Rabbi Shelomo haLevi Alqabets was born in Salonica, Greece, in the year 1500. His father was Moshe halevi Alqabets, a refugee from the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Rabbi Shelomo studied Tora, and particularly Qabbala, under Rabbi Yosef Taitatsaq. In 1529 he married the daughter of the philanthropist Isaac Cohen. Soon after their wedding, he and his wife determined to settle in Erets Israel. In a speech that he delivered before he left the city he said that once we have the possibility of living n Israel, even if the conditions there are far from ideal, it is the duty of every Jew to return to Israel to help building the Bet haMiqdash, to study Tora and serve HaShem with passion.
In his way to Israel he stayed for two years in the city of Adrianapolis (today Edirne, in Turkey), The townsmen begged him to instruct them in his ways of serving HaShem. He refused to stay saying that only in the Holy Land one could fathom the secrets of Tora. He agreed, however, to write for them several works while in town. One of these books was Berit HaLevi, an explanation of the Hagada of Pesah, dedicated to his disciples inAdrianapolis.
Rabbi Shlomo arrived to Safed around 1535. Rabbi Alqabets’ passion for Israel inspired many of his community members from Salonica and Adrianopolis to come with him to Israel. Among the people who came with him was his brother in law, the famous rabbi Moshe Cordobero (1522-1570). Rabbi Moshe Cordobero, was probably the most important qabbalist of his time, until the Ari haQadosh. He had a great respect and admiration for rabbi Alqabets, and even though he was married to his sister, he always addressed him as his teacher. Rabbi Alqabets was indeed his first teacher. But over the time, Rabbi Cordobero grew immensely in his learning and fame as a qabbalist and talmudist. Rabbi Alqabets read his writings and learned from him and addressed Rabbi Cordobero as his teacher, a testimony to rabbi Alqabets great humility. Rabbi Alqabets and Rabbi Cordobero created a circle of pious men dedicated to study Tora and in Tsefat.
In his way to Erets Israel rabbi Alqabets met also with Rabbi Yosef Caro, who was also on his way to Erets Israel. They became good friends and shared many years together. It is said that it was Rabbi Alqabets who inspired Maran Rabbi Yosef Caro to establish the Tiqun Lel Shabu’ot, a long Tora study session which takes place during the entire night of Shabu’ot.
With Rabbis Alqabets and rabbi Cordobero in town, the city of Safed became the center of Qabbala. And with the presence of Rabbi Yosef Caro and his teacher, rabbi Yaaqob Berab, Safed was also the city of Halakha.
Rabbi Alqabets was a very charismatic speaker, a great teacher, and a fantastic community leader and mentor to his students. He made taqanot, internal rules, for his students. He established for example, that the students should behave with humbleness one to another. And when a student sees one of his peers doing something wrong he should approach his friend discreetly and explain him his mistake. The one who was rebuked, should not refute or say anything in his own defense before three days have passed, so he has time to reflect dispassionately on his own actions.
BOOKS
Rabbi Alqabets wrote many books, mostly commentaries on books of the Bible and many books on Qabbala. Some of them are: Manot HaLevi, on the Book of Esther. Ayelet Ahabim, on Song of Songs. Shoresh Yishai, on the Book of Ruth. Or Tzadikim, a book of sermons
Despite the many books he wrote and the great influence he exerted on many prominent rabbis, Rabbi Alqabets is famous for his liturgical poem Lekha Dodi, an hymn sung at the inauguration of the Shabbat. Lekha Dodi was composed according to qabbalistic teachings, expressing the yearning for the final redemption. He based the theme, “Come my beloved to meet the bride” on the Talmudic description in Shabbat 119a “Rabbi Hanina robed himself and stood at sunset of Sabbath eve [and] exclaimed, ‘Come and let us go forth to welcome the queen Shabbat.’
Rabbi Shelomo Alqabets passed on in 1580 .
To download one of Rabbi Alqabets books, MANOT HALEVI, click here
