The Secret to a Blessed Shabbat

A Table Set for Life

It was early Friday morning when a student of the late Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky knocked on his teacher’s door. When he was welcomed inside, the student was astonished to see that the Shabbat table was already set. The special tablecloth was on the table, the Kiddush cup placed in its spot, and the plates, glasses, and cutlery were arranged beautifully, as if the Friday night meal were only minutes away.

“Rebbe,” the student asked in wonder, “it’s only 8:00 in the morning. Shabbat doesn’t begin until after 7:00 tonight. Why is your table already prepared? Is this a halachic (Jewish legal) requirement, or some mystical custom?”

Rabbi Abramsky smiled and shared a story that had shaped his entire approach to Shabbat:

“I learned this from the Ridbaz, the late Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky, the great commentator on the Jerusalem Talmud and my wife’s grandfather. Years ago, he became gravely ill. The doctors told his family that his condition was terminal. Overcome with fear and sorrow, he cried out to Hashem, pleading through tears to be spared and promising to do anything in return.

Eventually, he drifted into sleep. In his dream, he heard a voice: ‘If your Shabbat table is set and ready by Friday morning, it can save your life.’

He awoke, trembling, and asked his wife to begin preparing the Shabbat table early that very week. From that Friday on, the table was always fully set at dawn. And from that very Shabbat, his health began to improve. Slowly, day by day, he recovered completely. It was nothing short of miraculous.”

Rabbi Abramsky turned to his student: “For this reason, my Shabbos table is always set first thing Friday morning."

The Power of Shabbat’s Early Arrival

The concept of tosefet Shabbat (adding to the Shabbat before it begins) is a beautiful expression of love for the day that is discussed extensively in Jewish sources. The Talmud in Pesachim teaches that it’s a mitzvah to begin Shabbat early. By extending Shabbat beyond its minimum halachic boundaries, a person shows eagerness and reverence for the holiness of the day.

This can be done by lighting candles with this explicit intention, by singing Lecha Dodi and declaring “Bo’i kala, Shabbat malketa” (enter bride, the queen Shabbat) or even by simply saying “Shabbat Shalom” with the intention of accepting Shabbat. The Mishmeret Shalom recommends saying explicitly: “I hereby add from the weekday onto the holy, to fulfill the mitzvah of tosefet Shabbat as commanded by the Creator. Master of the universe, grant me the merit to observe Shabbat properly and return to You in full repentance.”

The Or HaChaim writes powerfully: “A person must prepare himself for Shabbat holiness, going out to greet it like a groom to his bride, waiting for Shabbat before its time.” As the verse says, “And Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbat," they wait for it before it arrives, transforming the weekday into something sacred.

Turning Weekday into Holiness

The Ben Ish Chai taught that the material blessing in a Jew’s life is tied directly to accepting Shabbat early. The Sages said, “Make your Shabbat like a weekday, and do not depend on others” (Pesachim 112a), meaning that someone who lacks the means for lavish meals should keep Shabbat simply rather than rely on charity. But the tzaddikim (righteous people) offered a deeper interpretation: When one transforms their weekday into Shabbat by accepting it early, they merit Divine abundance and will never need to depend on others.

As written in Sidduro Shel Shabbat, “It is good to receive Shabbat early, because from the moment the candles are lit, all forces of impurity are banished from the home.”

This powerful story and the wisdom of our sages remind us that Shabbat is more than a day of rest. It is a Divine encounter. When we welcome it with joy and prepare for it early, we invite holiness, peace, and blessing into our lives.