Kiddush: Sanctification of Shabbat

Every erev Shabbat (Sabbath eve) is sanctified (made holy) with the recital of kiddush (sanctification): a piece of liturgy that includes a few verses of B'resheet; a blessing recited over the wine; and a blessing for Israel's sanctification, inheritance of Shabbat, and election (chosenness).

Traditionally, the biblical quote often includes B'resheet/Genesis 1:31b-2:3. The narrative tells of the original Shabbat observed by HaShem upon completion of creation. At this point of the text, the creator is still anonymous; he is simply referred to as Elohim (God). The quote says that God shavat (he rested) from his work of creation. In Hebrew, the letter v is the same as the letter b, so it is easy to see that the word Shabbat is related to shavat. It was on account of this rest that God "blessed the seventh day and made it holy"—the first time anything (or anyone) in the Bible is referred to as holy.