Know! Shabbat eating is not at all for the sake of satiation, but rather that the six weekdays should be blessed, as is brought in the Zohar (II, 88a). As a result of Shabbat eating, all the six weekdays are filled with bounty and blessing.
For in the main, satiation is on Shabbat. The reason for this is that a blind man is not satiated [from eating], as our Sages, of blessed memory, learn from the verse (Deuteronomy 8:16), “Who fed you manna in the wilderness… in order to send you hardship…” (Yoma 74b). In addition, overly large strides remove the light of a person’s eyes, which is restored to him with the nighttime kiddush (Berakhot 43b). Thus it is that the main perfection of vision is on Shabbat. Therefore, that is the time of satiation, for satiation is a result of sight, as explained above.
This is the explanation of “On [this day] we take small strides; we eat on it to bless three times” (Shabbat Table Song). That is, on Shabbat we take small strides, which keeps vision perfect, which in turn leads to satiation, as explained above. Thus, the reason we eat three times on [Shabbat] is only in order to bless—i.e., in order to bless the six weekdays, as explained above. For the sake of Shabbat itself, however, one would not need to eat so much, three times, because Shabbat is a time of satiation. Rather, [the eating] is only in order to bless, as explained above.
דַּע, כִּי אֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת אֵינָהּ בִּשְׁבִיל שְׂבִיעָה כְּלָל, רַק בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן כֻּלְּהוֹ שִׁתָּא יוֹמִין, כַּמּוּבָא בַּזֹּהַר (יתרו פח), כִּי מֵאֲכִילַת שַׁבָּת נִשְׁפָּעִין וְנִתְבָּרְכִין כָּל שֵׁשֶׁת הַיָּמִים.
Know! Shabbat eating is not at all for the sake of satiation, but rather that the six weekdays should be blessed, as is brought in the Zohar (II, 88a). As a result of Shabbat eating, all the six weekdays are filled with bounty and blessing.
כִּי עִקַּר הַשְּׂבִיעָה – בְּשַׁבָּת, כִּי סוּמָא אֵין לוֹ שׂבַע, כְּמוֹ שֶׁלָּמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא עד:) מִפָּסוּק: הַמַּאֲכִילְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וְכוּ'. וּפְסִיעָה גַּסָּה נוֹטֶלֶת מְאוֹר עֵינָיו שֶׁל אָדָם וּמְהַדֵּר לֵהּ בְּקִדּוּשָׁא דְּבֵי שִׁמְשֵׁי (ברכות מג:). נִמְצָא שֶׁעִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת מְאוֹר עֵינַיִם הוּא בְּשַׁבָּת, וְעַל כֵּן אָז הַשְּׂבִיעָה, כִּי הַשְּׂבִיעָה עַל יְדֵי רְאִיַּת עֵינַיִם כַּנַּ"ל.
For in the main, satiation is on Shabbat. The reason for this is that a blind man is not satiated [from eating], as our Sages, of blessed memory, learn from the verse (Deuteronomy 8:16), “Who fed you manna in the wilderness… in order to send you hardship…” (Yoma 74b). In addition, overly large strides remove the light of a person’s eyes, which is restored to him with the nighttime kiddush (Berakhot 43b). Thus it is that the main perfection of vision is on Shabbat. Therefore, that is the time of satiation, for satiation is a result of sight, as explained above.
וְזֶה: פּוֹסְעִים בּוֹ פְּסִיעָה קְטַנָּה, סוֹעֲדִים בּוֹ לְבָרֵךְ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים; הַיְנוּ שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת פּוֹסְעִים פְּסִיעָה קְטַנָּה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה הַמְּאוֹר עֵינַיִם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה הַשְּׂבִיעָה כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל כֵּן מַה שֶּׁסּוֹעֲדִים בּוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, הוּא רַק לְבָרֵךְ, דְּהַיְנוּ בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן כָּל שִׁתָּא יוֹמִין כַּנַּ"ל, אֲבָל בִּשְׁבִיל שַׁבָּת עַצְמוֹ לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לֶאֱכֹל כָּל כָּךְ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, כִּי בְּשַׁבָּת הַשְּׂבִיעָה, רַק הוּא לְבָרֵךְ כַּנַּ"ל:
This is the explanation of “On [this day] we take small strides; we eat on it to bless three times” (Shabbat Table Song). That is, on Shabbat we take small strides, which keeps vision perfect, which in turn leads to satiation, as explained above. Thus, the reason we eat three times on [Shabbat] is only in order to bless—i.e., in order to bless the six weekdays, as explained above. For the sake of Shabbat itself, however, one would not need to eat so much, three times, because Shabbat is a time of satiation. Rather, [the eating] is only in order to bless, as explained above.