Three Meals - Rabbinic Introduction

תוספתא ברכות פרק ג' הלכה ח
כְּבוֹד יוֹם וּכְבוֹד לַיְלָה,
כְּבוֹד יוֹם קוֹדֵם לִכְבוֹד לַיְלָה.
אִם אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא כוֹס אֶחָד,
קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם קוֹדֶמֶת לִכְבוֹד הַיּוֹם וְלִכְבוֹד הַלַּיְלָה.
לֵילֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת וְלֵילֵי יָמִים טוֹבִים,
יֵשׁ בָּהֶן קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם עַל הַכּוֹס,
וְיֵשׁ בָּהֶן קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם בְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן.
שַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וְחֻלּוֹ שֶׁלַּמּוֹעֵד,
יֵשׁ בָּהֶן קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם בְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן,
וְאֵין בָּהֶן קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם עַל הַכּוֹס.

משנה תורה, הלכות שבת כ״ט:א׳

(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ ח) "זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ". כְּלוֹמַר זָכְרֵהוּ זְכִירַת שֶׁבַח וְקִדּוּשׁ. וְצָרִיךְ לְזָכְרֵהוּ בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ וּבִיצִיאָתוֹ. בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ בְּקִדּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם וּבִיצִיאָתוֹ בְּהַבְדָּלָה:

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 29:1

(1) It is a positive duty to express the sanctity of the Sabbath day in words, for it is written: "Remember to sanctify the Sabbath day" (Exodus 20:8); that is to say, remember it in terms of praise and sanctification. One should remember it at its beginning and its conclusion by reciting the Kiddush when the Sabbath begins and the Havdalah when it ends.

משנה תורה, הלכות שבת כ״ט:ד׳

(ד) עִקַּר הַקִּדּוּשׁ בַּלַּיְלָה. אִם לֹא קִדֵּשׁ בַּלַּיְלָה בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד מְקַדֵּשׁ וְהוֹלֵךְ כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ. וְאִם לֹא הִבְדִּיל בַּלַּיְלָה מַבְדִּיל לְמָחָר וּמַבְדִּיל וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד סוֹף יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי. אֲבָל אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עַל הָאוּר אֶלָּא בְּלֵיל מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בִּלְבַד:

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 29:4

(4) The essence of Kiddush is in the evening. [But] if one did not make Kiddush in the evening—whether inadvertently or volitionally—he should make Kiddush at any point in the whole entire day. And if one did not make Havdalah at night, he should make Havdalah the next day or at any point before the end of Tuesday. However, he does not recite the blessing on fire except on the night of Shabbat's conclusion alone.

שבת קי״ז ב:י״א

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כַּמָּה סְעוּדוֹת חַיָּיב אָדָם לֶאֱכוֹל בַּשַּׁבָּת — שָׁלֹשׁ. רַבִּי חִידְקָא אוֹמֵר: אַרְבַּע. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וּשְׁנֵיהֶם מִקְרָא אֶחָד דָּרְשׁוּ: ״וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אִכְלוּהוּ הַיּוֹם כִּי שַׁבָּת הַיּוֹם לַה׳ הַיּוֹם לֹא תִמְצָאֻהוּ בַּשָּׂדֶה״. רַבִּי חִידְקָא סָבַר: הָנֵי תְּלָתָא ״הַיּוֹם״ לְבַר מֵאוּרְתָּא, וְרַבָּנַן סָבְרִי: בַּהֲדֵי דְּאוּרְתָּא.

Shabbat 117b:11

The Sages taught in a baraita: How many meals is a person obligated to eat on Shabbat? Three. Rabbi Ḥidka says: Four. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And both of them derived their opinions from one verse: “And Moses said: Eat it today, for today is Shabbat for God, today you will not find it in the field” (Exodus 16:25). Rabbi Ḥidka holds: These three mentions of the word today allude to the number of meals on Shabbat besides the evening meal, as Moses spoke on Shabbat morning. And the Rabbis hold that these three mentions include the evening meal.

שבת קי״ח א:ז׳-ח׳

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן פַּזִּי אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי מִשּׁוּם בַּר קַפָּרָא: כָּל הַמְקַיֵּים שָׁלֹשׁ סְעוּדוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת נִיצּוֹל מִשָּׁלֹשׁ פּוּרְעָנִיּוֹת: מֵחֶבְלוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ, וּמִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם, וּמִמִּלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג. מֵחֶבְלוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ — כְּתִיב הָכָא ״יוֹם״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם וְגוֹ׳״. מִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם — כְּתִיב הָכָא ״יוֹם״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״יוֹם עֶבְרָה הַיּוֹם הַהוּא״. מִמִּלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג — כְּתִיב הָכָא ״יוֹם״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״בְּיוֹם בֹּא גּוֹג״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: כָּל הַמְעַנֵּג אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת נוֹתְנִין לוֹ נַחֲלָה בְּלִי מְצָרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל ה׳ וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל בׇּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ

