Daf Ditty Shabbes 117

1 /

רַמָא בַר :אָדְּסִח םָלוֹעְל םיִכְּשַׁי םָדָא תַאָצוֹהְל ,תָבַּשׁ :רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ הָיָהְו״ םוֹיַּבּ יִשִּׁשַּׁה וּניִכֵהְו תֵא רֶשֲׁא ,״וּאיִבָי .רַתְּלַאְל רַמָא רַמָא .רַתְּלַאְל ,״וּאיִבָי רֶשֲׁא תֵא וּניִכֵהְו יִשִּׁשַּׁה םוֹיַּבּ הָיָהְו״ :רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ ,תָבַּשׁ תַאָצוֹהְל םָדָא . יִבַּר :אָבַּא תָבַּשְׁבּ ביָיַּח םָדָא ַﬠוֹצְבִל לַﬠ יֵתְּשׁ ,תוֹרָכִּכ :ביִתְכִדּ םֶחֶל הֶנְשִׁמ םֶחֶל :ביִתְכִדּ ,תוֹרָכִּכ יֵתְּשׁ לַﬠ ַﬠוֹצְבִל םָדָא ביָיַּח תָבַּשְׁבּ :אָבַּא יִבַּר

Rav Ḥisda said: A person should always rise early on Friday in order to prepare all of the expenditures for Shabbat, as it is written with regard to the collection of the manna:

And it shall come to pass on the sixth day that they shall 5 ה הָיָהְו םוֹיַּבּ ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה וּניִכֵהְו תֵא תֵא וּניִכֵהְו ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה םוֹיַּבּ הָיָהְו prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as רֶשֲׁא - ;וּאיִבָי הָיָהְו ,הֶנְשִׁמ לַﬠ רֶשֲׁא - '.much as they gather daily ִי וּטְקְל םוֹי .םוֹי םוֹי

“And it shall be on the sixth day, and they will prepare that which they have brought” (Exodus 16:5), indicating that the children of Israel would begin preparing the food for Shabbat immediately upon collecting the manna in the morning. Apropos manna, the Gemara mentions other matters derived from it. Rabbi Abba said: On Shabbat a person is obligated to break bread in his meal over two loaves of bread, as it is written:

And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered 22 בכ יִהְיַו םוֹיַּבּ ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה וּטְקָל םֶחֶל םֶחֶל וּטְקָל ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה םוֹיַּבּ יִהְיַו twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the הֶנְשִׁמ -- יֵנְשׁ ,רֶמֹעָה ;דָחֶאָל יַּו ֹבָ וּאוּ .rulers of the congregation came and told Moses לָכּ - יֵאיִשְׂנ ,הָדֵﬠָה וּדיִגַּיַּו .הֶשֹׁמְל

“And it happened on the sixth day, they collected double the bread, two omer for each one” (Exodus 16:22).

2 רַמָא בַר :יֵשָׁא אָניֵזֲח הּיֵל בַרְל אָנֲהָכּ טֵקָנְדּ יֵתְּרַתּ עַצָבוּ .אָדֲח :רַמָא ״וּטְקִל״ .ביִתְכּ יִבַּר אָריֵז הָוֲה עַצָבּ הַּלּוּכַּא .הּיֵתוּריֵשׁ .הּיֵתוּריֵשׁ הַּלּוּכַּא עַצָבּ הָוֲה אָריֵז יִבַּר .ביִתְכּ רַמֲא הּיֵל אָניִבָר בַרְל :יֵשָׁא אָהְ ו יֵזְחיִמ ?אָתוּנָתְבַﬠַרְכּ רַמֲא :הּיֵל ןָויֵכּ לׇכְדּ אָמוֹי אָל ,דיֵבָﬠ ָדּיִאָהְ ו אָנ אוּה דיֵבָﬠָקְדּ — אָל אָל יֵזְחיִמ .אָתוּנָתְבַﬠַרְכּ יִבַּר יֵמַּא יִבַּרְו יִסַּא יִכּ עַלְקּיִמ וּהְל אָתְּפיִר אָבוּריֵﬠְד — וּרָשׁ וָלּיִﬠ ,הּיֵ :יִרְמָא ליִאוֹה בֲﬠְתיִאְ ו דיִ הַּבּ דֲח אָ אָ דֲח הַּבּ דיִ בֲﬠְתיִאְ ו ליִאוֹה :יִרְמָא ,הּיֵ וָלּיִﬠ וּרָשׁ . הָוְצִמ — דיִבֲﬠְתיִל הַּבּ הָוְצִמ אָניִרֲחַא הָוְצִמ הַּבּ דיִבֲﬠְתיִל

