Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz

Shlomo ben Moses ha -Levi Alkabez (* 1505 in Salonika, † 1576 in Safed ) was a Kabbalist and mystic poet. He is the author of the hymn Lecha Dodi Shabbat.

Life

Alkabez spent his youth in various cities of the Ottoman Empire. In Adrian Opel, he was asked by a group of kabbalistic ascetics, to be initiated into the spiritual life and in his ways to honor God. In Nikopol he met probably Yosef Karo, the highly valued his knowledge of Kabbalah. Probably in 1535 met a Alkabez in Safed. About his thereat life very little is known; you know nothing about his attitude to Isaac Luria. It seems that he was the head of the Yeshiva of Meron, where Shimon ben Yochai is buried, and it is fairly certain that he has officiated as rabbi in Safed. He wrote commentaries on various books of the Bible as well as some Kabbalistic works. After his death many of his manuscripts were stolen, but it is unclear whether this happened during persecutions, or by other authors. Its purely Kabbalistic works are not printed or preserved as a manuscript, however, a collection of his prayers is obtained.

In order to understand the secrets of the Zohar, prayed and meditated Alkabez with his students on the graves of tzaddikim. This practice was called Geruschin (' expulsion ' ), the collection of meditative forces occurred spontaneously and without any preparation. Alkabez ' known student was Moses Cordovero, who married the sister of Alkabez. However, it seems that over time the teacher himself was a disciple. This results from the Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah by Alkabez, their form and content corresponds to the first important book of Cordovero, Pardes Rimonim, .

Alkabez probably introduced as adopted by the Safed Kabbalists custom to welcome the Shabbat on the fields in front of the city with a presentation of his hymns. His song Lecha Dodi has achieved unprecedented fame and is still sung today in Jewish communities around the world as part of the Friday evening service.

Works

  • Shoresh Yishai, ed Jerusalem 1978.
  • Ayelet ahavim, ed Ofer ha - ayalim, Jerusalem 2000.
  • Beure Menot ha -Levi, ed Lakewood, NJ, 2006.
  • Haggadah shel Pesaḥ, ed even berit, Jerusalem 1969.
  • Sefer Berit ha -Levi, ed Jerusalem 1969.
  • Lekhah dodi, ed Yesod Olam, Jerusalem 2002.
Mysticism Asceticism Nikopol, Bulgaria Joseph ben Ephraim Karo Moses ben Jacob Cordovero Pardes (Jewish exegesis) Encyclopaedia Judaica Integrated Authority File
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