The Meals of Shabbat

From Halachipedia

Related pages include Kiddush and Seudat Shelishit.

Covering the Challah

  1. There are multiple reasons for covering the challah.
  2. Even if one is not going to make Kiddish oneself but rather hear it from someone else one should still cover the challahs. [1]

Having two loaves of Challah

  1. For the Shabbat meals one should have Lechem Mishna meaning that one needs to make Hamotzei over two loaves of bread on Shabbat and Yom Tov in commemoration of the double portion of Maan that fell before Shabbat and Yom Tov. [2]
  2. Women are also obligated in Lechem Mishneh. [3]Some say that the women should hear the Bracha from the one making HaMotzei on the two loaves, while others defend the minhag of those who don’t hear the HaMotzei and make HaMotzei on the piece given to them. [4]
  3. Preferably both loaves should be fresh but if one is frozen after the fact they may be used for making the Bracha of HaMotzei. [5]
  4. If two pieces of bread stuck together in the oven and then were separated gently each one is considered whole for the mitzvah of Lechem Mishna. [6]
  5. If one only has one loaf of bread one may use Pas habah BeKisnin for the second loaf to fulfill Lechem Mishna. [7]

Passing the Challah

  1. One shouldn’t give the Challah directly into the hands of someone else but rather one should place it down on a plate or the table to pass it to someone else. [8]

How much to eat

  1. For the Friday night meal and Shabbat day meal one needs to have a KeBaytzah of bread and if that’s difficult one may have a Kezayit of bread (and in such a case one should wash without a Bracha). [9]
  2. For the Bracha on honey challah, see Pas_Haba_Bikisnin#Honey_Challah

Which Challah to break

  1. On Friday night, one should cut the lower of the two loaves. On Shabbat morning and Yom Tov night and morning one should cut the upper of the two loaves. [10]

If started a meal Friday afternoon

  1. If one started a meal during Friday afternoon (before 9 hours) and now Shekiah comes, one should cover the bread, make Kiddish, and then finish the meal. [11]
  2. If one had wine during the meal of Friday afternoon, when one makes Kiddish one doesn’t say Borei Pri HaGafen nor HaMotzei. [12]
  3. If one doesn’t have wine and so, one makes Kiddish on bread one shouldn’t make HaMotzei. [13]

Retzeh in Birkat HaMazon

  1. On Shabbat one should add Retzeh in the middle of the third Bracha of Birkat HaMazon. [14]
  2. If one forgot Retzeh and one realized:
    1. before saying Hashem’s name at the end of the third Bracha one should return to Retzeh and then continue from there. [15]
    2. after saying Hashem’s name but before saying Boneh Yerushalayim one should immediately say למדני חוקיך which is the conclusion of a פסוק in Tehillim and then return to Retzeh and continue from there. [16]
    3. after finishing the third Bracha before starting the fourth Bracha one should insert a special Brachaברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם שנתן שבתות למנוחה לעמו ישראל באהבה לאות ולברית ברוך אתה ה' מקדש השבת. [17]
    4. within the first six words of the fourth Bracha (ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם) one should continue with the special Bracha (שנתן...) mentioned in the last option. [18]
    5. after one said the seventh word in the fourth Bracha one should continue and not repeat Birkat Hamazon. [19]
  3. If the meal extended until after sunset on Shabbat, Yom Tov, etc. and one has to insert the special Bracha between the third and fourth Bracha this special Bracha should be said without Shem UMalchut meaning one should just say ברוך שנתן…[20]

Setting the table

  1. One should set one's table nicely, make Kiddish, wash, make HaMotzei, and have a nice meal for Shabbat day. [21]

Kiddish during the day

  1. The text of Kiddish during the day is just Borei Pri Hagefen. [22] However, many have the minhag to say Pesukim before saying the Bracha. Some say two paragraphs "Veshamaroo" and "Zachor". Some skip to the last sentence of "Zachor" starting with "Al cen berach" before saying the bracha on the wine, however, some authorities discourage this practice. [23]

Eating before Kiddish

  1. It's forbidden to taste anything before Kiddish. [24] This law also applies to women. [25]
  2. It's permissible to drink water before Shacharit on Shabbat day since the obligation of Kiddish doesn't apply until one prayed. [26]

