{"id":2207,"date":"2017-11-18T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/2017\/11\/18\/wikipedia-an-introduction-to-shalom-aleichem"},"modified":"2018-06-11T15:25:31","modified_gmt":"2018-06-11T12:25:31","slug":"wikipedia-an-introduction-to-shalom-aleichem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/2017\/11\/18\/wikipedia-an-introduction-to-shalom-aleichem\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Shalom Aleichem"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wikipedia entry<\/a> about Shalom Aleichem includes an explanation of the origins and background of the custom of singing \u2018Shalom Aleichem\u2019 on Friday night prior to Kiddush, along with the Hebrew, English and transliterated text, a discussion about controversial aspects of the poem, and aa brief survey of some of the most well known melodies. Although this source mentions several customs unique to different communities within the Jewish world, it is best used as a a general overview of the topic.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shalom Aleichem<\/h2>\n

Shalom Aleichem\u00a0(“Peace be upon you”) is a traditional song sung by Jews every Friday night upon returning home from synagogue prayer. It signals the arrival of the Jewish Sabbath, welcoming the\u00a0angels\u00a0who accompany a person home on the eve of the Sabbath<\/p>\n

Sources<\/span><\/h3>\n

This liturgical poem was written by the kabbalists of\u00a0Safed\u00a0in the late 16th or early 17th century.<\/sup><\/p>\n

According to a homiletic teaching in the\u00a0Talmud, two angels accompany people on their way back home from\u00a0synagogue\u00a0on Friday night\u2014a good angel and an evil angel. If the house has been prepared for the Shabbat (“the lamp has been lit, the table set, and his couch spread”), the good angel utters a blessing that the next Shabbat will be the same, and the evil angel is forced to respond “Amen”. but if the home is not prepared for Shabbat, the evil angel expresses the wish that the next Shabbat will be the same, and the good angel is forced to respond “Amen”.<\/p>\n

The custom of singing Shalom Aleichem on Friday night before\u00a0Kiddush\u00a0is now nearly universal, even though certain rabbinical authorities have expressed misgivings. As has been noted by Rabbi\u00a0David Bar-Hayim\u00a0of Jerusalem, the 18th century Rabbi\u00a0Jacob Emden\u00a0in his Sidur Beth Ya’aqov prayer book pointed out many problems regarding this song (addressing requests to angels, expressions that do not make sense, etc.). A similar attitude to the singing of Shalom Aleichem is attributed to Rabbi Elijah, the\u00a0Vilna Gaon. A further objection, Bar-Hayim explains, is that the song is based on a literal understanding of an Agadic (homiletic) statement (Babylonian Talmud Shabath 119b) which he views as misguided. Most rabbis, however, do not accept these arguments.<\/p>\n

Words<\/span><\/h3>\n

The lyrics, in Hebrew, are as follows:<\/p>\n

\n

\u05e9\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05e8\u05b5\u05ea \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span>
\n\u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0<\/span>\u200e<\/p>\n

\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05df
\n\u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0<\/span>\u200e<\/p>\n

\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05db\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05df
\n\u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0<\/span>\u200e<\/p>\n

\u263c
\n\u05e6\u05b5\u05d0\u05ea\u05b0\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05df
\n\u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0<\/span>\u200e<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The song in\u00a0Hebrew\u00a0is transliterated as follows:<\/p>\n

\n
<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n

Shalom aleichem\u00a0malachei ha-sharet malachei Elyon,
\n<\/i>mi-melech malachei ha-melachim ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.
\n<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

Bo’achem le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei Elyon,
\n<\/i>mi-melech malachei ha-melachim ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.<\/i><\/p>\n

Barchoni le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei Elyon,
\n<\/i>mi-melech malachei ha-melachim ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.<\/i><\/p>\n

Tzeitchem le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei Elyon,
\n<\/i>mi-melech malachei ha-melachim ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The words to the song translate as follows:<\/p>\n