Rav Ashi said: I saw that Rav Kahana took two loaves in his hand and broke one, not both at once. He said in explanation that it is written: “They collected double the bread,” meaning that one collects and holds two loaves together but need not break both. Rabbi Zeira would break off a piece that would suffice for his entire meal. Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Doesn’t that appear like gluttony? Rav Ashi said to him: Since on every other day he does not do this and now he is doing so, it does not appear like gluttony. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, when the bread from the eiruv would happen to become available to them, they would begin and recite the blessing over it. They said in explanation: Since one mitzva was performed with it, let an additional mitzva be performed with it.

RASHI

The Gemara says that when one cuts the Challah at the Shabbos meal, he should lift both loaves of Lechem Mishneh while he recites the blessing of "ha'Motzi." Rav Kahana rules that he should then cut one of the loaves.

The Gemara relates that Rebbi Zeira would cut "his entire meal" from the Challah. What does this mean?

RASHI: Rebbi Zeira would cut a very large slice of bread which would last for the entire meal. He did this in order to show how beloved the Shabbos meal -- and thus Shabbos itself -- was to him.

RASHBA

disagrees with Rashi. He argues that Rashi's explanation of Rebbi Zeira's custom to cut a large slice has nothing to do with the subject matter of the Gemara here, which discusses the preparation of two loaves for Lechem Mishneh. Rather, the Rashba explains that the Gemara means that Rebbi Zeira cut through both of his two loaves of Lechem Mishneh.

HALACHAH:

: יד נ י תעיצב תפה .תבשב ובו ד םיפיעס ד ובו .תבשב תפה תעיצב י נ יד

The Laws Pertaining to Breaking Bread on Shabbos, 4 Seifim: 1. Every person is obligated to break bread on two [whole] loaves. One holds them both in his hands and breaks the bottom one. RAMA: Specifically, on the night of Shabbat. However, on Shabbat day, or on the night of Yom Tov, we break the top one [Kol Bo; Hagahos Maimoni] and the reason is according to the Kabbalah.

2. It is a mitzvah on Shabbat to break a big piece that will last you through the whole meal.

RITVA: With the statement, “And it shall be on the sixth day,” the Torah indicates that the people should begin preparations, “they will prepare” (Exodus 16:5), immediately when the day begins.

4 An alternative interpretation is that since they did not collect the manna at night, the Torah teaches that preparations began with its collection in the early hours of the morning.

SHULCHAN ARUCH (OC 274:1) cites Rashi's opinion as the Halachah and says that one should cut one of the two loaves, and he should cut a large slice.

RAMBAM

The most preferable way is to cut a whole loaf. If there is a whole loaf of barley bread and there is also a cut loaf of wheaten bread, the host puts the whole loaf within the cut loaf and divides them both, so that he cuts the wheaten bread and at the same time the whole loaf. On Sabbaths and Festivals, it is obligatory to say the blessing over two loaves. The host takes both loaves in his hand and cuts one of them.

Mishna Torah Blessings 7:4

VILNA GA'ON (in BI'UR HA'GRA ) rules in accordance with the Rashba's opinion that one should cut both loaves of Lechem Mishneh, like Rebbi Zeira did.

Elsewhere, the Vilna Ga'on points out that this ruling resolves a puzzling statement of the Zohar.

The Zohar says that a person should have twelve loaves of Challah on Shabbos, to correspond to the twelve loaves of the Lechem ha'Panim in the Beis ha'Mikdash that were eaten on Shabbos. If we eat Lechem Mishneh for three meals, we have only six loaves. How do we have twelve?

One custom (common among Chasidic Rebbes) is to recite ha'Motzi on twelve loaves (or small Challah-rolls) at each meal.

