"Halichoth Teman : Preparing for Shabboth"
by
 Rav Yosph Gafeh zs'l
Leader of the Yemenite community in Eretz Yisroel &
Beit Din HaRabbani of Tel Aviv and then Jerusalem, serving 38 years as a Dayan.
SUMMARIZED VERSION: CORRECTIONS WELCOMED

The preparation for the Shabboth starts from Wednesday. With regards to the poor family – the head of the family goes by himself to the Shuk (market) or sends one of his sons to do the shopping  (usually for wheat or beans). The woman cleans the grains and puts them into water. She (will eventually) grind into flower. She also takes the kitniot and roasts it before Friday.

Thursday has its own preparation.. Very early in the morning, they (the women) grind the flower for Shabboth.  The little kids go to school in order to review the Mikra (Parasha text) of the Week and the Shnayim Targum (one in Aramaic by Onkelos & one in Arabic by Rabbi Saddya Gaon). Chaim comment: After Shacarit…Even the older people used to read the first four aliyot (Mevarchim) same Pasuk twice (on Wednesday). On Thursday they read from Aliyot 5 –7 after they had already finished the entire Torah reading. Each person reads one pasuk and then it is repeated. And then the child reads Onkelos (on Wednesdays and Thursdays).

Thursday afternoon—the women wash their kids and change their clothes and go to the Bet Knesset like it is already Shabboth.  And also there is saying: “On Thursday, they will dress up (the children) with algamis (special clothing-formal robes).  On Thursday afternoon, the women and the daughters go to the city or the community shower (as most people only had community showers—although many did have Mikvaot in their homes). After midnight (actually early Friday morning), the men and the children go to shower as well. The people that were busy Thursday went Friday. But on Friday, everyone went early to the Bet Knesset to Tefilah. And then they ran quickly to the Shuk in order to buy the needs for Shabboth (like Hilbeh, Spices, Vegetables) and then everyone rushes to the meat market to buy the meat for the Shabboth that includes the bones and the fat for the Haris (almost like a Cholent-made of grain, bones, garlic, and sometimes beans)…Then they went to buy spices for the foods (and clothing) – which included shadab--leaves for a nice smell in the house and Raychon (Basil).

On Friday afternoon, some have already stopped working. Some stop working from the morning and are busy preparing only for the Shabboth. They do things like cut their hair and fix Sefer Torat. Chaim note: Every Friday, they check the Torah in order to fix it before Shabboth. They would also repair their cloths. On Erev Shabboth—no one wore weekday clothes.  If someone got washed up earlier—he dressed in a type of transition clothing that was neither Shabboth nor weekday clothes. This type of clothing as called Mathoni. Also the food for Erev Shabboth is different from the weekday food. The people that washed themselves on Friday morning (Thurday 12:30am) came to eat breakfast on Friday morning (roasted meat) or ftut (pita in small pieces cooked with butter and honey) and sometimes egg. And the lunch they ate lhuch. 

In the afternoon, some people would go to the Bet Knesset to study Zohar.  Others-- like my Grandfather --would gather together special students to study Kiddush HaChodesh (the Calendar, New month, and  astronomy) because he was the specialist in Yemen in this subject. Chaim note: The Yemenites have their own system on figuring the calendar—that was not based on the system from Bavel.  After they finished—they davened Minha and went back to the market to buy sweets-- especially for those who were going (or who came from)  Tichon Chasot or Mishnayot.

(Chaim note: The Midrash says that Hashem cries in the middle of the night because he exiled the Jews—so the Mekubalim thought they could do it to—so they composed prayers that concentrated on the destruction of the Temple. And prayed for the redemption – this took place 2 hours before sunrise every day but mostly Monday and Thursdays).

PAGE 4: Paragraph 4: Friday afternoon is very busy --especially when the days are short in the winter. The merchants would send their collectors to collect money owed. The Gabbai also went around to collect pledges. Also: people used to go from home to home to collect bread for the Mitzvah of the poor…This was their job. No one said no. Everyone had it (extra food and candles) prepared for this mitzvah. Chaim note: Also… not just bread but oil for candles as well. 