\n

Peace unto you, ministerial angels, messengers of [the] Highest,
\nfrom the King, king(s) of the kings \u2014 the holy, blessed He.<\/p>\n

[May] your coming [be] to peace, messengers of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,
\nfrom the King, king(s) of the kings \u2014 the holy, blessed He.<\/p>\n

Bless me for peace, messengers of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,
\nfrom the King, king(s) of the kings \u2014 the holy, blessed He.<\/p>\n

[May] your departure [be] to peace, messengers of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,
\nfrom the King, king(s) of the kings \u2014 the holy, blessed He.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u263c\u00a0NOTE<\/i>: Mizrahi (not Sefard) tradition includes a penultimate verse, beginning\u00a0\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05dd\u00a0\u05dc\ufb2a\u05dc\ufb4b\u05dd<\/span>\u200e, “[May] your rest [be] for peace<\/i>\u00a0…” and the final verse has a \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc inserted in front of the \u05e6, which does not change the meaning of the last verse.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Jacob Emden, in his prayerbook, “Bet El”\u00a0<\/i>(1745), criticized both the use of the hymn (on the grounds that supplications on the Sabbath and supplications to angels were inappropriate) and its grammar\u2014arguing that the inclusion of the prefix \u05de\u05b4 at the beginning of every second line (i.e.,\u00a0mee-<\/u>melech<\/i>) was bad form, as it rendered the passage, “angels of the Most High,\u00a0away from<\/i>\u00a0the King who rules over kings”. He therefore deleted that \u05de\u05b4, thereby reducing\u00a0mi-melech<\/i>\u00a0to\u00a0melech<\/i>, and that deletion has been emulated in some other prayerbooks (apparently a small minority) such as Seligman Baer’s “Siddur Avodat Yisroel”<\/i>\u00a0(1868), the Orot Sephardic, and Koren’s Mizrahi (but not Koren’s Ashkenaz or Sefard) prayerbook, although it makes the musical meter a bit awkward.<\/p>\n

Melodies<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many different melodies have been written for\u00a0Shalom Aleichem<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The slow, well-known melody<\/a> for the song was composed by the American composer and conductor Rabbi\u00a0Israel Goldfarb\u00a0on May 10, 1918 while sitting near the\u00a0Alma Mater\u00a0statue in front of\u00a0Low Memorial Library\u00a0at\u00a0Columbia University, and first published later that year as\u00a0“Sholom Alechem\u2014\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05dd”<\/i>\u00a0in “Friday Evening Melodies”<\/i>\u00a0by Israel and his brother\u00a0Samuel.<\/sup>\u00a0The famous Goldfarb song is often presumed to be a traditional\u00a0Hasidic\u00a0melody. I. Goldfarb wrote in 1963, “The popularity of the melody traveled not only throughout this country but throughout the world, so that many people came to believe that the song was handed down from Mt. Sinai by Moses.” In the Preface to “Friday Evening Melodies” the composers articulated the goal of avoiding the extremes of both the free-form emotive Eastern European musical liturgical style and the classical Western European musical structure of “Israel Emancipated.”<\/p>\n

Lately, a modern, exuberantly joyful version<\/a> of this melody has been popularized by Idan Yaniv and Kinderlach.<\/p>\n

As one of her last acts,\u00a0Debbie Friedman\u00a0shared her beautiful and haunting “Shalom Aleichem”<\/a> with Rabbi Joy Levitt. Friedman believed it was this song that would become her legacy.<\/p>\n

The Faster Common Traditional Melody<\/a> was composed by Rabbi Shmuel Brazil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Wikipedia entry about Shalom Aleichem includes an explanation of the origins and background of the custom of singing \u2018Shalom Aleichem\u2019 on Friday night prior to Kiddush, along with the Hebrew, English and transliterated text, a discussion about controversial aspects of the poem, and aa brief survey of some of the most well known melodies. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[401],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2207\/"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post\/"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4\/"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/?post=2207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2207\/revisions\/"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2208\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/?parent=2207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/?post=2207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kol-ami.kulam.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/?post=2207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}