EATING ON SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS

written by Chaim Kramer
April 19, 2023

Over Shabbat, a person should eat three meals: on Friday night, on Shabbat morning, and one more on Shabbat afternoon (Shabbat 117b).

Rebbe Nachman teaches: Eat on Shabbat for the sake of Shabbat itself. Don’t eat because you didn’t have a chance to eat on Friday, or so you shouldn’t be hungry on Sunday. Eat only for today, in honor of Shabbat itself. Honor Shabbat with the finest cuisine and as many delicacies as your budget will allow (Likutey Moharan I, 125). Don’t even think that delighting in fine foods and wines is being extravagant and indulgent. All the foods that you partake of on Shabbat are considered holy. Besides, dining on Shabbat brings peace (Likutey Moharan I, 57:5,6).

Not only is eating the Three Meals the best way to honor Shabbat, but it can also rectify any Shabbat desecration one may have inadvertently committed (Likutey Moharan I, 277).

Don’t even think that delighting in fine foods and wines is being extravagant and indulgent. All the foods that you partake of on Shabbat are considered holy. Besides, dining on Shabbat brings peace
Celebrate the Shabbat and holiday meals with song and good food (Likutey Moharan II, 17; Ibid. II, 104). As far as the holidays are concerned, the Shulchan Arukh states that we should honor the Festivals with food and drink, just as on Shabbat (Orach Chaim 529:1). Thus, all the teachings that apply to celebrating and enjoying Shabbat are applicable to the holidays as well.
taken from the book Crossing the Narrow Bridge, Chapter 12 – Daily Needs