Another custom is to have four loaves (instead of two) at each meal, so that the total number of loaves at all three Shabbos meals is twelve.

The Vilna Ga'on explains that it suffices to have only two loaves at each meal. However, since one is supposed to cut through both loaves, one obtains four halves of loaves at each meal, or twelve

5 half-loaves over the course of Shabbos! (See Berachos 4b, where a "half" is also called one whole entity.)1

Mishnah Berurah OC 274

We had already learned this Halachah in Berachot 39b in the name of Rabbi Aba:

In connection to the various halakhot with regard to breaking bread, especially on Festivals, the Gemara cites another halakha. Rabbi Abba said: And on Shabbat one is obligated to break bread for the meal over two loaves. What is the reason? Because in the Torah portion that discusses gathering manna on Friday for Shabbat, the phrase:

And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered 22 בכ יִהְיַו םוֹיַּבּ ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה וּטְקָל םֶחֶל םֶחֶל וּטְקָל ,יִשִּׁשַּׁה םוֹיַּבּ יִהְיַו twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the הֶנְשִׁמ -- יֵנְשׁ ,רֶמֹעָה ;דָחֶאָל וּאֹבָיַּו לָכּ - .rulers of the congregation came and told Moses ְנ יֵאיִשׂ ,הָדֵﬠָה גַּיַּו דיִ וּ מְ ל .הֶשֹׁמ

“Twice as much bread” (Exodus 16:22) is written. To commemorate this, Shabbat meals are based on two loaves of bread.

There are many laws that are unique to Shabbat meals. On today’s daf the Gemara discusses the sources of some of those halakhot.

Rav Hisda said: A person should always rise early on Friday in order to prepare all of the expenditures for Shabbat, as it is written with regard to the collection of the manna: “And it shall be on the sixth day, and they will prepare that which they have brought” (Shemot 16:5), indicating that the children of Israel would begin preparing the food for Shabbat immediately upon collecting the manna in the morning.

1 Rav Mordechai Kornfeld Daf Advancement Forum

6 With the statement, “And it shall be,” the Torah indicates that the people should begin preparations, “they will prepare” (Shemot 16:5), immediately when the day begins. An alternative interpretation is that since they did not collect the manna at night, the Torah teaches that preparations began with its collection in the early hours of the morning (Ritva). Apropos manna, the Gemara mentions other matters derived from it.

Rabbi Abba said: On Shabbat a person is obligated to break bread in his meal over two loaves of bread, as it is written: “And it happened on the sixth day, they collected double the bread, two omer for each one” (Shemot 16:22).

Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Doesn’t that appear like gluttony? Rav Ashi said to him: Since on every other day he does not do this and now he is doing so, it does not appear like gluttony. Some commentaries explain that Rabbi Zeira would break all of the loaves that he prepared for the meal (Rashba). 2

The Shulchan Aruch rules that even if a person has provisions which are adequate for Shabbos, he may still avail himself to the full limit allowed by the Mishnah, and he may salvage the amount of food necessary for the three Shabbos meals.

Furthermore, if the household owner himself already saved a basket filled with loaves, the other members of his family may each enter and bring out three meals worth of food apiece.

Mishnah Berurah (334, #10) rules that even a person who is in the middle of fasting on Shabbos (which is permitted if one had a very troubling dream), he may still utilize this guide of the Mishnah, and he may go in and bring out the full allotment of food, because the ruling of the sages is standard for all people in all situations.

Pri Megadim (ibid. #4) presents an inquiry regarding whether the householder himself may save food for himself and for the members of his family, or whether they must each get their allotted rations themselves.

2 Steinsaltz on Daf 117

7 Bi’ur Halacha concludes that a person may save enough food for his family members. He bases his rationale upon the situation we find regarding Yom Kippur, where a man may save food, although it is understood that the food would be for his young children.3

Lechem Mishneh

When the Israelites wandered in the desert following the Exodus and until they entered the Promised Land, G-d provided them daily with heavenly manna. In order to enable the Jews to observe Shabbat (and not have to carry and prepare4 the manna on the Day of Rest), G-d provided them with a double portion on Friday. To commemorate this miracle, the Sages instituted that we break bread over two complete loaves at the start of every Shabbat meal. These two loaves are known as Lechem Mishneh.

