Hilchos Shabbos Table Learning
A Weekly Guide to Shabbos Laws for Personal Study and Family Discussion
✨This weeks Topic✨
Laws of Kiddush & the Shabbos meals
🥖 The Three Shabbos Meals
🍞 The Law:
Every Jew must eat three meals with bread (Lechem Mishneh) on Shabbos (Shabbos 117b).
📖 The Reason:
The verse states: “And Moshe told the Jewish people, eat it today, because today is Shabbos for God, as today you will not find it in the field.” The term “today” (Hayom) appears three times in this passage. Based on this repetition, rabbinic authorities infer an obligation to partake in three meals on Shabbos.
📝 Details:
- The obligation is Rabbinic but derived from Scripture (Beshalach 16:25). 📜
- The mitzvah of the Shabbos meals is fulfilled by eating bread at each meal, known as Lechem Mishneh, which means having two whole loaves on the table. This practice comes from the Torah’s description of the manna (Mun) given to the Jewish people in the desert, which is called bread, teaching us that bread is essential for each of the three Shabbos meals. While having two whole challahs is a special mitzvah on its own, the main way to fulfill the obligation of the three Shabbos meals is by eating bread at each one. 🥖🥖
- The meals are: Friday night, Shabbos lunch, and Seudah Shlishis 🍽️.
📚 Sources:
Admur 274:1, 5, 275:5; Kuntrus Achron 271:4; M”A 254:23; Shabbos 117b; Beshalach 16:25
🕯 Kiddush – Biblical and Rabbinic Status of Kiddush
🌟 Overview
The mitzvah of Kiddush comes from the Torah’s commandment to “remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it” (Shemos/Exodus 20:8). The Sages explain that this means we must verbally declare the holiness of Shabbos, which is done through reciting Kiddush over wine at the beginning of Shabbos. The mitzvah of reciting Kiddush on Shabbos has both Biblical and Rabbinic components, depending on when it is performed. 🍷🕯️
📜 Biblical vs. Rabbinic Obligation
- The Friday night Kiddush is considered a Biblical mitzvah unless one has already prayed the Maariv service in which he verbally sanctified the Shabbos; in such a case, the obligation may be Rabbinic.
- The obligation to recite Kiddush during the day on Shabbos is always Rabbinic.
📚 Sources:
Admur 271:1-2; 289:2 regarding daytime M”A 271:1; Rameh Mipuno 2; M”B 271:2
👦 Child making Kiddush for family
⚖️The Law:
If someone has not yet davened Maariv on Friday night, they cannot fulfill their Kiddush obligation by hearing it from a child above Bar or Bas Mitzvah unless it is certain that the child has reached physical signs of adulthood (such as two pubic hairs, a beard, or being 18 years old). This applies to both men and women.
🕵️♂️ The Reason:
The Friday night Kiddush is a Biblical mitzvah, and for Biblical obligations, the person making Kiddush must be halachically considered an adult.
📝 Details:
- If one has already davened Maariv, they may fulfill Kiddush by hearing it from a child above Bar/Bas Mitzvah, even if these signs have not been verified.
- For Kiddush during the day on Shabbos or on Yom Tov, which are Rabbinic obligations, one may fulfill Kiddush by hearing it from a child above Bar/Bas Mitzvah, even if these signs have not been verified.
- If it is known for sure that the child has not yet developed these signs, one should not fulfill any form of Kiddush through them.
👨👩👦 Example:
On Friday night, Mrs. Cohen has not yet davened Maariv and wants to hear Kiddush from her son, Eli, who just turned Bar Mitzvah. Unless Mrs. Cohen knows Eli has reached physical adulthood, she cannot fulfill his Kiddush obligation this way. However, if Mrs. Cohen already davened Maariv, she may be Yotzei Kiddush from Eli, even if the signs have not been checked.
📚 Sources:
Admur 271:7; M”A 271:2; M”B 271:3; Rav Poalim 1:10; Kaf Hachaim 271:9 M”A 271:1; Biur Halacha 271:1; Shaar Hatziyon 271:7
🛠️ Melacha Corner 🛠️
🥫 Opening cans on Shabbos
Opening cans on Shabbos can involve the melachos of Tikkun Keli and destroying. Practically, if you plan to reuse the can or make a neat opening, it’s forbidden. If you’re just opening to eat and will throw it away, some Poskim allow it, while others only allow it if you open it in a destructive way, while others are strict are prohibit its opening entirely. The safest bet? Open all cans before Shabbos! This not only abides by all opinions, but was the practical ruling of noted Chabad Rabbanim in the understanding of the Alter Rebbe.
- 🧠❓ If you forgot and need the food, you may ask a non-Jew to open it, or choose to rely on lenient opinions if no non-Jew is available—but those who follow the Alter Rebbe should be strict and not open it at all on Shabbos.
- 🥫 🐟 🥤 Easy-open lids and soda cans: Easy-open lids and soda cans are generally forbidden to open in the regular way on Shabbos, since they create a nice opening. However, if needed, those who rely on the lenient opinion of opening cans on Shabbos, may open them destructively or only halfway, hence avoiding making a nice hole.
💡Example:
On Shabbos morning, the Goldstein family is preparing for lunch. Mrs. Goldstein realizes she forgot to open a can of olives before Shabbos. She asks her son, Moshe, if he can open it. Remembering the halacha, Moshe explains that, according to the opinion they follow (based on the Alter Rebbe), they should not open cans on Shabbos at all. Since they really want the olives, Mrs. Goldstein considers asking their neighbor, Mr. Jones, who is not Jewish, to open the can for them. If no non-Jewish neighbor is available, and there is a very great need, Moshe recalls that some are lenient and allow opening the can in a destructive way, but the family decides to wait until after Shabbos to avoid any halachic issue. ⏳🙏
📚 Sources:
See Admur 314:1-3, 18; Tehila Ledavid 314:12; Chazon Ish 51:11; Ketzos Hashulchan 119 footnote 7; Az Nidbaru 11:12; Rav Zalman Shimon Dworkon in Koveitz Zalman Shimon p. 63 [Machmir like Tehila Ledavid and Chazon ish]; Rav Farkash in Koveitz Habracha 8 and in Shabbos Kehalacha Volume 4
