Emor: Chapter 23

The third meal of Shabbat on a holiday's eve

Synopsis

The rabbis discuss the importance of the meals on Shabbat and on holidays, and what to do when they fall together. We are reminded that one must not talk about business or unimportant matters on Shabbat. Rabbi Yitzchak says that one must remember the Shabbat through wine, that equates to the wine of Torah.

Meals Rosh Hashanah Samuel Shabbat Table

118. On that day it behooves the King's children to prepare three meals and set the table in honor of the King, as we explained. When a feast happens on it OF THE THREE FESTIVALS, or a holiday, ROSH HASHANAH, one must not set two tables each meal, one for Shabbat and one for the guest, THE HOLIDAY, since it is written, "for he did eat continually at the king's table" (II Shmuel 9:13). For the King's table suffices to the coming guest. Hence one should set a whole table for the King, from which he gives to the guest.

118. בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, תְּלַת סְעוּדָתָאן בַּעְיָין בְּנֵי מַלְכָּא, לְזַמְּנָא, וּלְסַדְּרָא פָּתוֹרֵי. בְּגִין יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְכַד אִזְדְּמַן בֵּיהּ חַגָּא, אוֹ זְמָנָא, לָא יְסַדֵּר ב"נ תְּרֵי פָּתוֹרֵי בְּכָל סְעוּדָתָא, חַד לְשַׁבָּת, וְחַד לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא, בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב עַל שֻׁלְחַן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אוֹכֵל, סִפּוּקָא הוּא בְּפָתוֹרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, לְהַהוּא אוּשְׁפִּיזָא דְּאַתְיָא לֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְסַדּוּרֵי פָּתוֹרָא שְׁלֵימָא לְמַלְכָּא, וְהוּא יָהִיב מִינֵּיהּ לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא.

Meals Shabbat Table

119. Rabbi Elazar said, When a guest, A HOLIDAY, happens at Shabbat's third meal, it can be omitted or not omitted. If THE THIRD MEAL is not omitted, BUT EATEN, the guest, THAT IS, THE MEAL ON THE SECOND EVENING OF THE HOLIDAY, is rejected from the King's table, BECAUSE DUE TO THE THIRD MEAL ONE DOES NOT HAVE AN APPETITE FOR THE SECOND EVENING'S MEAL. If it is neglected, AND THE THIRD MEAL IS NOT EATEN, there is something wrong with the King's meals, SINCE THE KING, SHABBAT, MISSES ONE MEAL.

119. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, סְעוּדָתָא תְּלִיתָאָה דְּשַׁבָּת, כַּד אִעְרַע בֵּיהּ אוֹשְׁפִּיזָא, שַׁבְקִין לֵיהּ אוֹ לָא שַׁבְקִין לֵיהּ, אִי לָא שַׁבְקִין לֵיהּ, אִשְׁתְּכַח אוּשְׁפִּיזָא דְּחַיָּיא מִפָּתוֹרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, אִי שַׁבְקִין לֵיהּ, אִשְׁתְּכַח פְּגִימוּ בִּסְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא.

Food Meals Rosh Hashanah Shabbat

120. Rabbi Shimon his father said to him, THIS IS LIKE a king a guest came to visit. He took his own food and gave to the guest. Thus, though the king does not eat with him, the latter eats of the king's victuals, and the king gives him food. HERE TOO, SHABBAT ANNULS THE THIRD MEAL SO THE GUEST, WHO IS THE MEAL ON THE SECOND EVENING OF THE HOLIDAY, WOULD EAT HEARTILY. SO THE HOLIDAY'S SECOND EVE'S MEAL IS THE KING'S, SHABBAT'S, FOOD, BECAUSE SHABBAT POSTPONES ITS MEAL FOR ITS SAKE. All that is because it is the King's guest, THAT IS, BECAUSE THE FIRST DAY OF THE HOLIDAY OCCURS ON SHABBAT AND IS THEREFORE THE GUEST OF SHABBAT. BUT ON SHABBAT ON A HOLIDAY'S EVE, THE THIRD MEAL IS NOT OMITTED FOR THE HOLIDAY'S EVE'S MEAL. WE MUST NOT RAISE A DIFFICULTY THAT RABBI SHIMON AND RABBI ELAZAR HIS SON LIVED IN THE LAND OF YISRAEL, WHERE THERE ARE NO SECOND DAYS TO THE HOLIDAY, BECAUSE IT APPLIES TO THE SECOND DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH THAT IS CELEBRATED IN YISRAEL AS WELL, OR THEY ADDRESS THOSE LIVING ABROAD. In the house of Rav Hamnuna Saba they were not concerned about the guest at that time, BUT ATE THE THIRD MEAL. Later, ON THE EVE OF THE SECOND HOLIDAY, they would prepare a meal for the guest.

120. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, לְמַלְכָּא דְּאִיעְרַע בֵּיהּ אוּשְׁפִּיזָא, וְנָטִיל מֵיכְלָא מִקַּמֵּיהּ, וְסַלְּקָא לְאוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ, אִשְׁתְּכַח אַף עַל גַּב דְּמַלְכָּא לָא אָכַל עִמֵּיהּ, מִמֵּיכְלָא דְּמַלְכָּא קָא אָכִיל, וּמַלְכָּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל. וְכָל דָּא, בְּגִין דְּהוּא אוּשְׁפִּיזֵיה דְּמַלְכָּא. וּבְבֵי רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, לָא חַיְישֵׁי לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דָּא, וּלְבָתַר מְסַדְּרֵי פָּתוֹרָא לְאוֹשְׁפִּיזָא.

Faith Shabbat

121. On that day speech is restricted, as in, "nor pursuing your own business, nor speaking of vain matters" (Yeshayah 58:13), AS YOUR SPEECH ON SHABBAT WILL NOT RESEMBLE THAT ON WEEKDAYS. We learned that it is written, "your own business," FOR YOU MUST NOT SPEAK OF YOUR OWN BUSINESS, since the whole Faith is attached to that day.

121. בְּהַאי יוֹמָא מִלּוּלָא אָסִיר, הה"ד מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר, וּתְנָן חֶפְצְךָ כְּתִיב, בְּגִין דְּהַאי יוֹמָא כָּל מְהֵימְנוּתָא אִתְקְשַׁר בֵּיהּ.

Hands Meals Passover Shabbat

122. Rabbi Elazar said to his father, YOU SAY THAT THE THIRD MEAL IS NOT OMITTED ON A HOLIDAY'S EVE, yet what do we do so as not to hand the King's meal to the guest, NOT TO OMIT THE THIRD MEAL BEFORE THE MEAL OF THE HOLIDAY'S EVE'S THAT IS ON SHABBAT'S EVE? When the fourteenth OF NISSAN occurs on Shabbat, WE OMIT AND postpone the King's meal, THE THIRD MEAL, for the guest, WHICH IS THE PESACH'S (PASSOVER) DINNER, even though THE HOLIDAY is not the guest of Shabbat, BUT FALLS ON SUNDAY.

122. אָ"ל רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְהֵיךְ עֲבִידְנָא דְּלָא לְסַדְּרָא סְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא, דְּהָא אַרְבֵּיסָר דְּחַל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, סַלְּקָא סְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא לְפִסְחָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָאו אִיהוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ.

Bread Meals Shabbat Table

123. RABBI SHIMON said to him, I say that if THE HOLIDAY is the guest OF SHABBAT, WHEN IT FALLS ON SHABBAT, one can OMIT THE THIRD MEAL AND postpone IT TO THE HOLIDAY'S EVE'S MEAL. But otherwise, WHEN IT DOES NOT FALL ON SHABBAT, BUT BEGINS ON SUNDAY, one does not OMIT IT AND postpone THE THIRD MEAL FOR THE SAKE OF THE HOLIDAY'S EVE'S MEAL SO ONE WOULD EAT HEARTILY. You may argue that on the fourteenth OF NISSAN that falls on Shabbat, the King's meal, THE THIRD MEAL, is postponed because of the Pesach EVE'S meal. Pesach is different in that the third meal of Shabbat is postponed for several reasons. The first is that one should have an appetite to eat Matzot and bitter herbs, and another is BECAUSE OF CHAMETZ on Pesach, since there must not be LEAVENED bread since the sixth hour on, and setting the table without bread is not SETTING a meal.

123. אָ"ל הָכִי אֲמֵינָא דְּאִי הוּא אוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ, יַכְלָא לְסַלְּקָא לֵיהּ, וְאִי לָאו לָאו סַלְּקָא לֵיהּ. וְאִי נֵימָא די"ד דְּחַל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, אִתְדַּחְיָיא סְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא מִקַּמֵּי סְעוּדָתָא דְּפִסְחָא. שָׁאנֵי פֶּסַח, דִּסְעוּדָתָא דְּשַׁבָּת אִתְדַחְיָיא בְּכַמָּה גַּוְונִין. חַד, בְּגִין מַצוֹת וּמְרוֹרִים, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח תָּאִיבָא. וְחַד, בְּגִין פֶּסַח וְהָא נָהֲמָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מו' שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה, דְּסִדּוּרָא דְּפָתוֹרָא בְּלָא נָהֲמָא, לָאו הוּא סִדּוּרָא.

Apples Heart Meals Shabbat Torah Wine

124. You may say THAT ONE MAY COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE THIRD MEAL by wine. IT IS SO, and it may be done with wine, because it makes the heart hungry, AND DOES NOT SPOIL THE APPETITE. But all my life I made an effort not to annul the meal of Shabbat, THE THIRD MEAL, even on those SHABBAT days that A HOLIDAY falls on. For on that day the field of holy apple trees, MALCHUT, is blessed, and the upper and lower beings are blessed. This day is the bond of the Torah.

