The third Shabbos meal

sarahd

Sat, Nov 27 2004, 5:43 pm

Of course it's a chiyuv to eat the third meal, just like the first two meals. However, although lechatchila you should wash over lechem mishna, you can be maikil and
a) not use lechem mishna
b) not wash at all, and have mezonos
c) you can even be yotze with fruit
d) as a last resort, you can have a Lubavitcher seuda shlishis, I.e. learn instead of eating.... Very Happy

On short Shabbasos, I try to daven mincha right after the morning seuda and then eat a fruit or piece of cake, so in case I have the good luck to be able to sleep a couple of hours I shouldn't miss seuda shlishis.

Motek

Wed, Apr 06 2005, 4:23 pm

The Lubavitch custom is to eat shalosh seudos but not to wash for bread.

In Hayom Yom (22 Adar I) the Rebbe quotes the Rebbe Rasha”b (Meheirah Yishamah 5648) as saying, “The obligation to eat Shalosh Seudos is learned from the Passuk “Hayom Lo”, therefore we don’t need to eat bread, but one must taste something. As Rabbi Yosi said (Talmud, Shabbos 118b) “May my portion be among those who eat Shalosh Seudos”.

So Minhag Chabad is to make sure to taste something for Shalosh Seudos, and the reason why we don’t wash for bread is because of the Posuk “Hayom Lo”.

Motek

Wed, Apr 06 2005, 4:25 pm

for those who would like an elaboration:

What this means is as follows: The Gemarah in Shabbos learns the obligation to eat 3 meals of Shabbos from the following Posuk: “And Moshe said, eat [the Monn] today (Hayom), because today (Hayom) is a Shabbos for Hashem, today you will not (Hayom Lo) find [the Monn] in the field”.

Since the Pasuk says the word “Hayom” 3 times (when speaking about the Monn which served them as bread), we learn that one must eat 3 meals on Shabbos.

Based on the words of Rabbeinu Bechayei (one of the greatest students of the Rashb”a who lived over 700 years ago) The Tzemach Tzedek rules (Piskei Dinim Chiddushim on Rabbeinu Yerucham p. 357) that since this meal is learned from the words “Hayom Lo”, unlike the first two meals which are learned from the word “Hayom”, we don’t need to eat bread for Shalosh Seudos, unlike the first two meals.

Similar interpretations are found in the Baal Halevushim (Orach Chaim 291:5) and in the Chachmas Shlomo (ibid).

The concept of not washing of Shalosh Seudos is not a radical concept, and certainly was not invented by Chabad:

The Tur brings down the opinion of some of the Rishonim who hold that one can eat “Minei Targimah” for Shalosh Seudos, and not necessarily bread. Some commentaries (Ra”n, Rash”I) render “Targimah” as fruits, while others (Ros”h) render it as pastries. The Bac”h explains that since one eats a full meal in the morning, one can satiate himself with “Minei Targimah” and it is considered as if he has actually eaten bread. Based on this, the Shulchan Aruch writes: “Some say you can fulfill Shalosh Seudos with any food which is made from the five types of grain, and some say that even fruits are sufficient.”

Motek

Wed, Apr 06 2005, 4:27 pm

parenthetically, as you see, I used the terms minhag Chabad and then quoted a psak halacha

it IS a psak halacha, and the term "minhag" here is used as "practice" rather than custom

confusing when "minhag" is used in two ways

so Hadasa - you weren't exactly wrong when you used the phrase minhag (in that other thread and in your classes), it's just impt. to know what is minhag=custom and what is minhag=practice!