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Kabbalat Shabbat-A Single Utterance



“Safeguard” and “Remember” – in a single utterance, the Unified and Unique Power made heard to us; God is One, and His Name is One, for renown, splendor, and for praise.”

 

This is based on the Talmud: what is the meaning of: ‘They are one?’ That they were pronounced in one utterance; as it has been taught [in another connection]: Remember the Sabbath day, and Safeguard the Sabbath day were pronounced in a single utterance, — an utterance which the mouth cannot utter, nor the ear hear (Shavuot 20b) The Holy One, Blessed is He, had the Children of Israel miraculously hear two words at once to teach them that Shabbat, which is derived from the World-to-Come, is not limited by nature, and is miraculous in its essence (Ben Yohayadah).

Why does the prayer insist that this miracle was an expression of, “The Unified and Unique Power made heard to us; God is One, and His Name is One?”

The Talmud teaches: “And God shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall the God be One, and His name One (Zechariah 9:9).” Is He then not One now? — Said Rav Aha bar Chanina: Not like this world is the future world. In this world, for good tidings one says, ‘He is good, and He does good’, while for evil tidings he says, ‘Blessed be the true Judge’;[whereas] in the future world it shall be only ‘He is good and He does good’. (Pesachim 50a)

The World-to-Come will be a place in which God is Unified; therefore, Shabbat that is an expression of the World-to-Come, was taught by, “The Unified and Unique Power made heard to us; God is One, and His Name is One.”

Shabbat-Prayer-Kabbalat-Lecha-Dodi-KavanotKavanah:

May we merit to receive the gift of this Shabbat as it was received at Sinai; not only as an expression of the World-to-Come, but as an experience that transcends nature.


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