Se'uda Shlishit

Richard B. Aiken

What To Eat for Se'uda Shlishit

Ideally, fulfill the commandment of a third meal (se'uda shlishit) by:

  • Washing hands,
  • Saying the ha'motzi blessing over two challot, and
  • Eating at least the minimum amount (1.9 fl. oz., or 56 ml) of bread.

You may, however, fulfill the requirements of se'uda shlishit by eating any solid food which gives nourishment—as long as you can say the after-blessing and have eaten at least 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of that food.

NOTE: If you ate some food after completing your Shabbat day meal (the second meal of Shabbat) and after halachic midday, you can consider that to be your se'uda shlishit, even if you did not intend it to be when you ate it.

When To Eat Se'uda Shlishit with Bread

The ideal is to wash hands and say ha'motzi for se'uda shlishit before sunset. However, you may still say ha'motzi for se'uda shlishit until 2 minutes before dark (tzeit ha'kochavim) if you have not yet eaten your se'uda shlishit. Once you have begun your meal before sunset, you may continue until long after dark.

When To Eat Se'uda Shlishit without Bread

If you are eating a snack without bread, you must finish eating and say the after-blessing by at least 2 minutes before dark.

If you washed and ate bread, you may continue your meal even after dark.

Latest Time You May Eat on Shabbat

If you finished eating (and saying birkat ha'mazon/bracha achrona for) a full meal or even a snack that you intended to constitute your se'uda shlishit, you may not eat any more once the sun has set on Saturday until after you have made or heard havdala.

NOTE: If you did not intend for the food to constitute your se'uda shlishit, see When To Eat Se'uda Shlishit with Bread or When To Eat Se'uda Shlishit without Bread, above.

Eating Se'uda Shlishit before Mincha

If you will not have time to start se'uda shlishit after mincha but before sunset, you may eat se'uda shlishit before mincha.

NOTE: Eating se'uda shlishit before mincha is preferable to beginning eating se'uda shlishit after sunset.

Who Must Eat Se'uda Shlishit

Women, as well as men, are required to eat se'uda shlishit.

Wine from Se'uda Shlishit Birkat HaMazon

If you recite birkat ha'mazon after se'uda shlishit over a cup of wine, you may only drink the wine if the meal ended before sunset.

NOTE: Wine from birkat ha'mazon of se'uda shlishit that ended after sunset may be used for havdala EXCEPT if the meal was a sheva brachot meal.

REASON: The bridegroom, bride, and leader may drink the wine--and one of them must drink the wine!--as part of the seven blessings, even though they were recited after sunset.

Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site for more information.