Chapter 126

After the extensive dance described above, we recited Kiddush and ate the Yom Tov meal. We ate beside the holy tomb, while the others ate in the houses where they were lodging, and so forth. Everyone began preparing in honor of the holy Shabbos. Those who had provisions cooked what they could and put away a hot dish to remain warm for Shabbos. We who lodged beside the holy tomb prepared to go to the mikveh and arrange the lamps in honor of the holy Shabbos, and so forth. They also prepared a large vessel of hot tea for the entire Shabbos and kept it warm over a lamp for themselves. I made almost no use of it, however, because in my home we do not eat hot food or drink tea that has been kept warm over a lamp, but only what has been left upon a proper stove or in an oven in accordance with the full requirements of halachah. My father-in-law, of blessed memory, likewise refused to benefit from such tea, and my brother-in-law follows the same practice.

I occupied myself beside the holy tomb with Tehillim, hisbodedus, prayers, and so forth, until the time for kindling the Shabbos lights, which was still some time away. At length the call “Shabbos lights!” was raised, and everyone in the courtyard was summoned for Minchah and Kabbalas Shabbos. We kindled candles and olive-oil lamps upon the holy tomb and recited the blessing over the lights. Kerosene lamps were also prepared to burn throughout the night. Meanwhile everyone assembled and we began Minchah. We recited the Ketores with great intent, each section together, with the emissary of the congregation concluding it. This continued for a considerable time until the Ketores was completed.

We afterward recited Ashrei and Uva LeTzion with awakening. The entire congregation then prayed the Rosh Hashanah Shemoneh Esrei, each person with clapping, great awakening, and weeping. The silent Shemoneh Esrei continued for a long time before everyone completed it.

The emissary of the congregation then repeated the Shemoneh Esrei aloud with great awakening. The congregation followed every word, humming after him as was customary. This was especially so during “Remember us” and “Who is like You,” as well as Kedushah; “And therefore, may Your Name be sanctified”; “And therefore the righteous”; “And therefore, grant honor”; “And You shall reign”; “You are holy”; the response “the holy King”; “You have chosen us”; “Our God and God of our fathers, reign”; “Inscribe for life”; “In the book of life”; and all the rest, which was recited with immense awakening. The entire congregation afterward recited “By David: Hashem is my light” together with immense awakening, taking a long time to complete it, followed by Aleinu, and so forth.

We rested briefly. I recited the Tikkun HaKlali beside the holy tomb, together with other prayers and hisbodedus, and also Shir HaShirim, and so forth. We prepared ourselves to welcome the holy Shabbos with joy and gladness. During Kabbalas Shabbos we began with “A psalm of David: Render unto Hashem, sons of the mighty”—because in honor of Yom Tov one does not begin with Lechu Neranenah as on an ordinary Friday evening—followed by Ana BeKoach, Lechah Dodi, “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day,” and “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty,” and so forth.

We sang “Bar Yochai” with melodies and dancing amid abundant joy and gladness. We spent a little time beside the holy tomb in hisbodedus and prayer and in reciting Shir HaShirim. When the time for Maariv arrived, we prayed the Shabbos Maariv service with joy and melody. We recited Kegavna and Raza DeShabbos with awakening and joy.

We prayed Maariv with joy, spiritual vitality, and heartfelt fervor, while the prayer leader concluded each section in melody. We recited Kreyas Shima and its preceding and following blessings, followed by “The Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbos” with abundant fervor, and the silent Shemoneh Esrei with vitality and fervor. The whole congregation then stood and recited Vayechulu together with the emissary of the congregation. The leader recited the abridged sevenfold blessing, beginning “Shield of the fathers,” and so forth. This was followed by “A psalm of David: Hashem is my shepherd,” Aleinu, and Adon Olam, all with awakening, fervor, and joy. We wished one another “Gut Shabbos” with great joy and held an extensive dance to the song “Satisfy us with Your goodness,” as is our custom every Shabbos; then “Bar Yochai,” “R. Akiva said,” and “And you shall say: So may you live.” The dancing and melodies continued for a long time.

We afterward recited “Shalom Aleichem” and “Master of all worlds” with great fervor and wondrous spiritual vitality. We sang “A woman of valor” in Rabbainu’s melody and repeated “Strength and splendor are her garment,” and so forth. We then recited with awakening and fervor the Zohar passage for Friday night beginning, “Remember the Sabbath day—R. Yitzchak opened,” and so forth. We recited the Friday-night Kiddush with awakening and fervor and drank the wine. We washed our hands, recited HaMotzi over two whole loaves, and ate the holy Shabbos meal with great joy. Although we possessed only bread and a few vegetables, without any cooked dish, and so forth, we were filled with joy from the spirituality of the holy Shabbos and from being privileged to remain with the tzadik who is called “the Shabbos of all the days,” and so forth.

We sang the table hymns “Prepare the meal” and “I shall sing His praises” in Rabbainu’s melody, with awakening and fervor, and so forth. Some of our group were still dancing; afterward they too occupied themselves with Shalom Aleichem, Kiddush, and so forth. We ate our meal of bread and vegetables as described above and sang the other hymns with joy and fervor: “Whoever sanctifies the Seventh Day” and “Rest and joy.” We ate a little bread in place of fish and sang “How beloved” and “A semblance of the World to Come” in Rabbainu’s melody, with fervor and joy. We ate bread in place of soup and meat and sang additional hymns. We ate bread in place of the delicacies called tzimmes. We studied Rabbainu’s works and occupied ourselves with conversations concerning Rabbainu, dancing, and melodies.

Those who had eaten in the courtyard and houses also completed their meals and came to sit with us at ours. They assisted us in dancing, playing melodies, and singing, and so forth. We spent some time dancing in the midst of the meal, all, thank God, with great joy and satisfaction. We afterward sang “Yah, Master of the universe” and “The Rock from Whose food we have eaten,” and recited Birkas HaMazon over a cup of wine and with a minyan. We then danced still more, and so forth.

I recited Kreyas Shima before retiring beside the holy tomb, kissed the holy tomb, and lay down to rest briefly. The others likewise went each to his place to lie down and rest, though some among us remained awake, occupied with melodies, dancing, conversations, and so forth. I lay down but did not sleep; my eyes remained fixed upon the holy tomb with heartfelt and soulful longing and yearning. I derived satisfaction from the melodies and dances still continuing until at last I fell asleep, and my sleep was sweet.