The Shabbat Queen and Her Angels
Mythic Historical - This post describes the Shabbat Queen and the angels of shabbat as literal beings that exist, which of course they do in Mythic Europe. Modern Jews will be familiar with the song Lecha Dodi, a key part of welcoming the Shabbat Queen. This song was not composed until three hundred years after 1220, but the tradition of the Shabbat Queen is an ancient one.
On Friday night, as the sun nears the horizon across Mythic Europe Jews rush to prepare for Shabbat. In the synagogue, as the evening service begins, the men of the community gather to welcome in the Shabbat Queen. At the same time, in every Jewish home the women of the community light candles and welcome the Shabbat Queen with a blessing of sanctification.
Shabbat has long been seen as a feminine presence. The Talmud relates that, “Rabbi Ḥanina would wrap himself in his garment and stand at nightfall on Shabbat eve, and say: Come and we will go out to greet Shabbat the queen. Rabbi Yannai put on his garment on Shabbat eve and said: Enter, O bride. Enter, O bride.” Kabalist mystics are starting to associate the Shabbat Queen with the Shechinah, a feminine aspect of Hashem.
The kabalists are correct - the Shabbat Queen is not an angel, but a manifestation of the divine. She sweeps through Mythic Europe every Friday evening, visiting every home and synagogue of every Jewish community. She visits every place where ten Jewish men gather or where candles are lit for Shabbat. This visit lasts only a moment, but it can have notable effects.
First of all, characters with supernatural abilities may be able to see her. Sense Holiness and Unholiness automatically detects the Shabbat Queen. Second Sight requires a roll of 16+. A spell like Vision of the Haunting Spirits will reveal her presence as well, but it will need to penetrate her impressive Magic Resistance of 50.
Second, her presence means that Hashem is near. Jewish characters praying for a miracle just before Shabbat gain a +3 bonus to their roll (RoPD page 60). They may not pray for a miracle on Shabbat itself, because it is inappropriate to cry out for help on Shabbat.
In addition to the Shabbat Queen herself, a host of angels descend on Jewish communities on Shabbat. Each person has two angels who accompany them as Shabbat starts. One of the angels is good and one is evil. If the person does their responsibilities to prepare for Shabbat according to their role in the community, such as going to synagogue, lighting candles, or preparing an evening meal then the good angel says “May it be Your will that it shall be like this for another Shabbat.” And the evil angel is forced to answer “Amen” On the other hand, if the person has not done their duties in preparing shabbat then it is the evil angel who says “May it be Your will that it shall be so for another Shabbat,” and it is the good angel who is forced to answer “Amen.”
In this way each Jew’s fate, in a way, is set for the next week. The pronouncement is a good or bad omen, depending on how things go. But, of course, each Jew has an opportunity to do better the next week, defying the evil angel. Or to fail to respect their obligations around shabbat, and defy the good angel.
The Guardian Angel Virtue does not really correspond with the Jewish understanding of angels. But some Jews have particularly attentive personal Shabbat angels, and their attentions can also be represented by a Virtue.
New Major General Virtue - Malachi HaSharet
You are closely followed by your ministering angels, your malachi hasharet. Every Friday evening they watch you especially carefully. If you meet your obligations to yourself and your community to prepare for Shabbat then for the next week you have a +1 bonus to one of your characteristics. You choose the characteristic each Friday night, once you are judged for good, and may choose a different characteristic each week.