Shabbat 118a (קיח.) — the Talmud in English

We learned in the Mishna: If a fire breaks out on Shabbat eve

one may rescue food for three meals.

What, is it not

the Mishna speaking

of one who has not eaten,

and it is thereby proven that one may rescue food only for three meals, and not in accordance with Rabbi Ḥidka, who said that there are four meals on Shabbat?

And we reject this:

No.

Rather, it is speaking

of one who has eaten,

who has already eaten one meal.

Come and hear, as we learned in the Mishna:

In the morning—

one may rescue food for two meals.

What, is it not speaking of one who has not eaten?

And it is thereby proven that the Mishna is not in accordance with Rabbi Ḥidka.

And we reject this:

No, it is speaking of one who has eaten.

Come and hear from the continuation of the Mishna:

In the afternoon prayer, one may rescue food for one meal.

What, is it not speaking of one who has not eaten?

And we reject this:

No, it is speaking of one who has eaten.

And we again demonstrate:

But from the fact that the latter clause teaches: Rabbi Yosei says: In every case,

even when the times of the meals have passed,

one may rescue food for three meals.

By inference, the first tanna holds that there are three meals!

The dispute between them concerns only the time during which one may rescue food, and not the number of meals that one is obligated to have on Shabbat.

Rather, it is clear that the Mishna is not in accordance with Rabbi Ḥidka.

But we learned in a Mishna: One who has food for two meals—

may not take from the communal food tray.

One who has

food for fourteen meals—

may not take from the communal fund.

The communal food tray is a daily distribution of food to the poor; the communal fund is a distribution of money for food needs, and it is distributed once a week.

Whose opinion is this?

It is neither the opinion of the Sages nor that of Rabbi Ḥidka.

For

if it is the opinion of the Sages,

then

there are fifteen meals.

There are fifteen meals in the week, since on Shabbat there is also a third meal.

If it is the opinion of Rabbi Ḥidka,

then there are

sixteen

meals—sixteen in all, together with the fourth meal on Shabbat—

there should be!

And we answer:

Actually, it is the opinion of the Sages.

It

is because we say to him: Whatever you intended to eat at the conclusion of Shabbat,

on Saturday night—

eat it on Shabbat.

Although there is a mitzva to eat a meal at the conclusion of Shabbat, the communal fund and communal food tray do not distribute food for the sake of a mitzva.

Shall we say that it is the opinion of the Sages and not that of Rabbi Ḥidka,

since according to Rabbi Ḥidka he is still lacking another meal?

You may even say that it is the opinion of Rabbi Ḥidka.

It

is because we say to him: Whatever you intended to eat on the eve of

Shabbat

eat it at night,

on Shabbat night.

And we challenge this:

But

if so,

the entire day of the eve of

of

Shabbat,

the eve of Shabbat,

would we seat him in fasting?

Rather, whose opinion is this?

It is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva,

who says: Make your Shabbat like a weekday, and do not become dependent on others.

Therefore, they give the poor person only the amount needed for weekday meals.

And with regard to that which we learned in a Mishna: One may not give less

than this

to a poor person traveling from place to place,

who does not lodge in the city: food

of a loaf

that is purchased

with a pundeyon

when the market price of bread is

four se’a for a sela.

And if he

lodges

in the city,

they give him lodging expenses. And if it is Shabbat,

they give

him food for three meals.

Shall we say that it is the opinion of the Sages and not that of Rabbi Ḥidka?

For it is clear that they give him food for the mitzva of Shabbat meals, and nevertheless they give him three meals and not four.

Actually, it is the opinion of Rabbi Ḥidka.

And

it is speaking of a case where there is

in the poor person’s possession

one meal

already

with him.

We say to him: This

meal

that you have with you—

eat it

on Shabbat as the fourth meal.

We are perplexed: If so, the poor person should eat the only food remaining to him;

and when he goes,

when the poor person continues on his way—will he

go empty-handed,

with empty hands,

when he goes?

And we answer: The intention is that in addition to the meals they give him for his stay in the city, they give him one additional meal,

as they accompany him with a meal,

in addition to the three meals.

And now the Gemara explains:

What are lodging expenses

that they give the poor person?

Rav Pappa said: A bed

and

bedding,

sheets to place beneath his head.

The Sages taught: The bowls in which one ate

the Shabbat meal

at night—

one may rinse them,

cleaning them, in order

to eat from them in the morning.

The bowls in which one ate the Shabbat meal

in the morning—

one may rinse them

in order

to eat from them at midday.

At midday—

one may rinse them in order to eat from them in the afternoon prayer period.

However, bowls in which one ate

from the afternoon prayer onward—

one may no longer rinse them

because this is for a weekday need.

However, cups, jugs, and small dishes,

which are used throughout every day of Shabbat—

one may continue rinsing them throughout the entire day, since there is no fixed time for drinking.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, in the name of bar Kappara: Whoever fulfills three meals on Shabbat—

is saved from three calamities:

From the pangs of the Messiah, from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the war of Gog and Magog.

From the pangs of the Messiah—

it is written here

with regard to Shabbat,

“day,” and it is written there

with regard to the pangs of the Messiah [Malachi 3],

“Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the day

of the Lord, the great and awesome.”

From the judgment of Gehenna—

it is written here, “day.”

And it is written there

[Zephaniah 1],

“The day of wrath is that day.”

From the war of Gog and Magog—

it is written here, “day.”

And it is written there

[Ezekiel 38],

“On the day that Gog comes.”

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Whoever delights in Shabbat —

they grant him an inheritance without boundaries.

As it is stated

[Isaiah 58]: “And you shall call Shabbat a delight.” And concerning this reward:

“Then you shall delight in the Lord,”