PAGE 4: Paragraph 5: An hour and a half or more before sunset, they changed into their clothes that had been fragranced with the Bsamim (spices and incense) that arein the closets. The bsamim were used to keep the clothes smelling nice (like Shabboth). There is a word in Hebrew that only the Yemenites use. The term is legamer (this means to make the clothes smell through the burning of incense). This was the custom of the old times – the times of the Mishnah. Chaim notes: (the women used a special stone that came from a certain spot in the mountains. The concept of deodorant was in Yemen for a long time)…The mothers dressed up the little kids right before Shabboth. The Father takes them to the Beth Knesset. Everyone was covered with a special Talith for Shabboth/ to separate from the talith worn during the week days.. Chaim note: Everyone put a Tallith on for Minha all the time (even during the week). Site Admin. note: The Temanim have a custom to wear a talith during all times of prayer--morning, minha and aravith. 

NEXT CHAPTER: Sidur Lil Shabbath

All of the people read Shir Ha Shirim together in a beautiful melody.  Afterwards they said six mizorim. Why six? One for each day of the week. [It is unclear to me whether they stopped just short of saying the sixth one- or whether they said them all together here and then repeated the sixth one later--after Minha. Also-- Minha is usually finished quite early].

There is a special melody for the beginning of Kabbalath Shabbath for the “l’chu nerarana”.  Kabbalath Shabboth revolves (exclusively) around the following musical notes (G A B C sharp and D). Chaim notes: Lehavdil-the concept of Gregorian chanting came from the music of the Beth HaMikdash. Thus, there is a small similarity.

After they finished Minha.. everyone stands for the Sixth Mizor l’Dawith. When they they get to “Lecha Dodi”, only the Chazan (usually The Morehe or elder) started the Tefillah. This was his job. After every verse…they repeat it again. When they come to “Boy Kallah”, they say it seven times… They dance (bounce up and down) as they say it like the Angels.  The tradition comes from Lamed Bet – Aleph in Bava Kama….Even though the Kaballath Shabboth is a new construction, the Boy Kallah part is ancient. It was an old custom.  Regarding the Mizmor Le Yom Ha Shabboth – everyone sings it together in a very special melody from Tehilim which the Levim used to sing with instruments.  The prayer is finished and they leave for the rest of the day. [attempted translation of last sentence] --(Something about) leaving, after night time, on arav Shaboth with more- the first rising of the sun}

Page 5 : Paragraph 2: When the men were in the Beth Knesset, the women light candles. The men prepared them (ie: they prepared the wicks before they left to the Beth Knesset).  Then the women light with their daughters and prepare the table with “Jaleh” (peanuts, corn, popcorn, almonds, raisons, fruit, spicy salid, spicy fish). The bread is covered with a special cover. Then they wait for the Husband and children while they are holding the spice branches (Basil and Shadab mentioned above).

Shamlay
On the week days--the people came back to from the Beth Knesset with the Tallitot. They didn’t have a “Tallit Katan” (per say). Instead, they wore a black fabrick (which did have Tsitsith) to sit on and protect themselves. {Site Admin side note: sometimes it was white}. It is like a talith katan (but) over the shoulders (presumably on the outside of the clothes) and it served protective purposes. This was only on the weekdays. This was called the Shamlay. 

[On the Shabboth] when they got home from the Beth Knesseth, they take off the Talith (and folded it on existing creases). This is not folding. Then they take off their Shabboth clothes and get into comfortable clothes. These clothes were also white-- but simpler (more comfortable) clothes. Some would start with Shalom Aleichem and then the head of the house says the Kiddush. Some people would sit during the whole thing. But no matter what, the man would stand on Vyachulu because this is a testament. Therefore women did not stand (at all) during the Kiddush because they cannot testify. Many wore their large Talith home from the Bet Knesath on Friday night and didn't take it off until after Qiddush.

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Thus, there are two talitot. One for the week and one for the Shabbath-- in addition to the Shamlay. 

They didn’t believe on sitting on chairs.

