Lifted to Sublime Summits

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Today, and every Friday throughout the year, Jewish people prepare for Shabbat, the Sabbath: a day of rest, freed from worldly concerns, allowing people to devote their time to regeneration, prayer, and music. I’m a Cantor, who leads services in the synagogue through a combination of both solo and congregational singing, designed to praise God, and to give thanks for God’s blessings. During the week we rush through our prayers and don’t sing much, because worldly concerns beckon, and demand our attention; however, on Shabbat and festivals we have more time to be artful and tuneful in our worship, and the music written for these occasions lifts our assemblies to a higher spiritual level. The musical piece which represents for me the essence of this period of rest is called ‘Lecha Dodi’, or ‘Come, my beloved, to welcome the bride’. It speaks of how the Jewish people are intertwined in a love relationship with Shabbat, imagined as a bride and a queen. We’re invited to greet her by rising and turning to the door as she enters, and, in a mystical metamorphosis, the divine presence rests among us. It’s a beautiful moment of liturgical choreography, where secular becomes sacred, and the accompanying music lifts the soul to sublime summits. We mark the queen’s departure on Saturday night by a separation ceremony, reluctant to let her go, and wishing for her return. God, we find our rest in You. May the peace we receive in sacred time linger beyond its bounds, steadying our labour, enlarging our compassion, and echoing quietly in all that we do. AMEN.