Shalom Aleichem

From Shabbat

Shalom Aleichem is a traditional song sung Friday night at the beginning of Shabbat The words mean to welcome in the angels said to accompany a person home on the eve of the Sabbath. It can be sung with many different melodies, but it is always sung with great happiness and joy.

Composed in the 17th century by Kabbalists in Tzfat, the song is based on a passage in Tractate Shabbat of the Babylonian Talmud (115b). A widely popular song, it has been the subject of minor controversy over the centuries.

The song in Hebrew transliteration is as follows:

''Shalom aleichem malachei ha-shareit malachei elyon, mi-melech malchei ha-melachim Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.

Bo'achem le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei elyon, mi-melech malchei ha-melachim Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.

Barchuni le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei elyon, mi-melech malchei ha-melachim Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.

Tzeit'chem le-shalom malachei ha-shalom malachei elyon, mi-melech malchei ha-melachim Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.'

The words to the song translate:

Peace upon you, ministering angels, messengers of the Most High, of the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

Come in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, of the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

Bless me with peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, of the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

May your departure be in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, of the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

In most Sephardic communities, an additional line is sung between the barkhuni and tzeithkhem lines: Shivthekhem leshalom mal'akhei hashalom mal'akhei `elyon, mi-melekh malkhei hamlakhim, haQadhosh, barukh Hu. Also, the mi-melekh is usually replaced by melekh since the Sephardi Sages have insisted that we are not addressing the angels but G-d in asking Him to bring His ministering angels. This line, an invitation for the Shabath angel's visit to be extended, means:

Rest ("here with us") in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, from the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

Meaning of the Song

According to the Talmud, tractate Shabbat (119a), two angels accompany everyone on their way back home from Synagogue on Friday night: one good angel and one evil angel. When they arrive at the house, they look to see if there is a beautiful Shabbat feast prepared. If this is true, the good angel blesses that the next Shabbat will be the same and the evil angel responds amen. If there is no Shabbat feast, the evil angel wishes that the next Shabbat will be the same and the good angel responds amen.

Although the angels disagree with each other (one is good and one is evil), they respond amen to the other's blessing and in this way they make peace. As such, they are known as the messengers of Peace.

In the first verse of Shalom Aleichem, we welcome in the ministering angels. These are the holiest of the angels, but they do not come because we are not worthy.

In the following three verses, the angels of peace are asked to come in and bless us (Boachem Leshalom), bless the house (Barchuni Leshalom) and finally to leave in peace (Tzeitchem Leshalom). The reason the angels are asked to leave is because according to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, it is distasteful to eat as others watch, so we must ask the angels to leave before finishing the song and going onto the meal.