Questions:
- Why do we have 2 loaves/challahs at a Shabbat meal? What does it symbolize?
- Is it a biblical or rabbinic practice?
- Do we need 2 loaves for each of the 3 meals or just Friday night? Why?
- Do you cut/eat one or both loaves? Why?
- Why do we cover the loaves with a challah cover?
- Is there a halachik basis for this?
- Are women obligated to eat 3 meals on Shabbat and/or have lechem mishna?
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- Note: an omer = 1/10 epha = ~2 quarts = ~2 liters
- What is biblical source for 3 meals on Shabbat and lechem mishna (extra loaf) on Shabbat?
- See Shemot (Exodus) 16:14-26
- If we envision the Sinai experience, how many loaves did the Jewish people have on Friday morning? Does Lechem Mishna seem to be more of a Friday or Shabbat day experience?
Below is gemara describing source for the number of meals we eat on Shabbat. Hinges on Moshe's use of the word "hayom" ("today") when giving instruction for the manna on Shabbat. Is this a biblical obligation or rabbinic (Asmachta)?
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. תְּנַן: נָפְלָה דְּלֵיקָה בְּלֵילֵי שַׁבָּת.
With regard to meals on Shabbat, 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.
Below is conversation regarding how to practice Lechem Mishna. Understanding this gemara hinges on meaning of word "bestza." Rashi and Rashba interpret differently. Rashi: Betza means saying the bracha Hamotzei. Rashba: cut and eat. If so, consider the conversation according to each translation. Are Rav Ashi, Cahana and Zeira agreeing or disagreeing with eachother?
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: בְּשַׁבָּת חַיָּיב אָדָם לִבְצוֹעַ עַל שְׁתֵּי כִכָּרוֹת, דִּכְתִיב: ״לֶחֶם מִשְׁנֶה״. אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: חֲזֵינָא לֵיהּ לְרַב כָּהֲנָא דְּנָקֵט תַּרְתֵּי וּבָצַע חֲדָא. אָמַר: ״לָקְטוּ״ כְּתִיב. רַבִּי זֵירָא הֲוָה בָּצַע אַכּוּלַּהּ שֵׁירוּתֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבִינָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: וְהָא מִיחְזֵי כְּרַעַבְתָנוּתָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כֵּיוָן דְּכׇל יוֹמָא לָא עָבֵיד, וְהָאִידָּנָא הוּא דְּקָעָבֵיד — לָא מִיחְזֵי כְּרַעַבְתָנוּתָא.
Rabbi Abba said: On Shabbat a person is obligated to break bread in his meal over two loaves of bread, as it is written: “And it happened on the sixth day, they collected double the bread, two omer for each one” (Exodus 16:22). Rav Ashi said: I saw that Rav Kahana took two loaves in his hand and broke one, not both at once. He said in explanation that it is written: “They collected double the bread,” meaning that one collects and holds two loaves together, but need not break both. Rabbi Zeira would break off a piece that would suffice for his entire meal. Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Doesn’t that appear like gluttony? Rav Ashi said to him: Since on every other day he does not do this and now he is doing so, it does not appear like gluttony.
נקיט תרתי - אוחזן בידו:
לקטו כתיב - דמשמע אחיזה אבל בציעה לא כתיב משנה:
בצע לכוליה שירותיה - פרוסה גדולה ודי לו בה לאותה סעודה ולכבוד שבת ונראה כמחבב סעודת שבת להתחזק ולאכול הרבה:
Rashi posits that one is obligated to HOLD 2 loaves, and CUT/EAT 1 loaf.
Rashba/Gra posits that one is obligated to HOLD 2 loaves and CUT/EAT them both.
Which is more similar to the Sinai experience? How many loaves does one need for each approach?
For R Zeira/Gra/Rashba approach, the eating of 2 loaves relates more to doubling of many things on Shabbat: 2 candles, Kavod and Oneg, Zachor and Shamor, 2 baby sheep (not 1) slaughtered for Shabbat musaf korban; Mizmor shir l'yom haShabbat - mizmor and shir are doubling of the same word. We show our love of Shabbat, honor it, by doubling what we normally do.
Below is the accepted practical halakha.
