Do You Need To Do Kiddush at Seudah Shelishit?

Rambam (1138-1204)

One should eat three meals on Shabbat: one in the evening, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. And he must be careful with these three meals, to not lessen from them at all. And even a poor person who is supported by charity must eat three meals. But if he was sick from an abundance of eating or was constantly fasting, he is exempt from three meals. And he is required to base each of the three meals on wine and to break [bread] on two loaves. And likewise on yamim tovim.

Vidal de Toulouse (14th Century)

In Brachot (42b) in Keitzad Mevarchin it says regarding Shabbat and Yom Tov that one bases his meals on wine.

MISHNA: One who recited a blessing over the wine that [one drank] before the meal, [with that blessing] he exempted the wine that [he drinks] after the meal... GEMARA: Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This [halakha] was only taught with regard to Shabbat and Yamim Tovim since one bases his meal on the wine. However, during the rest of the days of the year, [one who drinks wine at a meal] recites a blessing over each and every cup.

R' Yakov ben Asher (c. 1269-c. 1343)

And the Rambam writes that also for seudah shelishit one bases it on wine and breaks [bread] on two loaves. And my father and master the Rosh would not bless on wine beforehand because there is a scriptural connection of day to night regarding kiddush (and we learn) just as one [kiddush] suffices at night, so too one [kiddush] suffices for the day.

R' David ben Shlomo ibn (Abi) Zimra (1479–1573)

And it is possible that [the Tur] learns [that Rambam thinks there is kiddush at seudah shelishit] from the ordering of [Rambam's] words, for he writes 'and one is required to base...and break [bread] on two loaves' which implies that the wine comes first as kiddush. And since they of blessed memory did not have the practice to base their meal on wine, he thought that this basing that [Rambam] wrote of was kiddush, but this is not so as written [above].

The Sages taught [in a baraita with regard to the verse]: “Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it” (Exodus 20:7): Remember it over wine, [through the recitation of kiddush]. I have only [derived that there is a mitzva to recite kiddush] during the day, [as the verse is referring to the day of Shabbat]. From where [do I derive that one must also recite kiddush] at night? The verse states: “Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it,” [which indicates that one should also remember Shabbat as soon as it is sanctified. The Gemara expresses surprise at this last question]: From where [is it derived that one must recite kiddush] at night? [Is this the appropriate question?] On the contrary, the essential pmitzva of] kiddush is to sanctify [the day] at night, as one must sanctify the beginning of the day. And furthermore, [the continuation of the baraita states]: From where [do we derive the obligation of kiddush] at night? The verse states: “Remember the day of Shabbat.” The tanna is seeking [a source for kiddush] at night, and yet he cites a verse that is referring to the day. [The Gemara answers that] this is [what the tanna] is saying: “Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it” [teaches a mitzva to] remember it over wine when it begins (i.e. Kiddush at night). I have only [derived the obligation to recite kiddush] at night; from where [do I derive that one must also recite kiddush] during the day? The verse states: “Remember the day of Shabbat.”

R' David ben Shlomo ibn (Abi) Zimra (1479–1573)

And I do not know why [the Tur] made this distinction (i.e. Why he thinks Rambam disagrees with the Rosh and holds that we do kiddush at seudah shelishit) when it says "Remember the day of Shabbat" [and the Gemara tells us this means] once in the day and once at night, and there is a scriptural connection between the day and the night regarding kiddush [which teaches] just as one [kiddush] suffices at night, so too one [kiddush] suffices for the day.

R' Yosef Caro (1488-1575)

From the words of the Tur it seems that he explains Rambam to mean that one also does kiddush at seudah shelishit on wine before the meal as for other meals. But this is not the implication of his words, rather he [just] means to say that one drinks wine at the meal because that is the meaning of [the phrase] 'base the meal on wine', [and] it does not relate to doing kiddush before the meal. And [Rambam] explicitly writes at the end of Ch. 29, 'And it is a mitzvah to recite the blessing over wine on Shabbat day before one partakes of the second meal, and this is what is called, "the great Kiddush". This clearly implies that one davka says it for the second meal and not the third.

