What should I think about while making Kiddush on Friday night?

Rabbi Landau answers with practical advice: “Next time you’re all there, stop, close your eyes, imagine your life, your family, your world, and say to your partner, this is how I want this story to run. This is how I want the business to grow.”

The reason, he explains, is that Kiddush is “not just wine on the table.” Our sages say that through Kiddush on Friday night you become a partner with God in creation. So the cup in your hand is not only a blessing. “It’s your board meeting with the creator of the universe. And this time you actually get a say.”

In A Soul at Peace, Rabbi Landau adds: before you say the blessing over the wine, “take one breath,” and remember that “you are walking into a board meeting. And this time, you have something to say.”

Going deeper: Rabbi Landau's teaching, level by level

Surface claim

Before Kiddush, stop, close your eyes, and tell your Partner how you want your story to run.

Underlying need or longing

A person wants a say in the direction of his life, his family, and his work. Friday night is when that say is given.

More questions from this teaching

• What does it mean to become a partner with Hashem when you make Kiddush?