Do I Have to Eat Meat on Shabbat?

Question:

I keep hearing and reading various sources stating that it is absolute halacha that one must eat meat on Shabbat. Is this actual halacha or just a custom (albeit a very widespread one), and what is the reasoning behind the law/custom?

The reason I ask is that my wife and I are vegetarian. I have been vegetarian since I was a small child, because I simply do not like the taste of meat. If there is a halacha that I must eat meat to "enjoy Shabbat," how can I enjoy eating something that I don't enjoy?

Thank you in advance for your always wonderful and knowledgeable responses.

Response:

The prophet Isaiah enjoins us to "call the Shabbat a day of delight" and as a reward we will "delight in G‑d" in the time to come. What a great religion—you have a delightful day and you get rewarded for it!

But what exactly is delight? The rabbis of the Talmud determined that at least one major component of delight is by food and drink. In their days, a fine meal meant a big fish. In later times, meat usurped the place of honor over fish. Does that mean that today we must eat meat on Shabbat?

The best way to determine whether something is halacha or not is by seeing what the halachic authorities have to say. As it turns out, they say something quite different than what you have been told. The Shulchan Aruch Harav sums up the halacha as follows:

There is no obligation to eat meat or drink wine on Shabbat. Rather, since it is assumed that most people take more pleasure in eating meat than in other foods, and in drinking wine more than other drinks, therefore they should increase in [consuming] meat and wine according to their means.

In other words, what exactly the menu should consist of is entirely up to the tastes of the individual, with the stipulation that it be the best he can afford. The main thing is how you enjoy a meal—not how others think you should enjoy it. On the contrary, for people such as yourself, eating meat may be counter to Isaiah's "delighting the Shabbat."

While on the topic, here's an excellent essay on vegetarianism in Judaism.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Moshe Goldman