[Avodah] When do the malachim come

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, April 19, 2007 12:05 am, R Yaakov Moser wrote:
: RHS brings the RMF-RYBS in Nefesh HaRav page 157 - RYBS held it was to
: greet Shabbat, and thus he and other Gedolim in Europe would walk to
: the door to greet the Shabbat bride coming through the door. RMF holds
: it is for the Shechina, which is always in the West, even if the door
: is in another directions. See there for sources.

In Tzefas, where Qabbalas Shabbos was just said, the back of the shul
is generally north. But in R' Shelomo al-Qabetz's day, the doors were
generally in the west, to let in the "light" of Har Meron and qever
Rashb"i. Historically speaking, they didn't just face west, they
actually opened the doors.

So, you should face either west or the door, but not necessarily the
back. My attempt to resolve the machloqes by checking what was done
originally didn't help me much.

The only thing I would add is that since the Mequballei Tzedas often
said Qabbalas Shabbos in the woods, which door would they face then?

The machloqes seems to me to be whether Dodi is the Shechinah, and
Kallah is the neshamah yeseirah, or the other way around. Liqras
Kallah, penei Shabbos haMalkah -- is that the personal transition,
stepping through a doorway (of sorts), or the arrival of the Shechinah
with the celestial event of the setting of the sun?

BTW, the opinion RYM attributes to RMF is also that of the MB
(262:10), citing the Peri Megadim.


Returning to the original question, on Tue, April 17, 2007 4:22 pm,
T613K at aol.com wrote:
: Until about 500 years ago, there was no such song as Sholom Aleichem,
: so I don't think there is really a "must" time for singing it. I've
: heard of people not wanting to keep hungry guests waiting on a very
: late Friday, and therefore singing Sholom Aleichem after the first
: course....

This appeals to me: I think it's appropriate to keep mal'achim waiting
for you to first perform hachnasas orechim for tzalmei E-lokim. After
all, Avraham avinu put HQBH Himself on hold for what he thought were
three people. And aside from who needs the hachnasah more, people, who
are nos'im, are more chashuv (although generally less qadosh) than
mal'achim.

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
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Fax: (270) 514-1507                            - Rav Yisrael Salanter