No Kabbalat Shabbat for Shabbat That is Also Yom Tov
Question
Major parts of the regular Friday evening services are:
Kabbalat Shabbat, Shema, Shabbat Maariv Amidah, Kiddush for Friday evening.
If Friday evening is also Yom Tov (Festival),
(1) we recite Yom Tov Amidah instead of the Shabbat Amidah
(2) we recite Kiddush for Yom Tov evening instead of Kiddush for Friday evening
The other prayers are the same.
Please explain why we omit Kabbalat Shabbat
if Friday evening is also Yom Tov (Festival).
Answers
The reason that we recite Kabbalat Shabbat on a regular Shabbat is to elevate us to the right spiritual level that we can accept Shabbat in the correct frame of mind. On Yom Tov we are already in a state of joy (simcha), and therefore there is no necessity for Kabbalat Shabbat. When Shabbat and Yom Tov coincide with each other (as they do this year ), there is also no Kabbalat Shabbat on Erev Shabbat/Yom Tov because the Yom Tov brings with it such an enhanced Kedushah (holiness) that we do not require the additional preparation of Kabbalat Shabbat to draw us upwards spiritually.
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