Honoring the Shabbos
Our prophets and sages have transmitted to us guidelines on how to properly honor the Shabbos, very much as we would honor a special guest. We perform acts of honoring Shabbos before Shabbos, on Shabbos and even after Shabbos.
Honoring Shabbos can begin as early as the beginning of the week. If one finds a delectable food he can set it aside in order to enjoy it on Shabbos.
Before Shabbos, the home should be straightened up and cleaned, and the table covered with a tablecloth which should remain on the table for the duration of Shabbos. It is considered honoring Shabbos if the table is set and the evening meal is ready to be served upon one’s return from synagogue.
Another aspect of honoring Shabbos is bathing or showering in hot water before Shabbos. One may bathe Thursday afternoon or evening for Shabbos if it cannot be done on Friday afternoon. This is a common problem when Shabbos begins early in the winter. At the very least one should wash his face and hands in hot water before Shabbos.
One should cut his hair and trim his nails before Shabbos if necessary. However, according to some authorities one should be careful to take a haircut early in the afternoon.
One should change into fresh clean clothing before Shabbos. Preferably these garments should be different than his weekday clothing. It is even proper to have a tallis designated especially for Shabbos. One should wear Shabbos clothing the entire Shabbos and not just while in shul. Wearing the more dignified Shabbos clothing can greatly enhance awareness and appreciation of Shabbos’ holy atmosphere.