דיני בציעת הפת בשבת. ובו ד סעיפים:
(א) בוצע על שתי ככרות [שלימות] שאוחז שתיהן בידו ובוצע התחתונה: הגה ודוקא בליל שבת [ד"ע] אבל ביום השבת או בליל י"ט בוצעין על העליונה והטעם הוא על דרך הקבלה:
(ב) מצוה לבצוע בשבת פרוסה גדולה שתספיק לו לכל הסעודה [וע"ל סי' קס"ז]:
(ג) אין המסובים רשאים לטעום עד שיטעום הבוצע ואם יש לפני כל אחד לחם משנה יכולים לטעום אע"פ שעדיין לא טעם הוא:
(ד) סעודה זו ושל שחרית אי אפשר לעשותם בלא פת:
(1) The Laws Pertaining to Breaking Bread on Shabbos, 4 Seifim: 1. Every person is obligated to break bread on two [whole] loaves. One holds them both in his hands and breaks the bottom one. RAMA: Specifically on the night of Shabbat. However on Shabbat day, or on the night of Yom Tov, we break the top one and the reason is according to the Kabbalah.
(2) It is a mitzvah on Shabbat to break a big piece that will last you through the whole meal [and see above Siman 167].
(3) Those participating in the meal may not partake [of the bread] until the person breaking bread [first] partakes [of the bread that he cuts]. If, however, two loaves are placed before each one of them, they may partake of their bread even though he has not yet partaken of his.
(4) This meal, and the meal of the daytime, cannot be done without bread.
(ד) גם נשים חייבות לבצוע על שתי ככרות, (מרדכי) דכל מילי דשבת - שוות נשים לאנשים. ולכן המדקדקים נוהגים שהבעל הבית כשנטל ידיו - אינו בוצע עד שיטלו כל המסובין את ידיהם ויושבין על השלחן, ואז בוצע על לחם משנה, וכולם יוצאין ידי חובתן בזה.
(ז) וכבר נתבאר שמצוה לבצוע בשבת פרוסה גדולה שתספיק לכל הסעודה, אך הנוהגים לבצוע על שני הככרות ביחד - אין צריך לנהוג כן, דלדידהו אין הפירוש כן בגמרא כמו שנתבאר. ואין המסובין רשאין לטעום מפרוסת המוציא עד שיטעום הבוצע, אמנם אם יש לפני כל אחד לחם משנה - יכולים לטעום אף על פי שעדיין לא טעם הבוצע, כיון שאין נזקקין ללחמו. ויש חיוב על כל אחד מישראל, בין איש בין אשה, לאכול שלש סעודות בשבת: אחת בלילה ושתים ביום. ורמז לנו משה רבינו בתורתו הקדושה: "ויאמר משה אכלוהו היום, כי שבת היום לד', היום לא תמצאוהו בשדה", וכתיב תלתא 'היום'.
(4) Women are also obligated to break bread on 2 loaves, that all the rules of Shabbat are the same for men and women. And so those who are careful, the head of the house washes his hands and does break bread (say hamotzei) until all the guests have washed and are seated at the table, and then he breaks bread on 2 loaves. This way all fulfill their obligation.
(7) It was already expalined that the mitzvah to break a large piece of breast that will last the whole meal; while some break/eat both loaves. It is not necessary to do this....
On Friday night, hold the two challot together, one on top of the other, but cut the lower one (for kabbalistic reasons).
On Saturday morning and all Yom Tov meals, cut the upper challa of the two challot.
https://www.halachipedia.com/index.php?title=The_Meals_of_Shabbat#cite_note-15
- Shulchan Aruch O.C. 274:1, Mishna Brurah 274:1. The poskim have a debate of whether this obligation is from the Torah or the rabbis. The Taz OC 678:2, Chatam Sofer OC no. 46, and Aruch Hashulchan 274:1 all say it is from the torah while the Magen Avraham 254:23 says that it is only rabbinic.
- Meiri Shabbat 118a writes that women are obligated in Lechem Mishneh just as they are obligated in other mitzvot of Shabbat such as the meals of Shabbat, Kiddish, and Havdalah. Mishna Brurah 274:1 rules that women are obligated in Lechem Mishneh based on the reasoning that they too enjoyed from the miracle of the manna. Beiur Halacha 291 s.v. nashim, Chazon Ovadyah (Shabbat vol 2, pg 172), and Aruch Hashulchan 274:4 agree.
Why do we use a challah cover:
a) don't want to "embarass" the challah that we make blessing over the wine. Why would challah be embarassed? What is the proper order of blessings/brachot on foods: Hamotzi, Mezonot, Gefen, Eitz, Adama, Shehahakol
b) manna was covered above and below by dew (tal). Wrap the challot in a cover to re-enact that.
Is there a practical difference between a and b in when one would remove challah cover?