What was Shabbos like in Lubavitch? This is how it was recalled by the eminent chossid, Reb Shmerel Sosonkin:
On erev Shabbos after Mincha, as soon as the tables were arranged, everyone pushed to secure a spot. Then, as together we sang the sweet niggunim of heartfelt longing and joy that uplifted everyone's neshama from the weekday to Shabbos, the kedusha of Shabbos could be seen on every face.
Suddenly all would fall silent, as the Rebbe Rashab, his face radiant, made his appearance. Wearing a shtreiml, a silk kapota and a white scarf, he would enter the zal slowly and take his place, while wrapping his hand with a red handkerchief. He would sit silently for a short while, gazing at his son, the Frierdiker Rebbe, and then, in a low voice, he would begin to deliver the maamar, his face aflame. His voice would gradually rise, and everyone listened in complete silence for the hour-and-a-half that the maamar usually took. We would then daven Maariv and leave for our seudas Shabbos, though some bochurim and guests would remain to chazer the maamar late into the night.
Early Shabbos morning, the head chozer, Reb Shilem Kuratin, together with his assistants, would gather in the Rebbe's home for chazara. Reb Shilem would repeat the maamar from memory, and the Rebbe would correct him where necessary. Afterwards, we would review the maamar repeatedly throughout the day, while it became the focus of Shabbos.
Finally, as Shabbos drew to an end and soared to its spiritual peak, the time of raiva deraivin, we bochurim would again gather together for Chassidus, and as we sang soul-stirring niggunim until late into the night, we felt the sheer loftiness of the time. And when Reb Shilem repeated the maamar once more, we felt the kedusha of Shabbos hovering upon us, a taste of Olam Haba.
(זכרונותי ע' 45 ואילך)
