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Why does the Torah (תורה) mention "today" three times to teach the obligation of three Shabbos (שבת) meals? The shiur explains that eating on Shabbos isn't just about consumption—it's about connecting to the day itself. Each meal corresponds to a stage in the marriage process: Friday night is erusin (betrothal), Shabbos day is chuppah, and shalosh seudos is yichud (intimate union).
This shiur explores the Gemara (גמרא)'s teaching about the mitzvah (מצוה) of eating three meals on Shabbos (שבת), beginning with a statement that seems puzzling: "Yihi chelki me-ochli shalosh seudos b'Shabbos" - "May my portion be among those who eat three meals on Shabbos." Why would someone need to pray for the merit to eat three meals? This doesn't seem like a major accomplishment. The foundation of the halacha (הלכה) is found on daf 117b of Masechta Shabbos. The Gemara derives the requirement of three meals from the repetition of the word "hayom" (today) three times in the verse "Achlu hayom ki Shabbos hayom la-Hashem (ה׳), hayom lo timtza'uhu ba-sadeh" - "Eat today, for today is Shabbos to Hashem; today you will not find it in the field." Rekikah holds that these three mentions refer to daytime meals, and logic dictates an additional nighttime meal, making four total. Rabbi Zweig notes something significant: the Torah (תורה) doesn't just say "eat" three times—it says "day" (hayom) three times. This suggests that eating on Shabbos is not merely about the act of eating, but about connecting to the day itself through eating.
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Shabbos 117b
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