Bnei Hechalah

Bnei Hechulah by Ben Zion Shenkar  
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This week our melody is Bnei Heichala. It was written by one of the giants of the kabbalistic tradition Rav Yitzchak Luria, who wrote one zemer for each meal. He was born in Jerusalem in 1535 and died in Tzfat in 1573.
This zemer is sung at the third meal on the day of Shabbat. It represents the peaceful nature of this special meal, which is normally eaten as the sun is setting. The poet invites all Jews “who yearn to see the glow of the Diminished Presence”. The Diminished Presence here refers to the Presence of G-d which exists in our world through a diminishing of His light. Because there is only favor and no anger at this time, everyone should feel comfortable sitting around the table.
The antagonist of the poem are the shells that exist around our souls. They are not invited to the table as the Jewish souls are. In kabbalistic theology, a shell disrupts our connection to the divine. On Shabbat however, the shells are left behind.
 
 
בְּנֵי הֵיכָלָא דִּכְסִיפִין
לְמֶחֱזֵי זִיו דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין
יְהוֹן הָכָא בְּהַאי תַּכָּא
דְּבֵהּ מַלְכָּא בְּגִלוּפִין
צְבוּ לַחֲדָא בְּהַאי וַעֲדָא
בְּגוֹ עִירִין וְכָל גַּדְפִין
חֲדוּ הַשְׁתָּא בְּהַאי שַׁעְתָּא
דְּבֵהּ רַעֲוָא וְלֵית זַעֲפִין
קְרִיבוּ לִי חֲזוּ חֵילִי
דְּלֵית דִּינִין דִּתְקִיפִין
לְבַר נַטְלִין וְלָא עָאלִין
הַנֵּי כַלְבִּין דַּחֲצִיפִין
וְהָא אַזְמִין עַתִּיק יוֹמִין לְמִנְחָה (לְמִצְחֵהּ)
עֲדֵי יְהוֹן חַלְפִין
רְעוּ דִילֵיהּ דְּגַלֵּי לֵהּ
לְבַטָּלָא בְּכָל קְלִיפִין
יְשַׁוֵּי לוֹן בְּנֻקְבֵיהוֹן
וִיטַּמְרוּן בְּגוֹ כֵפִין
אֲרֵי הַשְׁתָּא בְּמִנְחָתָא
בְּחֶדְוָתָא דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין
 
 
 
Members of the sanctuary who yearn/to see the glow of the Diminished Presence
May they be here at this table/in which is inscribed the King in joy
Long to be part of this assemblage/among many winged angels
Be exultant now at this very time/ in which there is favor, but no anger
Approach me, see my strength/when there are no powerful judgments
Outside, let them remain/those remain those brazen dogs
But I invite the Ancient Holy One/ at mincha, the time when they fade away
His favor when it is revealed/will negate all impure shells
May He place then in their nether holes/and hide them amongst the rocks
I ask this now at mincha time/during the exultation of the Diminished Presence
 
 
 
The tune is a Modzitz niggun sung by Ben Zion Shenkar

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