Friday night continued: Some people start with Malachei Ha Shalom.. Then the head of the family makes the Kiddush on the wine. Then he drinks from it and it is then passed according to their age according to their importance… first to men and then woman… And then they serve Jaleh.. Jaleh is composed of different goodies that they used to eat before the meal at a Seuda Mitzvah…This comes after the Kiddush but before the bread.  The head of the family starts with Borei Poree Ha Atz and everyone says Amen…Everyone waits for the head of the table….Then it goes in order from oldest to youngest…everyone says their own … This goes the same way for Borei porea ha Adama and then Shehakol.  They don’t do Mezanoth. The men makes the Bracha loudly while women make it softly.  The head of the family puts out wine or Arak. He also puts out a ball of Shawiyeh (roasted meat with a lot of spices—small piece after eating Arak)… He will give his wife and his sons from oldest to littlest—but the boys and girls do not get… They used to quote the RMb"M Hichot Daoth –The honey and the wine is bad for the little ones but good for the oldest. After eating comfortably they start singing Shabbath songs. Everyone sings after eating the snacks (still before bread). Most of the songs in the Diwan were originally Temani. After they finished singing, one of the little kids brings a pitcher of water and a bowl to wash the hands of his father and brothers. The women wash only their own hands.  After they wash, they “bring the table” with the food and put it in the middle of the floor.  The mother puts soup into a big bowl in the middle. On the side they put two or three little bowls with Hilbeh. They put the bread around the table and the Head of the family says the Hamotzi on two loafs of bread and passes the bread to everyone.  No cuts the bread. (Livsoah--- means to break the bread). Chaim note: No one ever bites into a whole piece of bread—this is for pigs. They always break a small piece for the salt. Then he puts another into the Hilbeh first and then the soup.

Everyone else takes small pieces and dips into the bowl of Hilbeh and soup in the center of the table. Everyone shares.  Then the oldest divides the meat (last main course) for everyone to eat. They finish eating and say the Mizmor l’Dawith. Then they say another Mizmor and then they wash hands and make the Birkat HaMazon. The kids are washing their hands. There is a special blessing that the father gives to kids that wash their parents hands. Then, after the Birchat HaMazon, they bring dates, pomegranates, and coffee and then they talk about many different things with no more singing and then they go to sleep. Most people like to stay at their home for the Shabbath. Then they go to sleep. A little before midnight, some of the batei Knesset in Yemen would be open . In Sana, there is Bet Haknesset Al Sheik Shlita and Bet Haknesset Al Gafeh zs'l. Al pi al Sheik, they’d say tikun Chazoth and Bakashote (poetry for the calendar) and also they used to read Tehillim in a special melody for this time of night. At Bet Knesset Morie Yichyeh Gafeh zs'l, they were studying Moreh Nevuchim or in the book Emunot Ha Daot by R. Sadya Gaon or the Kuzari. They learned the sefira Icharim and they studied Mishnayoth with RMb"M’s commentary in Arabic.

The people that used to wake up early were especially the youngsters. It was nice to see youngsters studying in the middle of the night with much festivity and high spirit. The rest of the people came later 2 hours after midnight. At that time, all the Batei Knessets were open for Tehilim and Mishnayoth … Some reading the Zohar or the Shulhan Ha’Aruch. Some of the righteous women would also sit in the women’s section to hear the music and prayer. Most of the people would bring with them ceramic jars of coffee (sweet with spices). The drinks were served to honor people like the Rabbi. Usually everyone went to any Beth Knesset he wanted and both were full to the last chair. Before sunrise, everyone goes home or walks in the street in order to wake up for Shaharith. Some went to take naps. Some went to eat Kubani (dough fried in Margarine)…  We used to eat it before going to the Bet Knesset. With sunrise, everyone returned to the Synagogue he is used too… Some went to different Batai Knessets for learning but they all return to the same one for tefillah.

They start the tefilah. In the oldest Tichlal (version of the Siddur), all the things we say before the Baruch Sheamir were not there orginally. The Chazon sings the section before Baruch Sheamar and then they sang the Zimiroth that came after Baruch Sheamar. When they get to Vayvarekh Dawith, they changed the melody. When they get to vyoshar, they changed to a more lyrical melody. When they get to Hevastorah (at the end of Ha Yam), they get faster. They finish with Ci Ani ’Hashem Rophecha. The Chazon starts rafaini before Yishtabach.  And then Nishmath and then Yistabach. When we say Chazon, we mean the Rabbi in charge of giving things away. He invites the person whose turn it is to be the Shliah Tzibbur. They took turns. Everyone has the voice and everyone participated. There was no special person to be the exclusive Tzibbur/Chazon. After Shaharith, some would go home to eat Kubaneh.  Before Keriat Ha Torah and Musaf. But some were against this custom because you are not allowed to eat before Musaf or Kiddush. Those that were against it used to take out the Torah immediately after Shaharith. The people against the Kubaneh quoted Viyikra Yud Heth (A verse that talks about the impurity of the Goyim-first letter of each word spells kubaneh)… Also people would fall asleep.