We find therefore that for each of the three meals it is written “today,” to hint that the Shabbat meal is to be eaten only for the sake of the day. For sometimes a person eats because he is hungry from the previous day, and sometimes so that he should not be hungry on the following day. Rather, each of the three Shabbat meals should be eaten only for the sake of the day. That is, this meal is not for what went before and not for what will be afterwards.
{I [Reb Noson] did not hear this lesson directly from Rebbe Nachman but from someone else who said it in his name. I transcribed it the way I heard it. Afterwards, it happened that I spoke to him about this point. He himself expressed hesitation, and said, “Surely, Shabbat eating is very, very valuable. As is explained throughout the words of our Sages, on Shabbat we must especially eat, drink and enjoy many delicacies.”
Iunderstood that it was not his intention with this teaching to lessen the Shabbat eating, God forbid. Yet he gave me no clarification of the substance of his intention with this teaching, for I had no chance to again speak to him about this. Nevertheless, afterwards, we heard many lessons from his holy lips concerning the outstanding holiness of Shabbat eating, which is of great value. He specifically said that on Shabbat we have to increase food and drink, quite simply. This is because Shabbat eating is pure Godliness, pure holiness.
Study Lesson #57, “They Asked Rabbi Yosi ben Kisma,” as well as that which is written further on, Lesson #277, that the main honor of Shabbat is the eating. Study there and elsewhere.}
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אִכְלוּהוּ הַיּוֹם, כִּי שַׁבָּת הַיּוֹם לַייָ וְכוּ' (שמות ט״ז:כ״ה):
“Moshe said, ‘ Ikhluhu HaYom (Eat it today), for today is God’s Shabbat. [Today you will not find (manna) in the field].’” (Exodus 16:25)
וְלָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת קיז:) מִכָּאן, שֶׁחַיָּב לֶאֱכֹל שָׁלֹשׁ סְעֻדּוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, כִּי תְּלָתָא "הַיּוֹם" כְּתִיבִי.
Our Sages learn from here that one is obligated to eat three meals on Shabbat. For “today” is written thrice (Shabbat 117b).
נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל כָּל סְעֻדָּה מִשָּׁלֹשׁ סְעֻדּוֹת כְּתִיב "הַיּוֹם", לְרַמֵּז שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל בַּסְּעֻדָּה שֶׁל שַׁבָּת, רַק בִּשְׁבִיל הַיּוֹם. כִּי לִפְעָמִים אוֹכְלִים בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁרָעֵב מֵאֶתְמוֹל, וְלִפְעָמִים בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא רָעֵב לְמָחָר, אַךְ בְּכָל סְעֻדָּה מִשָּׁלֹשׁ סְעֻדּוֹת שֶׁל שַׁבָּת, לֹא יֹאכַל כִּי־אִם בִּשְׁבִיל הַיּוֹם, הַיְנוּ סְעֻדָּה זוֹ לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל קֹדֶם וְלֹא בִּשְׁבִיל אַחַר־כָּךְ:
We find therefore that for each of the three meals it is written “today,” to hint that the Shabbat meal is to be eaten only for the sake of the day. For sometimes a person eats because he is hungry from the previous day, and sometimes so that he should not be hungry on the following day. Rather, each of the three Shabbat meals should be eaten only for the sake of the day. That is, this meal is not for what went before and not for what will be afterwards.
[זֶה הָעִנְיָן לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּעַצְמוֹ, רַק מִפִּי אַחֵר שֶׁאָמַר מִשְּׁמוֹ, וּכְתַבְתִּיו כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי. אַחַר־כָּךְ נִזְדַּמֵּן שֶׁדִּבַּרְתִּי עִמּוֹ זַ"ל מֵעִנְיָן זֶה, וּפִקְפֵּקּ בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל־זֶה וְאָמַר: הֲלֹא אֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת יְקָרָה מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּכָל דִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת צְרִיכִין דַּוְקָא לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמַעֲדַנִּים.
{I [Reb Noson] did not hear this lesson directly from Rebbe Nachman but from someone else who said it in his name. I transcribed it the way I heard it. Afterwards, it happened that I spoke to him about this point. He himself expressed hesitation, and said, “Surely, Shabbat eating is very, very valuable. As is explained throughout the words of our Sages, on Shabbat we must especially eat, drink and enjoy many delicacies.”
וְהֵבַנְתִּי שֶׁאֵין כַּוָּנָתוֹ בְּמַאֲמָר זֶה הַנַּ"ל, לְמַעֵט בַּאֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְתֹכֶן כַּוָּנָתוֹ בְּמַאֲמָר זֶה לֹא בֵּאֵר לִי כְּלָל, כִּי לֹא זָכִיתִי לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ עוֹד מִמַּאֲמָר זֶה. רַק אַחַר־כָּךְ שָׁמַעְנוּ מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ זַ"ל כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה תּוֹרוֹת עַל עִנְיַן מַעֲלַת קְדֻשַּׁת אֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת שֶׁיְּקָרָה מְאֹד, וְאָמַר בְּפֵרוּשׁ שֶׁצְּרִיכִין בְּשַׁבָּת לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמִשְׁתֶּה כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, כִּי אֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת הִיא כֻּלָּהּ אֱלֹקוּת כֻּלָּהּ קֹדֶשׁ וְכוּ'.
Iunderstood that it was not his intention with this teaching to lessen the Shabbat eating, God forbid. Yet he gave me no clarification of the substance of his intention with this teaching, for I had no chance to again speak to him about this. Nevertheless, afterwards, we heard many lessons from his holy lips concerning the outstanding holiness of Shabbat eating, which is of great value. He specifically said that on Shabbat we have to increase food and drink, quite simply. This is because Shabbat eating is pure Godliness, pure holiness.
עַיֵּן בְּהַתּוֹרָה "שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִסְמָא" בְּסִימָן נ"ז, וּלְקַמָּן בְּסִימָן רע"ז, מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב שָׁם שֶׁעִקַּר כְּבוֹד שַׁבָּת הוּא הָאֲכִילָה, עַיֵּן שָׁם וְעוֹד בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת]:
Study Lesson #57, “They Asked Rabbi Yosi ben Kisma,” as well as that which is written further on, Lesson #277, that the main honor of Shabbat is the eating. Study there and elsewhere.}