling ְ ְ ; יָָפִתי וְּלִכי ָלְך: !My fair one, come away בראשית רבה (תיאודור­אלבק) פרשת בראשית 6a. Genesis Rabbah 11:8, trans. Noam Zion פרשה יא ד"ה ויברך אלהים וגו' R.
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