4) The Rambam in Pirush HaMishnayos (Menachos, Perek 2) writes: The Lechem Haponim can only be eaten on the day of Shabbos. Meaning the entire Shabbos, like it says in the pasuk: ביום השבת ביום השבת יערכנו – “On the day of Shabbos the old loaves are removed, and on Shabbos the new loaves are placed”.
The Tosfos Yom Tov (2:2) asks: The pasuk is talking about placing the Lechem Hapanim on the Shulchan and not about how long one may eat them for?
He then says: We learn how long they can be eaten from a different pasuk, from the pasuk: ואכלוהו במקום קדוש כי קודש קדשים הוא לו – “They shall be eaten in a holy place, for they are the holy of holy” From the fact that the Torah calls the Lechem Hapanim, קודש קדשים, we learn that the time for eating them is the same as Kodshei Kodshim which is a day and a night. (Not like the Rambam who says they can only be eaten on the day of Shabbos)
The Tosfos Yom Tov cites proof from the Mishnah (Menachos 11:7) which says: When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos the Lechem Hapanim is eaten on motzei Shabbos. The obvious question is, how can they be eaten after the time? It must be that the time for eating them is a day and a night, therefore, motzei Shabbos is still within the correct time frame.
The Chok Nossan (Menachos 13b) says: Don’t refute the above rayah by saying that really the time for eating the Lechem Haponim is just Shabbos day, however, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos it’s different as the day is not suitable, therefore, we allow the night – as who says you can make such a distinction.
The Chok Nossan then says: It’s logical that the Rambam retracted and later held that the Lechem Hapanim can be eaten day and night, the proof being, in Yad HaChazakah he doesn’t mention anything about the amount of time one has to eat the Lechem Hapanim, and if it was different to all other kodshei kodshim the Rambam should say something. It’s difficult to say he relies on what he wrote in Pirush HaMishnayos, therefore, it seems he retracted.
The opinion of the Tosfos Yom Tov is actually a clear Tosefta (Zevochim 6:7). The Tosefta says: חטאת העוף ואשם תלוי ולוג שמן של מצורע ושתי הלחם ולחם הפנים ושירי מנחות והעומר כולן קדשי קדשים ונאכלין לפנים מן הקלעים ונאכלין לזכרי כהונה בכל מאכל ליום ולילה עד חצות, we see that the time for eating the Lechem Hapanim is the day of Shabbos and the following night.
Rabbeinu Yonah seems to have another opinion regarding how long one can eat the Lechem Hapanim for. Rabbeinu Yonah (Avos 5:5) on the Mishnah which says, “there was never a disqualification in the Lechem Hapanim” writes:לא ביוצא ולא בלינה שהיו צריכין אותו לאכול אותו בשבוע שאחר השבת שהסירוהו ואם נשאר לשבוע אחרת הוא נפסל ולא אירע להם תקלה מעולם – “Neither with being taking out of its correct place, or with being left over after the time it was supposed to be eaten – which was the entire week starting from Shabbos from when they took it off the Shulchan. If it remained for an entire week, it would become disqualified – however, this never happened.”
The Shu”t Tzitz Eliezer (12:51) asks on Rabbeinu Yonah from a Mishnah in Menachos (16a). The Mishnah says: הקטיר אחד מן הבזיכין לאכול ב 'סדרים למחר ר "מ אומר פיגול – “If one offers up one of the spoons of frankincense with intention to eat the Lechem Hapanim the next day, R’ Meir says the korban is disqualified due to pigul [bad thoughts]”. We see that the next day is already considered after the time frame for eating the Lechem Hapanim?
Due to the severity of this question, the Tzitz Elizer writes: We have to say that למחר doesn’t mean tomorrow, rather it means למחר לאחר זמן – in a few days after the eating deadline, like we find, כי ישאלך בנך מחר- “when your son asks you tomorrow”, which doesn’t mean literally tomorrow, it means when he eventually asks, here to, it means after the eating deadline. Or we can say למחר means the day after the eating time frame expires.
It comes out, that we have three opinions as to how long the Lechem Hapanim can be eaten for, the Rambam in Pirush HaMishnayos says just Shabbos day, the Tosfos Yom Tov learns Shabbos day and the following night, and Rabbeinu Yonah learns that one has an entire week. (Madanay Asher)