Shabbos Meals
On Shabbos we are obligated to have three meals. This is alluded to by the three times that the word hayom (“today”) appears in Moshe Rabbeinu’s words to the Yidden about the mon of Shabbos.
For the third Shabbos meal, the Rebbeim would generally not wash and eat challah, and instead would eat other foods. Since the third Shabbos meal corresponds to the advanced stage of the Geula when there will be no eating, they marked this by not eating a full meal. This is also alluded to in the above possuk, where the third “hayom” is followed by the word “lo,” implying that the mon will not fall on Shabbos.
In a maamar the Rebbe Rashab emphasizes that although one does not need to eat bread at the Third Meal on Shabbos, one ought to eat something.
(שוע"ר סי' עד"ר ס"א, לקו"ש חכ"א ע' 84, היום יום כ"ב אדר א')
One should not have an unusually big meal on erev Shabbos so that one will be able to enjoy the Shabbos meal properly in the evening.
(שוע"ר סי' רמ"ט ס"ה)
Recognizing that family members can sometimes drift apart, in 5734 (1974) the Rebbe called for an effort to increase cohesion within families by utilizing the togetherness of Shabbos meals. (In fact, this call is listed among the Rebbe’s activities for that year, at the beginning of HaYom Yom.)
The Rebbe noted that even many frum families need to invest effort in this direction, since during the week family members are all preoccupied with their individual responsibilities (as indeed they ought to do). By coming together for the Shabbos meal, and discussing ideas that are befitting and relevant to Shabbos, they will be fortifying the unity of a healthy family, which will continue to be felt throughout the following week.
(שיחו"ק תשל"ד ח"א ע' 329)
Ambiance of Song
The Tzemach Tzedek said that the reason that the Alter Rebbe did not include the traditional zemiros in his Siddur was that he hoped that his chassidim would discuss Chassidus at the table. The Rebbe Maharash said that he hoped that they would sing niggunim instead. The Rebbe Rashab reconciled both of these statements.
(סה"ש תש"ד ע' 94 עיי"ש, הגהה לסידור תורה אור רמה, א)
Reb Yosef Yitzchok, son of the Tzemach Tzedek, married the daughter of Reb Yaakov Yisroel of Tcherkas, son of Reb Mottel Chernobyler and son-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe. He settled near his father-in-law in Hornosteipol, and from time to time would visit his father and brothers in Lubavitch. During the lifetime of the Tzemach Tzedek he became rov in the town of Ovrutch and a Rebbe to the Chernobyler chassidim there.
During one of those visits to Lubavitch, Reb Yosef Yitzchok asked his father at the Shabbos table why it is not our custom to sing or recite the zemiros that are customarily heard among Yidden everywhere. (Why “sing or recite”? Because in many chassidic communities, the words of these zemiros are neither sung to a structured melody, nor recited, but are chanted in a certain traditional singsong.) The Tzemach Tzedek’s response was, “Say!” The room was quiet and Reb Yosef Yitzchok began to say the zemiros as they would do in Chernobyl.
The Tzemach Tzedek then said: “The Alter Rebbe did not include those zemiros in the Siddur, because he wanted people to exchange words of Torah during the meal. As to the practice of people who say neither divrei Torah nor zemiros – like Reb Moshe (a certain simple man who lived then in Lubavitch), and instead eat soup and noodles, noodles and soup..., that was not the Alter Rebbe’s intention.”
That man’s sons, who were respected chassidim, were present. Alarmed by the harsh words of the Tzemach Tzedek, they quickly ran home, only to find their father almost choking on his soup and noodles...
(היכל הבעש"ט גליון כ' ע' קנד)
For Shabbos Selichos 5637 (1877), many guests arrived in Lubavitch. At the Friday evening meal the Rebbe Maharash related that at certain times the previous Rebbeim used to say zemiros at the Shabbos table. He then added: “My great-grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, held that the zemiros of Shabbos ought to flow forth spontaneously (darfn zich zogn). Moreover, when words of that kind do in fact flow spontaneously, such words are real, whereas if they are simply mouthed, they don’t count as words at all.”
The Rebbe Maharash then began to sing the zemiros, and all those present joined in. The Rebbe Rashab later recounted to his son, the Frierdiker Rebbe, that at that time those zemiros had such a moving impact on him that he had to restrain himself with all his might not to burst out in tears.
(אג"ק מהוריי"צ ח"ג ע' תפא, מאמרי אדמו"ר האמצעי קונטרסים ע' תנג)
Regarding the assertion of the Alter Rebbe that the zemiros of Shabbos are only worth saying when they issue forth naturally, the Frierdiker Rebbe remarked, “It goes without saying that this path is only for tzaddikim of high stature, whereas we must do everything at its appropriate time, with kabbolas ol.”
(אג"ק מהוריי"צ ח"ג ע' תפב בהערה)
The Rebbe Maharash wanted his sons, the Rebbe Rashab and the Raza, to be fluent in the zemiros that are found in the Siddur, and also the Poilishe zemiros, saying that they were “lush (gishmake) words.” When on datche, the Rebbe Maharash would recite all those zemiros, but otherwise he considered it a waste of his precious time.
(רשימת היומן ע' שכד)
Similarly, the Frierdiker Rebbe related: My father, the Rebbe Rashab, felt uneasy about the fact that he did not say the zemiros on Shabbos. His only consolation was that he spoke words of Chassidus.
(סה"ש תרפ"ט ע' 30)
Consider
What are the respective roles of (a) the food and (b) the spiritual atmosphere? Why are they both necessary? Why would chassidim prefer discussing Chassidus or singing niggunim—over zemiros? Which is easier?
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