לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:
שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, הִשְמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד. יְיָ אֶחָד וּשְמוֹ אֶחָד. לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה: לכה
לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה. כִּי הִיא מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה. מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּדֶם נְסוּכָה. סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה: לכה
מִקְדַּשׁ מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה. רַב לָךְ שֶׁבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמוֹל עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה: לכה
הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי: עַל יַד בֶּן יִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשִׁי גְאָלָהּ: לכה
הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי. כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ קוּמִי אוֹרִי. עוּרִי עוּרִי שִׁיר דַבֵּרִי. כְּבוֹד יְיָ עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה: לכה
לֹא תֵבוֹשִׁי וְלֹא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשְתּוֹחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי. בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי, וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ: לכה
וְהָיוּ לִמְשִׁסָּה שֹׁאסָיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָיִךְ. יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ. כִּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה: לכה
יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל תִּפְרוֹצִי. וְאֶת־יְיָ תַּעֲרִיצִי. עַל יַד אִישׁ בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשְׂמְחָה וְנָגִילָה: לכה
בּוֹאִי בְשָׁלוֹם עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה. תּוֹךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻּלָּה. בּוֹאִי כַלָּה, בּוֹאִי כַלָּה: לכה:
Go forth my love to meet the bride.
Shabbat's reception has arrived!
"Observe" and "remember"-two words
as one,
Proclaimed by the Only, forgotten by none.
Adonai is One. His name is One.
Praised, and renowned, and glorified.
Go forth my love ...
To meet Shabbat, come, let us go
For she is the source from which blessings
now.
From creation's beginning a royal veiled
glow
The last thought created, the first sanctified.
Go forth my love ...
Regal city, the king's holy shrine,
Rise up and leave your upheaval behind.
Too long in the valley of tears have you
pined.
The Compassionate One will compassion
provide.
Go forth my love ...
Shake off the ashes. Rise up from them!
Wear glorious clothes, my people, my gem.
Through the son of Yishai of Bethlehem
Redeem my soul. Draw near to my side.
Go forth my love ...
O'Awake, awake! Your light is here.
Arise. shine out light bold and clear:
Wake up! Wake up! Sing verse to hear:
Through you the presence of God comes
alive.
Go forth my love ...
Be not despondent. Be not cast down.
Why be dejected; why face the ground?
In a city rebuilt on its own ancient mound,
The poor of my people find shelter inside.
Go forth my love ...
Shunned are all who would shun you.
Gone are those who'd overrun you.
The joy of your God shines upon you
Like the joy of a groom and a bride.
Go forth my love ...
Spread out to the left and the right
Proclaiming the Holy One's might.
We'll revel in our delight
Through Peretz's son magnified.
' Go forth my love ...
Come forth in peace her husband's pride,
Joyful, happy, gratified.
Into the midst of the faithful tribe,
Come forth bride; come forth bride!
Go forth my love ...
Origins of Lecha dodi
רבי חנינא מיעטף וקאי אפניא דמעלי שבתא אמר בואו ונצא לקראת שבת המלכה רבי ינאי לביש מאניה מעלי שבת ואמר בואי כלה בואי כלה
R. Hanina would cover himself [in a cloak] and stand towards the beginning of Shabbat and say: Come, let us go out to greet the Sabbath queen. R. Yannai would wear a [special] garment on Sabbath eve and say Come, bride; come, bride.
(יב) לְכָ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ נֵצֵ֣א הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָלִ֖ינָה בַּכְּפָרִֽים׃
(12) Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Shlomo Alkabetz on Shir HaShirim:
Here this verse specifies the necessary condition for prophetic inspiration – namely, the need for self-imposed solitude (hitbodedut). For anyone who wishes to unite (dvekut) one’s soul with supreme spiritual forces, must remove distractions and go out to the field for that is a place of meditational solitude.
Sefer HaPeliah I 36b
Just as the Kallah arrives before the Hatan, dressed beautifully, with jewelry and perfume, So Shabbat arrives before Israel dressed beautifully with jewelry….
Just as the Hatan is dressed in magnificent attire, so a person should dress magnificently for Shabbat. Just as the Hatan enjoys pleasures all seven days of the wedding,
so a person should indulge in pleasures on Shabbat.
Just as the Hatan takes off from work, so does person refrain for work for Shabbat….
One should not eat on Shabbat afternoon so as to enter Shabbat with an appetite,
just as the Hatan fasts from food and drink on the day of the wedding.
So a person should be very careful to sanctify Shabbat with wine,
Just as Hatan is careful to sanctify (kiddushin) his bride [with wine].
Who is the Bride? Who is the Groom
(ח) ד"א למה ברכו, ר' ברכיה ורבי דוסתאי ורבי שמואל בר נחמן, רבי דוסתאי אומרים שאין לו בן זוג, חד בשבתא, תרי, תלתא, ארבעתא, חמשא, ערובתא, שבתא לית לה בן זוג. . . . תני ר"ש בן יוחאי: אמרה שבת לפני הקב"ה "רבש"ע לכולן יש בן זוג, ולי אין בן זוג", א"ל הקב"ה "כנסת ישראל היא בן זוגך",וכיון שעמדו ישראל לפני הר סיני אמר להם הקב"ה זכרו הדבר שאמרתי לשבת כנסת ישראל היא בן זוגך היינו דבור (שמות כ) "זכור את יום השבת לקדשו".
Why did God bless Shabbat? Rabbi Berekiah says: "Because it has no partner. The first day of the week has the second, the third has the fourth, the fifth has the sixth, but Shabbat has no partner. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: Shabbat pleased with the Holy One, Blessed be God saying: "Everyone else has a partner, but I have nothing!" God answered saying: "The community of Israel will be your partner." God continued: "And when they stood before Sinai, God said to the Israelites: "Remember what I said to Shabbat, that the community of Israel is your partner, [in the words of scripture] "Remember Shabbat and keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8)...
5. For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and your redeemer the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the earth.
6. For the Lord has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, but a wife of youth, Can she be rejected? says your God.
7. For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercy will I gather you.
8. In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the Lord your redeemer.
18. And it shall be at that day, says the Lord, that you shall call me My husband ("Ishi"); and shall no more call me My master ("Baali").
19. For I will take away the names of Baalim from her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.
20. And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them lie down safely.
21. And I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in grace, and in mercies.
22. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.
ומאי דבר אחד הן דבדיבור אחד נאמרו כדתניא (שמות כ, ז) זכור (דברים ה, יא) ושמור בדיבור אחד נאמרו מה שאין יכול הפה לדבר ומה שאין האוזן יכול לשמוע
What is the meaning of the phrase "they are one" It means that they were said in one utterance as we find in the Torah Whereas in (Exodus 20:7) it says "remember", its parallel (Deuteronomy 5:11) reads "observe." This is to teach that both words were said in a single utterance, one that human mouth can't utter, and one that a human ear can't hear.
Tradition connects the two candles lit on Shabbat to the two forms of the Shabbat commandment found in the Torah: "זכור remember" and "שמור observe."
From a kabbalaistic View, זכור represents זכר (male). The sephirot (system of divine attributes) calls this masculine falice yesod יסוד. The word שמור represents שכינה, God's female attribute, also called מלכות. On Shabbat, the two unite together, bringing about the offspring of redemption and holiness.
Lecha Dodi Biblical
(יא) כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יִדְבַּ֨ק הָאֵז֜וֹר אֶל־מָתְנֵי־אִ֗ישׁ כֵּ֣ן הִדְבַּ֣קְתִּי אֵ֠לַי אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לִֽהְי֥וֹת לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וּלְשֵׁ֥ם וְלִתְהִלָּ֖ה וּלְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃
11. For as the girdle fits tightly to the loins of a man, so have I caused to hold tightly to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the Lord; that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they would not hear.
(ט) לְפָנִ֣ים ׀ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר הָאִישׁ֙ בְּלֶכְתּוֹ֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְכ֥וּ וְנֵלְכָ֖ה עַד־הָרֹאֶ֑ה כִּ֤י לַנָּבִיא֙ הַיּ֔וֹם יִקָּרֵ֥א לְפָנִ֖ים הָרֹאֶֽה׃
(9) Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: ‘Come and let us go to the seer’; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.—
(ה) בֵּ֖ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְכ֥וּ וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּא֥וֹר יי
(5) O house of Jacob, come and let us go in the light of the LORD.
(כג) מֵ֭עוֹלָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵרֹ֗אשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
(23) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.
(יב) עוּרִ֤י עוּרִי֙ דְּבוֹרָ֔ה ע֥וּרִי ע֖וּרִי דַּבְּרִי־שִׁ֑יר ק֥וּם בָּרָ֛ק וּֽשֲׁבֵ֥ה שֶׁבְיְךָ֖ בֶּן־אֲבִינֹֽעַם׃
(12) Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song; Arise, Barak, and lead your captive son Avinoam free.
Zohar:
עור with an ׳ע׳ represents the number 70 for the 70 nations of the world that rule over Israel during our exile from the Garden, from Jerusalem. In the exile we are protected from these 70 wolves by skins of holiness, the Tefillin which are made of animal skins. Yet on Shabbat we have no need of the Tefillin. We are protected by observing Shabbat in such a way as to make amends for the sin in the Garden. In place of the skins we wear Shabbat clothes and in place of the illicit intercourse with the snake, man and woman have holy intercourse on Shabbat when sexual unification is mandated.
(ה) וְנִגְלָ֖ה כְּב֣וֹד יי וְרָא֤וּ כָל־בָּשָׂר֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו כִּ֛י פִּ֥י יי דִּבֵּֽר׃ (ס)
5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
(יז) הִתְעוֹרְרִ֣י הִֽתְעוֹרְרִ֗י ק֚וּמִי יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁתִ֛ית מִיַּ֥ד יי אֶת־כּ֣וֹס חֲמָת֑וֹ אֶת־קֻבַּ֜עַת כּ֧וֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָ֛ה שָׁתִ֖ית מָצִֽית׃
17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, who has drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; you have drunk to the dregs the bowl of staggering.
(ד) מָשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ (ס)
4. Draw me after you, we will run; the king has brought me into his chambers; we will be glad
(ו) כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּךָ֞ בָּחַ֣ר ׀ יי אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ לִהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)
6. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
(ה) כִּ֠י מִֽי־יַחְמֹ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וּמִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ וּמִ֣י יָס֔וּר לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לְשָׁלֹ֖ם לָֽךְ׃
5. For who shall have pity upon you, O Jerusalem? Who shall bemoan you? Who shall go aside to ask you how you do?
(ב) הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י מֵעָפָ֛ר ק֥וּמִי שְּׁבִ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם התפתחו [הִֽתְפַּתְּחִי֙] מוֹסְרֵ֣י צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ שְׁבִיָּ֖ה בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ס)
(2) Shake off the dust; Arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; Loosen yourself from the shackles, O captive daughter of Zion.
(ד) אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל עֲטֶ֣רֶת בַּעְלָ֑הּ
(4) A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband;
Zohar 2:135a-135b:
She is crowned below by the holy people, and all of them are crowned with new souls.