Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 274 - Laws Pertaining to Breaking Bread on Shabbos

Both a man and a woman; see sec. 291:8.

A person who has enough food for only two meals should eat two full meals rather than divide his food so that we will eat three unsatisfying meals (sec. 291:5).

See sec. 167:23, where the Alter Rebbe writes: “If one does not derive benefit from eating, and fasting [rather than eating] brings him pleasure, he is exempt from the obligation to eat.” See also sec. 288:2-3 and sec. 291:1, where this concept is developed.

Shabbos 117b. The obligation to partake of these three meals is mentioned many times in this text; see sec. 242:4-5; sec. 249:6, 10; and sec. 254:6-7, et al. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 36, p. 78.

Shmos 16:25. Although our Sages found an allusion to this practice in the Torah, the obligation is of Rabbinic origin.

In the Talmudicera, it was customary to “break bread,” i.e., to separate a loaf into pieces by hand. Later, it became common practice to slice pieces from a loaf with a knife. For the sake of familiarity, our translation uses terminology that applies to both practices, even though at times the translation will not be literal.

See sec. 167:7, which states: “It is preferable that he place both hands on the bread, for his ten fingers correspond to the ten mitzvos involved in [the production of] bread.”

It is Chabad custom to score the loaf that one will eat, taking care not to cut it before reciting the blessing HaMotzi (Sefer HaMinhagim Chabad, p. 28).

Instead, one should fulfill the mitzvah at the first opportunity – in this instance, with the higher loaf. This is a principle with ramifications in many aspects of our observance (see Yoma 33a; see other expressions of this principle in sec. 36:9 and sec. 473:24).

During the Friday night meal, the prevailing Chabadcustom is to hold the loaves side by side on the same level (see Torah Or, p. 66d), with their bottoms facing each other (see Likkutei Torah, Devarim 17b). During the Shabbos day meal, the right loaf is held somewhat higher than the left (the Rebbe’s Igros Kodesh, Vol. 18, Letter no. 6849).

Berachos 39b; Shabbos 117b.

See sec. 167:4.

Berachos 47a. In sec. 167:20, the Alter Rebbe derives a further concept from this ruling:

[After reciting HaMotzi,] one should not distribute bread to the other diners before he partakes of it. Doing so would create a pointless interruption between his recitation of HaMotzi and his eating the bread, since in any case, they may not partake of the bread before he eats it.

In the sec. 167:20, the Alter Rebbe also states: “They must, nonetheless, wait until the majority of the people responding [to his blessing] conclude the recitation of Amen.” In that source, the Alter Rebbe also states that on Shabbos and festivals, every participant in the meal should be given two loaves of bread. Sec. 473:24, however, states that they may fulfill their obligation with the two loaves of the host. At present, it is not the common practice for every participant in the Shabbos meal to have two loaves. Instead, everyone fulfills their obligation with the two loaves placed before the head of the household, and partakes of pieces from those loaves. There are some who also provide two loaves for guests, but numerous guests can share the same two loaves.

In his Igros Kodesh, Vol. 14, Letter no. 4779, the Rebbe writes that even though it is customary for guests to recite the blessing HaMotzi themselves, they still fulfill their obligation for lechem mishneh with the two loaves of the host, citing as his source, Eshel Avraham (Butshash).

In sec. 188:10, the Alter Rebbe writes: “[If one eats] types of loaves that are [generally] not considered the basis of a meal [as the primary element of a meal on Shabbos and the festivals], he must eat an amount that could serve as the basis for a meal.” For when eating such an amount, one should recite the blessing HaMotzi before and the full Grace afterwards, as he would do with proper bread. In his Seder Birkas HaNehenin, ch. 2, laws 2-3, the Alter Rebbe defines this amount – when eaten with accompanying foods, as is customary for a Shabbos meal – as the volume of approximately 4 eggs (slightly less than .25 kg, or slightly more than .50 lb). And he writes that these obligations are incumbent on one who is satiated after eating the baked goods alone or eating them together with other foods, such as meat or fish.

Significantly, a marginal note attached to sec. 188 of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, authored by the Alter Rebbe’s brother, R. Yehudah Leib, states that the Alter Rebbe retracted the above words at the end of his life and did not require a person to eat an amount of baked goods that would serve as the basis for a meal to fulfill his obligation for a Shabbos meal. As long as he eats enough to be obligated to recite the blessing Al hamichyah, in which he is required to mention the sanctity of the day, he fulfills his obligation. Nevertheless, particularly for the first and second Shabbos meals, common practice is not to conduct oneself in this manner. Indeed, the Tzemach Tzedek (Piskei Dinim, Chidushim, p. 357c) states: “It is obvious that one does not fulfill his obligation for the evening and morning meal on Shabbos with pastry.”

Sec. 188:10 explains the rationale for this ruling as follows:

With regard to Shabbos, it is written (Yeshayahu 58:13), “You shall proclaim the Shabbos ‘a delight.’… There is no delight or rejoicing without partaking of bread.”

See also sec. 249:10, which states: “[The bread] is considered the fundamental element of the Shabbos meal, since, without partaking of it, one does not fulfill the obligation of eating three meals [during Shabbos].” See also sec. 263:3 and sec. 271:8, et al.

See subsection 1.

Shmos 16:15.

Cf. Devarim 8:3. We have moved the position of this parenthetic statement, based on the recommendation of Mareh Mekomos VeTziyunim.

Generally, when the term “the measure of an egg” is used, it refers to an egg with its shell. In contemporary measure, the figure generally given is 57 cc or 2.03 fl. oz. It must be emphasized, however, that this measure (and also that of a kezayis, “an olive-sized measure,”) is a measure of volume, not a measure of weight. When measuring foods or liquids that have a similar consistency as water (specific density of 1), the food’s weight can be used to measure its volume. Thus, 57 cc will weigh 57 gm. When foods have a different density, the weight of an egg-sized portion will vary. Moreover, in sec. 486:2 (based on Uktzin 2:8), the Alter Rebbe writes that these measures should be calculated without crushing the small air pockets within the food. The specific density of bread, cake, and crackers ranges from 0.5 to 0.75 (and even less where there are air pockets). For example, an egg-sized portion of matzah or crackers will weigh 28.8 gm.

Also, this amount of bread must be eaten within a specific amount of time, twice kedei achilas p’ras, i.e., a total of eight minutes according to the more stringent views. See the Alter Rebbe’s Seder Netilas Yadayim, subsection 18.

See sec. 291:1 and sec. 639:11, where the Alter Rebbe mentions an opinion that eating an egg-sized portion is sufficient.

The size of an olive-size portion is 28.8 cc (slightly over a fluid ounce) in contemporary measure according to Shiurei Torah 3:9.

The blessing Borei atzei besamim.

Shabbos 33b mentions this practice. It is also mentioned in Kabbalah (see Shaar HaKavannos, p. 70d). Badei HaShulchan 82:12 states that this custom is not practiced in the Chabad community.

See a similar ruling in sec. 249:6.