"A Psalm, a song for the Shabbat day". (Psalms 92:1) This praise was said by Adam at the time he was expelled from the Garden of Eden, and the Shabbat came and protected him. The Colleagues have established this already. This [Psalm] is the praise that the lower world [malchut] says to the upper world [tiferet]: Shabbat, a day which all is within it, the King that the peace is His. This is: "A Psalm, a song...;" [whenever] the speaker is not mentioned, it has been established [that it refers to malchut].

"For the Shabbat day": [refers to] the supernal Day [Zeir Anpin] and the supernal Shabbat [bina]. The one is Shabbat and the other is Shabbat , so what is the difference between the one and the other? Simple Shabbat is the Shabbat of Shabbat Eve [malchut]. Shabbat day is the supernal Shabbat [of Zeir Anpin]. The one is day and the other is night. "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat" (Ex. 31:16) refers to night [when malchut rules], the secret of the female aspect [Nukva]. "Remember the Shabbat day" (Ex. 20:8) refers to day, the secret of the male aspect. "A psalm, [malchut (female) sings] a song for the Shabbat day [Zeir Anpin]"

BeRahamim LeHayyim: What does the above mean to you, for your Shabbat, and why?

The traditional Shabbat songs in the prayerbook are parsed according to the 3 meals, to be sensitive to the different energies at play. According to the traditional mystic view, Shabbat is all feminine, but within this, there are varying "Faces". Friday night is the Matron, Saturday morning is the Ancient King, Saturday afternoon is the Prince.

Our mission is to be completely "in" Shabbat, to let rest all weekday work and worries, and to be mindful of the Shabbat holiness, purity, and blessing. Nothing more. And Nothing Less. May this Shabbat be one in which you can actually feel Vai-yinafash... alternatively interpreted to mean, "Oy to the [extra] nefesh that is leaving you"!

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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