Shabbat 118a:7-8

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said in the name of bar Kappara: Anyone who fulfills the obligation to eat three meals on Shabbat is rescued from three punishments: From the pangs of the Messiah, i.e., the suffering that precedes the advent of Messiah, and from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the war of Gog and Magog. The Gemara derives that one is rescued from the pangs of Messiah by means of a verbal analogy. It is written here, with regard to Shabbat, day: “Eat it today” (Exodus 16:25). And it is written there, with regard to Messiah, day: “Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of God” (Malachi 3:23). The Gemara derives that one is rescued from the judgment of Gehenna by means of a verbal analogy. It is written here, with regard to Shabbat, day, as cited above. And it is written there, day: “That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and blackness, a day of cloud and thick fog” (Zephaniah 1:15), which is interpreted as referring to the punishment of Gehenna. The Gemara derives that one is rescued from the war of Gog and Magog by means of a verbal analogy. It is written here, with regard to Shabbat, day. And it is written there, with regard to the War of Gog and Magog, day: “And it shall be on that day, on the day that Gog arrives on the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 38:18). Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: With regard to anyone who delights in the Shabbat, God gives him a boundless portion, i.e., a very large reward, as it is stated: “If you keep your feet from violating Shabbat, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day, and you call Shabbat a delight, the Lord’s holy day honored, and you honor it by not going your own way, or attending to your own matters or speaking idle words. Then you shall delight in the Lord and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the world, and to feast

שבת קי״ח ב:א׳-ב׳

נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ וְגוֹ׳״. לֹא כְּאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ ״קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאׇרְכָּהּ וְגוֹ׳״. וְלֹא כְּיִצְחָק, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ ״כִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת כׇּל הָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֵל״. אֶלָּא כְּיַעֲקֹב, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ ״וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְצָפוֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה״. רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: נִיצּוֹל מִשִּׁעְבּוּד גָּלִיּוֹת. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךְ עַל בׇּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״וְאַתָּה עַל בָּמוֹתֵימוֹ תִדְרוֹךְ״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: כׇּל הַמְעַנֵּג אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְעַנַּג עַל ה׳ וְיִתֶּן לְךָ מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֶּךָ״. עוֹנֶג זֶה אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַהוּ. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר ״וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עוֹנֶג״ — הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה עוֹנֶג שַׁבָּת. בַּמֶּה מְעַנְּגוֹ? רַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב אָמַר: בְּתַבְשִׁיל שֶׁל תְּרָדִין וְדָגִים גְּדוֹלִים וְרָאשֵׁי שׁוּמִין. רַב חִיָּיא בַּר אָשֵׁי אָמַר רַב: אֲפִילּוּ דָּבָר מוּעָט, וְלִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת עֲשָׂאוֹ — הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹנֶג. מַאי הִיא? אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: כָּסָא דְהַרְסָנָא.

Shabbat 118b:1-2

on the inheritance of Jacob your father, as the mouth of God has spoken” (Isaiah 58:13–14). The reward for delighting in Shabbat is specifically the portion of Jacob. Not that of Abraham, about whom it is written, “Rise, walk through the land through its length and its width because I have given it to you” (Genesis 13:17), i.e., only this land alone in its borders. And not that of Isaac, about whom it is written, “Dwell in this land and I will be with you and I will bless you because I will give all of these lands to you and your offspring” (Genesis 26:3), meaning these lands and no others. Rather, that of Jacob, about whom it is written, “And your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all of the families of the land will be blessed through you and your offspring” (Genesis 28:14). There are no boundaries for Jacob’s portion. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: One who delights in Shabbat is rescued from the oppression of exile. He derives it by means of a verbal analogy. It is written here, with regard to Shabbat: “And I will cause you to ride on the heights [bamotei] of the world” (Isaiah 58:14), and it is written there: “You are fortunate Israel, who is like you? A nation redeemed by God, the shield that aids you and the sword of your triumph. Your enemies will try to defeat you and you will trample their high places [bamoteimo]” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: With regard to anyone who delights in the Shabbat, God grants him his heart’s desires, as it is stated: “And you shall delight in God and He will grant you your heart’s desires” (Psalms 37:4). This delight in God, which is mentioned in the verse, I do not know what it is. When it says: “And you shall call the Shabbat delight,” one must say: It is the delight of Shabbat. The Gemara asks: With what does one delight in the day of Shabbat? Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: With a dish of beets, and large fish, and heads of garlic. Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Even with regard to a small item and one prepared it in deference to Shabbat, it is a delight. The Gemara asks: What is the small item mentioned? Rav Pappa said: Small fried fish.