Rambam (1138-1204)

And it is a mitzvah to recite the blessing over wine on Shabbat day before one partakes of the second meal. And this is what is called, "the great Kiddush"...

R' David ben Shlomo ibn (Abi) Zimra (1479–1573)

It seems to me that this is not [Rambam's] intent. Firstly, regarding the first and second meal he explicitly mentions kiddush and for seudah shelishit he does not mention kiddush, rather [he just says] that one needs to base [the meal] on wine, meaning the crux of the basing of the meal is on it. And the language of kiddush is distinct from the language of basing [something]...rather it is certain that the law of kiddush is distinct from the law of basing. [And] he writes in a nearby [paragraph], "But it is forbidden to base a meal on wine on Shabbat and Yom Tov at the time of [a] study hall [session]", and evidently the 'basing' referred to here is not kiddush...

R' Elazar Rokeach (1665—1742)

Our teacher the Tur understands from the words of [Rambam] that one needs to do kiddush on wine also at seudah shelishit. And this [seems] forced given what [Rambam] writes in Chapter 29, where it seems clear from his words that one only does kiddush at the morning meal. And in my humble opinion, it seems it is not clear that the Tur [in fact] thinks this is [Rambam's] opinion, because it is a stretch to say besides [the fact] that it is forced. Furthermore, the Tur there in Section 291 brings the words of [Rambam] and then writes "And my father and master the Rosh would not do kiddush on wine at seudah shelishit". And if he had written using the language of 'but he taught', then certainly it would [be describing] a disagreement. But since he does not write this, the implication is that his intent is only to raise this novelty from the words of the Rambam, and once he has mentioned his opinion, [namely] that he holds that we also base [seudah shelishit] on wine, meaning that one drinks wine during that meal, [then] he also raises the view of the Rosh, and on this [reading] the words of the Tur make sense.

R' Yosef Caro (1488-1575)

And the Rambam writes that also for seudah shelishit one bases [the meal] on wine and breaks [bread] on two loaves in Ch. 29. And R'Y writes in Part 1 in the name of the Remah that one does not need to say kiddush at seudah shelishit and so writes the Mordechi in Perek Kol Kitvei. And in the teshuvot to the Ramban, Section 114, [he writes] that the Ram would not bless borei pri hagefen at seudah shelishit before [the meal]. And the R'Y also writes in Chapter 3 of sheachlu that the words of the Rambam do not appear [correct] to him. And in the Shibolei Haleket he at length gives a reason for why one does not need to do kiddush at seudah shelishit. And afterwards he writes as follows: "And the Ram writes 'I am accustomed to do kiddush at seudah shelishit' but I did not hear a reason [for it] from his mouth".

And in truth the wording of the Rambam does not mean that one needs to do kiddush at seudah shelishit. For [when he writes] that one bases [the meal] on wine, one can explain that he means to say that one drinks wine at the meal. And since all the poskim hold that one does not need to do kiddush, and the wording of the Rambam also doesn't mean that one needs to do kiddush, we do not do kiddush [at seudah shelishit]. Nevertheless, one who does kiddush does not lose out, since it is possible to explain the words of the Rambam [to mean] that one needs to do kiddush. And so it seems that [the Tur] explains one can say 'I am acting like the Rambam', and since according to the other poskim there is no prohibition [against doing kiddush at seudah shelishit], we do not protest [someone doing it].

R' Yosef Caro (1488-1575)

It is not necessary to make kiddush during the third meal

R' Chayim Vittal (1543-1620)

It is not appropriate to do kiddush on wine at this meal, for there is not here in the atika any wine at all, only complete mercy, and it is not appropriate to arouse the judgement...in the middle of the meal one has to drink wine, and not at the start of the meal in the sod of kiddush as at other meals...

R' Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908)

And in our days we have not heard of anyone doing this.