Sex is great anytime, but in Judaism, Friday night is the night. Over the years it has come to be known as “mitzvah night” or commandment night, though couples are not commanded to have sex, but encouraged.

What’s so special about Friday night?

For starters, Friday starts off the weekend which is a big aphrodisiac in itself. But it’s more than that.

In Judaism, Friday night is an auspicious night, especially for connection. When God created the world, He did so over the course of six days. On the sixth day, Friday, as the sun began to set ushering in the Sabbath, God looked around, content with His creation and sanctified it as a day to connect with us. We, like God, once removed from the work and pressures of the week can better focus on bonding.

Historically there’s another reason, dating all the way back to when the Jews were enslaved in Egypt. At the start of their bondage, Pharaoh enforced a seven day work week. The men would return home broken, exhausted and definitely not in the mood for sex. Not only did the seven days of back-breaking labor threaten the intimacy of Jewish couples but their will and ability to have children too.

The Midrash explains that Moses, who was living in Pharaoh’s palace at the time, saw the plight of his people and devised a plan. He approached Pharaoh and tried to reason with him, explaining that overworking his slaves was not in his best interest and decreasing productivity. He suggested giving the slaves one day off a week, which would give them time to recuperate and strengthen themselves for maximum gains. The day Moses chose?

The day of Shabbat- freeing up Friday night for the Jewish men and women to be together.

Kabbalah is really into Friday nights too. According to the Arizal, the celebrated Jewish mystic, Friday night is the opportune time for intimacy and a husband “is obligated to love his wife and be intimate with her.”

But isn’t just sex that’s advocated for, but foreplay too. According to the Bach, a distinguished rabbinic authority, a husband shouldn’t just go straight into sex when Friday Night falls, but woo and seduce his wife on Friday eve too. He should shower her with affection and love in order to ensure that sex is even more connecting and beautiful once they’re together that night. Also, in the event that a couple fights before Friday night, a husband must appease and cajole his wife so they’re at peace once the Shabbat comes in and can carnally connect fully.

Sex on Friday night is the holy of holies. One of the the holiest acts on the holiest night of the week. Shabbat and sex actually are the perfect pairing- both fuse the spiritual and physical, both consecrate a relationship and both are based on the idea of disconnecting from all the noise and chatter of the world in order to reach higher levels of connection.

One of the seminal Shabbat prayers literally spells this out: “ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת”

“And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath.”

When you take the first letters of the words in this holy passage, they spell out ביאה/Biah-

a moniker for sex used in the Talmud and Jewish law. Proving that sex is one of great pleasures to partake in on the holy day of Shabbat.