The Arizal would use twelve loaves for the Lechem Mishneh of his three Shabbat meals, corresponding to the twelve showbreads that were consumed by the priests every Shabbat in the Holy Temple. (Sha'arei Teshuva 274:1)

According to most opinions, one should also have two loaves at the third meal (as well as at any other [optional] meal that one may enjoy during the course of Shabbat).5 Others say that since in the desert the Israelites would have only one portion of manna left for the third and final meal of the day, we need not commemorate the additional portion at that meal. (Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 291:7. Chabad does not even participate in third meal)6

There are various opinions and customs with regards to the proper way to hold the Lechem Mishneh during the Hamotzie blessing.

It is best to have all ten fingers touching the loaves while reciting the blessing. It is preferable to hold the loaf that one is planning to break and eat above the other loaf. (Bach, Orach Chaim 274.) This follows the principle that one may not pass over one mitzvah (object) in favor of another mitzvah (object).

For kabbalistic reasons, however, on Friday night one should break the loaf that is the lower of the two. (Rama, Orach Chaim 274:1) see below.

This all applies to the Friday night meal. On Shabbat day (as well as on holiday nights that are not also Friday night), one simply uses the upper loaf.

3 Daf Digest Shabbes 117 4 Talmud, Yoma 75a with Maharsha ad loc, that although the manna came as a ready-to-eat food for some people, for others it required preparation.

5 It would seem that this opinion's rationale is that since the day, as a whole, was blessed with a double portion, we commemorate this specialness at all the meals (see also Da'at Z'keinim on Exodus 16:22).

6 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1108296/jewish/Lechem-Mishneh-The-Two-Shabbat-Loaves.htm

The Kabbalah of Challah

In "Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals," 7Joel Hecker has written a fascinating work on eating in Medieval Kabbalah. Since the uninitiated may not be aware of the central role played by food in the Kabbalah, it suffices to point out that the Zohar itself opens by drawing an analogy between Knesset Yisrael and the Kiddush cup. So Hecker's book goes to the very heart of the Kabbalah.

The book is meant primarily as a meticulous work of academic scholarship, and so the novice reader may find it difficult going at first; in this case it would be helpful to consult an introduction to the Kabbalah, such as that found in Daniel Matt's "Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment."

Throughout the book, Hecker’s overriding claim is that “alongside the spiritual experiences located primarily in the mind or soul, other areas of the body, specifically the stomach and inward parts, also serve as locations for these experiences” . As Hecker shows, the embodied nature of mystical experiences works against the spirit/matter divide that is so common in medieval Jewish thought and in medieval philosophy more generally. While the Zohar, too, in many instances subscribes to this divide, the embodied nature of mystical experiences behind the work pushes toward a more unified notion of the body. As Hecker puts it, “the body eclipses its normal alienation from the spiritual, becoming assimilated to the divine flow. What emerges is not so much a spiritualization of the body, but rather the spirit-matter binarism is overcome, and the

7 Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals: Eating and Embodiment in Medieval Kabbalah (Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology) 2005

9 body is transformed into something neither wholly material nor wholly spiritual. The body that has emerged is one of psychosomatic unity” 8

The source for the “12 loaves” comes from Tikkunei Zohar 479

8Jonathan Dauber https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.1086/592155.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A8c327ad2a24ce7887959aea4376ef503

10 In the hymn sung by many during the Shabbat meal and composed by the ARI Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, known as the Arizal, we read:

May the Shechinah (“Divine Presence”) be surrounded by the six loaves on each side [of the table]; and may they correspond to the two sets of six loaves and the other articles [of the Holy Temple] . . .

In other words, we are praying that our 12 loaves of challah evoke the 12 showbreads that were placed on the Table (Shulchan) in the Holy Temple.

Some people make a point of placing 12 breads on their Shabbat tables or using a “pull-apart challah” made of 12 mini rolls. But most of us have just two loaves—so how do we arrive at the number 12?

