Bo’ee Kallah, Bo’ee Kallah - Welcome, Shabbos Queen! part 1

This week we will explore how greeting Shabbos is like greeting the Shechinah itself.

Unlike Yom Tov, The Shabbos Malkah is welcomed into our homes with song and greetings. We escort her out with a Melvah Malkah, a festive meal to say goodbye.

Why? What is special about Shabbos? What is the essence of Shabbos?

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Let’s Reflect:

This Shabbos, let’s think about who and what we are bringing into our home - The Shabbos Queen and Hashem Himself

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The Brisker Rav tells us something incredible: The halachos guiding us in Kabbalas Shabbos are learned from Am Yisrael’s actions before Kabbalas HaTorah!

There are three Hilchos Kabbalas Shabbos that resemble the instructions Moshe Rabbeinu gave Am Yisrael at Har Sinai:

1. Wash your clothes – don fine clothing in Hashem’s honor

2. “Be ready on the third day” — A King must not wait, His subjects must be ready and waiting for Him

3. “Moshe brought the people out to meet Hashem.” There is a special halachah to physically go out to greet the Shechinah.

In our homes, we have the opportunity to mirror these special instructions every single week.

1. We dress our finest – but are we greeting Shabbos in our robe or the clothing we cooked in? By the time we light candles, we should already be wearing our finest.

2. The Rambam agrees that we should be ready and waiting for Shabbos when she arrives, not bustling around, putting away muktzah and adjusting the hotplates.

3. To go out to find Shabbos is difficult in today’s day and age, as the streets are often filled with chillul Shabbos. But maybe in our own homes? How can we go out and find Shabbos within our four walls?

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Let’s Reflect:

Understanding that hilchos Kabbalas Shabbos mirrors Kabbalas HaTorah adds so much perspective to our week!

Together, let’s remember to perform these mitzvos with the simchah and ahavah they deserve.

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