In this short article, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, founder of the leading Torah website, The Foundation Stone, briefly presents the unique “Shalom Aleichem” customs of several well-known rabbinic figures, including The Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim MiBagdhad (1835-1909), a great Iraqi leader and authority on Sephardic Jewish law), The first Sochatchover Rebbe (Rabbi Avrohom Bornsztain (1838–1910), founder of the Sochatov Hasidic dynasty in Poland and an Ashkenazic authority on Jewish law), The Maharal (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1526-1609), a Talmudic scholar, mystic, and philosopher from Prague), and the author’s father, Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg (1923-1999), dean of the Orthodox, Lithuanian-style Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland). Aimed at a learned, Orthodox audience, the author uses terminology, sources, and ideas that may not be familiar to all.
Shalom Aleichem: Customs
The Ben Ish Chai would make Hafafot – circles – around his table, holding two Haddasim; one for Zachor and one for Shamor – while singing Shalom Aleichem. (Year 2, Bereishit #29. See too Shaar Hakavanot , Inyan Leil Shabbat, Derush #2)
The Belzer Rebbe would recite the following verse immediately after singing Shalom Aleichem: “He will charge His angels for you, to protect you in all your ways.” (Psalms 91:11)
The first Sochatchover Rebbe would sing “Malachei Hashareit, Malachei Hashalom” in all four stanzas, and would not recite the verse, “He will charge His angels.” His son, the Shem Mishmuel, did not follow his father’s custom, which he felt was only for people on much higher levels. (Abir HaRoim page 79 #371) The Holy Reb Shlomo would sing both “Hashareit and Hashalom” for all stanzas.
My father zt”l would not sing Tzeitchem, as he did not want to imply that he wanted the angels to leave.
The Maharal did not sing Barchuni, for fear that it would sound as if we were praying to angels.