The challah loaf is generally oblong, resembling the Hebrew letter vav, which has the numerical value of six, so the two loaves would equal 12.(Minchas Elazar) Many also braid each challah loaf with six strands, (The term used is keluyot, which translates literally as “braids” or “twists,” but some understand this to mean “strands).” also bringing the total to 12.10

10 Likutei Maharich, Seder Hanhagot Leil Shabbat, Nusach Azamer Bishvachin; Mateh Ephraim 625 and Ktzei Hamateh, ad loc.

11 History of Challah

Braided, egg-enriched bread is made in many other European cuisines. In Vienna, as in many other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the locals claim their own local bread, presenting their own version of traditional braided bread as shtritsls, kalacs, and what-not. In German-speaking regions like Vienna, there’s even a so-called Zopf, which is German for “braided hair.” And don’t even start with the French about their wonderful brioche!

Most of these rather sweet, yeasty, and egg-rich delicacies are eaten on Sundays and holidays with butter, honey, and jam. The main difference between the gentile and the Jewish version is the absence of dairy products in the latter. This is to conform to Jewish religious laws, which do not allow the mixing of dairy and meat.

Traditional challah recipes use oil instead of butter and milk and add eggs. (Water challos is German with a distinct sourdough flavor and added potatoes to help the action of the yeast.)11

What’s particular about the Jewish tradition and where’s the strong connection to Vienna? Let’s start at the beginning.

In 2008, a third-century amulet inscribed with the central Jewish prayer Shema Yisrael was discovered in a Roman child’s grave in a burial ground near Vienna. This “archeological sensation,” as it was called in the headlines, remains the earliest trace of Jewish inhabitants in present-day Austria.

Thus, there were already Jews on the site of modern-day Vienna before the city existed officially, or at least since the late Roman Empire, when Jews made up a sizeable portion of its population.

What’s particular about the Jewish tradition and where’s the strong connection to Vienna? Let’s start at the beginning.

Thus, there were already Jews on the site of modern-day Vienna before the city existed officially, or at least since the late Roman Empire, when Jews made up a sizeable portion of its population.

11 https://schibboleth.com/challah-at-ya-from-vienna-the-austrian-origins-of-the-classic-jewish-braided-eggy-yeast-bread-recipe- iconicjewishfood/

12 This usage of the word challah came about because, first, Rabbi Isserlein12 miraculously escaped Vienna’s decree from 1421 in which the local ,( הרזג ) death during the Viennese Gzerah authorities had decided to systematically annihilate the Jewish population and among other horrors, to burn two hundred Jews alive.

Second, as noted in John Cooper’s wonderful 1993 book, Eat and Be Satisfied: A Social History of Jewish Food, we learned about the rabbi’s use of the word challah because it was later compiled together with many other customs of Rabbi Isserlein by his student Joseph ben Moses טקל ) of Austria (1423–1490?) in the latter’s halakhic (Jewish Law) collection, Leket Yosher .which dates back to 1488 ,( רשוי

Later, all of this spread to the rest of Ashkenaz (Jewish central and eastern Europe) and beyond, back to Israel and onto the new world. And that’s how challah, as we know it today, came from a book by a Viennese rabbi.

Notwithstanding Vienna’s (at times) extremely hostile environment, challah took on its particular shape and form in Austria and southern Germany at around the same time, according to Gil Marks’ Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. The distinctive embellishment of loaves of bread with various styles of braidings was seemingly adopted from surrounding populations. Some argue that the reason so many separatist laws and decrees were put in place by authorities on both Christian and Jewish sides was that there was quite a lot of mingling going on, at least in the public space. Anyway, that’s how, when, and where the braided strands of dough started to make up challah loaves.

12 Isaac ben Moses of Vienna, also called Isaac Or Zarua or the Riaz, was one of the greatest rabbis of the Middle Ages. He was probably born in Bohemia and lived between 1200 and 1270. He attained his fame in Vienna and his major work, the halachic guide known as the Or Zarua, was very popular among Ashkenazic Jewry. He was a member of the Chassidei Ashkenaz and studied under many scholars, including the Ra'avyah, Rabbi Yehudah HaChasid, the Sar mi'Kutzi and Rabbi Elazar Rokeach. He was among the teachers of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg.