The Sabbath is designed to lend special joy and sanctity to the home. It is also a day for family reunion. The members of the family gather around the table offering finer and more festive food than weekdays. The Sabbath fills Jewish hearts with cheer and comfort, greatly understanding and loyalty in the family circle. The Sabbath is the time to think of ideas, of improving our lives as individuals and as members of a larger community. The Jewish family has the responsibility of making the Sabbath a day of happiness, an occasion for a happy family reunion, reading books of Jewish interest. Women and children are free to attend the synagogue. If the father comes home late, the candles can be lit at the proper time in honor of the Sabbath. The father can spend the Sabbath eve with his family singing Sabbath hymns in the true Sabbath spirit.
The Sabbath is the most beautiful gift Israel has received from God. In expectation of the Sabbath, the Jewish woman busies herself with many chores on Friday. She polishes the silverware and other utensils to be used for and on the Sabbath. She puts fresh coverings on the beds, arranges the household furniture, and covers the table with a fresh, white cloth, which remains on the table till the end of the Sabbath. In this day, everybody must wash their face and hands, and if facilities are available, their whole body in warm water. Everybody should try to wear fine clothes especially set aside for the Sabbath, and if possible not to wear the same clothes as on weekdays. The Sabbath is opening with an invitation to friends to welcome the bride Sabbath, is full of courage and hope for the oppressed Jewish people.
How is the Sabbath to be observed as a day of pleasure? The answer is with good food and drink, with clean and becoming clothes, with joy and entertainment; and for this you will receive reword from Heaven. Everyone doesn’t hesitate in making the purchases necessary for a worthy celebration of the Sabbath. The more one spends, the greater the merit. No one should stint in making preparations for the Sabbath, but should procure choice meat, fish, dessert, and good wine, in accordance with one’s means. Even a poor man should economize the whole week in order to save up enough money to buy food in honor of the Sabbath. While it is still daylight, the table is set for the evening meal with the best cutlery and tableware in the house. In the middle of the table is placed the Sabbath menorah, or candlesticks, provided with candles. Near candlesticks is generally placed a bottle of sparkling wine, with a silver goblet over which the sanctification prayer is to be chanted. Two white loaves of bread covered with a napkin often especially embroidered for the purpose, are placed before the seat of the master of the house.
The Sabbath begins on Friday evening before sundown, and ends on Saturday at nightfall, when at least three stars become visible to the naked eye, or about a half hour after sunset. All men and women are responsible for the lighting of the Sabbath candles in honor of the Sabbath. No less then two candles are lit for the occasion. The candles must be lit before sunset, in the room and on the table where meals are served. It is the best to light them about a half hour before sundown. Before sundown, the father and all other male members of the family go to the synagogue to welcome the Sabbath with public prayer, to pray the evening service. If there are strangers in town who cannot celebrate the Sabbath at their own homes, they are invited by some of the worshipers to go home with them and enjoy the Sabbath meal. During the Sabbath day, every Jew must eat three meals, one on the Sabbath eve, and two during the day. The third meal is eaten late in the afternoon.
When the father returns from the synagogue, the family gathers around him for the separation ceremony. One member of the family holds the lit, twisted candle, especially made for this occasion, another holds the spice box. The father raises the goblet of wine or other beverage as he chants the separation prayer. The father first closes his hands, bringing them close to the light, bending his fingers to make a shadow, and opens them while reciting the last benediction. The ceremony concluded, the father greets the family with the greeting gut woch, happy week, and the family sings a song about the prophet Elijah and the Messiah.
Jews speak with pride of their observance of the Sabbath, pointing out that the great gift of Judaism to the world has not been the creation of a beautiful temple in physical space but rather the creation of a beautiful “temple” in time. The Sabbath is meant to be joyous and is often remembered that way by adults who have grown up in traditional households. The Sabbath is a great seventh day of God, of Jews, of Jewish holy days.