The weekdays are preparatory for the Sabbath, which is its climax, even in a practical sense. The Talmud tells us how prominent Rabbis were busy on Fridays with Sabbath preparation, comparing it to an important visitor for whom every effort must be made for his or her welcome. And so, Friday is the busiest day in every Jewish home.

On Friday afternoon the home is enveloped by the Sabbath atmosphere. Everyone puts on his best garments and removes items and utensils used for secular purposes, like money and working tools. The table is covered with a white cloth and is set for the Sabbath meal. There are two loaves of bread (Challot) placed under an embroidered cover, the bottle of wine, the goblet and, of course, the Sabbath lights waiting to be kindled by the woman of the house.

For Sabbath, nothing is required but the readiness of the soul and a desire to establish a harmony between the soul of man and the divine. That is why no ritual object is essential for the observance of the Sabbath, unlike other festivals. Sabbath itself is its own significance.

Sabbath is not "a day of rest" in order to gain strength for new efforts--Sabbath is a goal. Our week does not begin with the Sabbath, it ends with it. The secular is a preparation for the holy. The days of the week are longing for the Sabbath as our material life is longing for the eternal Sabbath to which it gravitates.

The holiness of Sabbath precedes the holiness of Israel because G-d had sanctified already this day at the end of creation. Sabbath is the most vital force in Jewish life, tantamount in importance to circumcision; both are a "covenant between G-d and Israel".