Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz (c.1500-1576) was a Kabbalist and poet best known as the composer of Lecha Dodi, the beloved poem sung every Friday night to welcome the Shabbat. He was a brother-in-law and student of the Ramak and a central figure in the Tzfat Kabbalistic circle. His composition transformed Kabbalat Shabbat into the mystical experience it is today, with the concept of greeting the Shabbat as a bride and queen. The initials of each verse of Lecha Dodi spell out his name: Shlomo HaLevi.