Kiddish in the place of a meal

  1. Kiddush of the day must also be made in the place of a meal. [27]

Wine for Kiddish

  1. If there's no wine available one may use Chamar Medina which is beer or another drink which is common in that place but not water. If one doesn't even have Chamar Medina, one should say hamotzi and eat the bread and if one doesn't even have bread, one may eat without Kiddish. [28]

Shabbat Zemirot

  1. After having eaten one's fill it's proper to sing Zemirot (songs) of praise to Hashem. [29]

References

  1. Rav Moshe Feinstein (quoted in back of Radiance of Shabbos, Siman 1)
  2. S”A 274:1, Mishna Brurah 274:1
  3. Mishna Brurah 274:1, Chazon Ovadyah (Shabbat vol 2, pg 172)
  4. Sh”t Kinyan Torah 1:88 and Eshel Avraham (siman 274) defend the minhag, while Sh”t Bear Moshe quotes the חתם סופר who was insistent on having the women hear the Bracha of HaMotzei from the one making it over two loaves. Chazon Ovadyah (Shabbat vol 2, pg 172) writes that the one making Hamotzei should wait for everyone to sit in order to fulfill Lechem Mishna.
  5. Sh”t Yabea Omer 7:32, Or Letzion (vol 2, chapter 21:2)
  6. Chazon Ovadyah (Shabbat, vol 2, pg 176)
  7. Chazon Ovadyah (Shabbat, vol 2, pg 185)
  8. Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat vol 1 pg 312), Piskei Teshuvot (Siman 274 note 7)
  9. Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat vol 1 pg 313)
  10. S”A and Rama 274:1
  11. S”A 271:4 based on Shmuel’s opinion on Pesachim 100a
  12. S”A 271:4 writes that one doesn’t make a Borei Pri HaGafen as the wine is already covered from the wine earlier in the meal. Mishna Brurah 271:18 says because of Safek Brachot one doesn’t make another HaMotzei.
  13. S”A 271:4
  14. S”A 188:4,5
  15. Mishna Brurah 188:22
  16. Chaye Adam 47:16 writes that if one realizes after having said Baruch Atta Hashem one should conclude with למדני חוקיך so that Hashem’s name isn’t in vain and then one may return to Retzeh. Mishna Brurah 188:22 agrees. [See Igrot Moshe 4:93 who disagrees with the Mishna Brurah regarding inserting למדני חוקיך in Shemona Esreh.]
  17. S”A 188:6. The S”A HaRav 188:9 writes that the logic behind this is that as long as one didn’t begin the fourth Bracha it’s as though one is still in middle of the third Bracha. The reasoning here is based on the discussion in S”A 114 (see Yaaleh VeYavo in Shemona Esreh section).
  18. Mishna Brurah 188:23 quotes the Chaye Adam 47:18 who says that if one is still within the first six words of the fourth Bracha one may continue with the special Bracha insertion and then start the fourth Bracha again. Even though the Biur Halacha D”H Ad says a doubt about this Chaye Adam the Halachos of Brachos (pg 515-6) rules like the Chaye Adam.
  19. S”A 188:6
  20. Halachos of Brachos (pg 511) based on Biur Halacha 188:10 D”H mazkir, Kesot HaShulchan 47:3
  21. S"A 289:1
  22. Pesachim 106a writes that the primary Kiddish is at night but there's also a Kiddish of the day. Even though it seems to be Deorittah as the gemara learns it from a pasuk, the Rishonim agree that the pasuk is only an asmachta (Ravad and Magid Mishna (Hilchot Shabbat 29:10), quoted by Bear Heitiv 289:2) and the obligation of Kiddish during the day is only Rabbinic. The gemara concludes that the text of such a Kiddish is just Borei Pri HaGefen. Rambam (Hilchot Shabbat 29:10) and S"A 289:1 rule this as halacha.
  23. Mishna Brurah 289:2
  24. Rambam (Hilchot Shabbat 29:10) and S"A 289:1 rule that since there's an obligation to make Kiddish it's forbidden to eat anything before Kiddish just like the Kiddish of Friday night.
  25. Mishna Brurah 289:6
  26. Tur writes in the name of his father, the Rosh, and S"A 289:1
  27. S"A 289:1
  28. S"A 289:2, Mishna Brurah 289:10
  29. Mishna Brurah 289:5