Fish on Friday night – Ask the Rabbi

Q. We have the custom of eating fish on Friday night. Does this have a historic basis?

fish foodA. Friday night is said to be a special time for marital relations, hopefully leading to procreation; fish are a symbol of fertility.

Some people read Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) on Friday night; as a love story it awakens thoughts of love. Lighting Shabbat candles is thought to be rewarded by producing children dedicated to the Torah (cf. Talmud Shabbat 23b).

This entry is filed under Ask The Rabbi, Food & Kashrut, Shabbat.

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