124. וְאִי תֵּימָא בְּחַמְרָא, חַמְרָא שָׁארֵי, בְּגִין דְּתָאִיב לִבָּא. אֲבָל מִיוֹמָי אִשְׁתָּדַּלְּנָא דְּלָא בָּטִילְנָא סְעוּדָתָא דְּשַׁבָּת, אֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן יוֹמֵי, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ. בְּהַאי יוֹמָא חֲקַל דְּתַפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין אִתְבְּרַךְ, וּמִתְבָּרְכָן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְהַאי יוֹמָא קִשׁוּרָא הוּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

Chariot Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Meals Shabbat Table

125. Rabbi Aba said, Rabbi Shimon would act thus: when the time came to eat the third meal on Shabbat, he would set his table and study the mystic speculations of the divine Chariot. He used to say, This is the meal of the King that will come to eat with me. Hence, Shabbat is valuable in all MATTERS more than any other time and holiday. It is called holiness, rather than summoned from holiness.

125. א"ר אַבָּא, הָכִי הֲוָה עָבֵיד ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִסְתְּלַּק סְעוּדָתָא דְּשַׁבָּת, מְסַדֵּר פָּתוֹרֵיהּ וְאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּמַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה, וַהֲוָה אָמַר הָא סְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא דְּיֵיתֵי לְמֵיכַל גַּבָּאי. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, שַׁבָּת, אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכֹלָּא עָדִיף מִכָּל זִמְנִין וְחַגִּין, וְאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ וְלָא מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ.

Holiness (Kedushah) Judgment Kedushah (Holiness) Likenesses Passover Rosh Hashanah Shabbat Shavuot Soul, The Sukkot World to Come, The Yom Kippur

126. Rabbi Yehuda said, We call all the holidays "holy gatherings ('summoned from holiness')," but the exceptions TO THIS RULE are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, where there is no joy, since they are of Judgments. But these three, PESACH (PASSOVER), SHAVUOT AND SUKKOT, are summoned from holiness to everyone's delight, before the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of, "and you shall rejoice before Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 12:12), and, "and rejoice before Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 27:7). On that day of Shabbat, every sorrow and vexation and distress are removed from the whole world, since it is the day of the King's rejoicing, when souls are added IN IT TO YISRAEL, in the likeness of the World to Come.

126. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כֻּלְּהוּ מוֹעֲדִים מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ קָרֵינָן בְּהוּ. אֲבָל נַפְקֵי ר"ה וְיוֹמָא דְּכִפּוּרָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהוּ חֶדְוָותָא, דְּהָא אִינּוּן דִּינָא הֲווֹ, אֲבָל אִלֵּין תְּלָתָא, זְמִינִין מִקֹּדֶשׁ, לְחֶדְוָותָא לְכֹלָּא, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּהוּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הה"ד וּשְׂמַחְתֶּם לִפְנֵי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וּכְתִיב וְשָׂמַחְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ. בְּהַאי יוֹמָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, אִתְנְשֵׁי כָּל צַעֲרָא וְכָל רוּגְזָא וְכָל דּוֹחֲקָא מִכָּל עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּהִילוּלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּנִשְׁמָתִין אִתּוֹסְפָן, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Crowns Deeds Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Kiddush Love Mochin Praise Shabbat Solomon Torah Wine Zeir Anpin Zion

127. Rabbi Yitzchak said to Rabbi Yehuda, It is written, "Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy" (Shemot 20:8). We learned one should remember it through wine. HE ASKS, Why through wine? He said to him, Because wine is the joy of the Torah, BEING THE MOCHIN OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED WINE, THAT SHINES UPON ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED TORAH. The wine of the Torah, which is THE MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN IS everyone's joy. This wine gladdens the King, ZEIR ANPIN, with His crowns, THE MOCHIN OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT. This is the meaning of, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him" (Shir Hashirim 3:11). We learned that in all THINGS one should demonstrate a deed BELOW TO AROUSE ITS CORRESPONDING ROOT ABOVE, for holiness abounds only in wine, as it is written, "for your love is better than wine" (Shir Hashirim 1:2), WHICH MEANS it is good because it is wine. ALSO "we will praise (lit. 'remind') your love more than (through) wine" (Ibid. 4). Hence Kiddush on Shabbat is performed over wine, as we already explained and taught.

127. א"ר יִצְחָק לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כְּתִיב זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ, וְתָנֵינָן זָכְרֵהוּ עַל הַיַּיִן, אֲמַאי עַל הַיַּיִן. אָ"ל, בְּגִין דְּיַיִן חֶדְוָותָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיֵינָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, חֶדְוָותָא הוּא דְּכֹלָּא. וְהַאי יַיִן חַדֵּי לְמַלְכָּא, וְהַאי יַיִן מְעַטְּרָא לְמַלְכָּא בְּעִטְרוֹי, הה"ד צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ. וְתָנֵינָן בְּכֹלָּא בַּעְיָיא לְאַחֲזָאָה ב"נ עוֹבָדָא. דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח קְדוּשָּׁה אֶלָּא בְּיַיִן, כד"א כִּי טוֹבִים דּוֹדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן, מִיַּיִן אִינּוּן טָבָאָן, נַזְכִּירָה דֹּדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן. וְעַ"ד קִדוּשָׁה דְּשַׁבָּת בְּיַיִן, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְהָא אִתְּמַר.

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