Seudat mitzvah: Difference between revisions

==''Seudat Britbrit Milahmilah''==

Attendance at a ''[[brit milah]]'' (circumcision ceremony) and its subsequent ''seudah'' is of such great significance that [[Rabbi]] [[Moses Isserles|Moshe Isserles]] ("the Rama") notes that a Talmudic[[Talmud]]ic saying that one who is invited but does not participate in the ''seudat brit milah'' is ostracized by [[God in Judaism|God]].<ref>''[[Yoreh De'ah]]'' 265:12; see [[Babylonian Talmud]] ''[[Pesachim]]'' 113b; [[Tosafot]] ''Pesachim'' 114a s.v. "Veein"</ref> For this reason, people are generally not invited, but merely informed of the ''brit'''s time and location.<ref>[[Abraham Hirsch ben Jacob Eisenstadt]], of Byelostok|Pitchei Teshuva]] Yoreh Deah 265:18; ''[[Arukh HaShulkhan]]'' 265:37</ref> [[Chazal|Talmudic sages]] have compared a ''brit'' to a [[Korban|korban]] (Temple sacrifice]]), and eating at a ''seudat brit milah'' to eating a Temple sacrifice. [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic Jews]] generally insist on serving meat at a ''seudat brit milah'' since most Temple offerings were meat. Sharing a meal is considered a bonding experience celebrating the covenant between God and the [[Jew|Jewish peopleJews]].<ref>Rabbi Howard Jachter, [https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/minhagim-of-brit-milah-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter "Minhagim of Brit Milah"], ''Kol Torah'', accessed March 19, 2006.</ref>

==''Seudat Pidyon HaBenHaben''==

{{main|Pidyon HaBenhaben}}

Unlike other ''seudot mitzvah'' in which the meal (''seudah'') follows the act or ceremony which warrants the festive meal, the [[pidyon haben|]] or redemption ceremony]] for a first-born Jewish male child (called ''Pidyon HaBen'' in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]), is actually ''part'' of the meal. The ceremony is led by a [[kohen]], who ritually washes his hands, recites the blessing over bread, and partakes of some bread before beginning the ceremony. The ceremony, which follows a traditional text, is a verbal exchange between the kohen and the father of the child. The kohen asks the father if he prefers to keep his money, or pay the equivalent of five silver [[shekel]]s to redeem his child. The father chooses the latter option and hands over the money, as well as recites a special blessing ("''al pidyon haben''"). Then the '''kohen''' verbalizes the redemption, blesses the child, and says the traditional blessing over a cup of wine, which he then drinks. The ''seudat mitzvah'' continues with all guests in attendance washing for bread and partaking of the festive meal.

While attending the ''seudah'' for a ''Pidyonpidyon Haben''haben, the [[Vilna Gaon]] was asked whether it was true that all the Torah's commandments are alluded to in ''[[Bereishit (parsha)|Bereishit]]'', the first portion of the [[Torah]]. After the Gaon affirmed this, he was asked where the commandment of ''pidyon haben'' was alluded to and the Gaon replied that it was in the word ''BereishitBereshit'', the Hebrew initials which stand for ''Ben Rishon Achar Sheloshim Yom Tifdeh'' or "a firstborn son after thirty days redeem".<ref name=pidyon>Rabbi Dov Eliach, [https://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5764/KRH64features.htm "Hashem's Torah is Perfect and Complete: The Vilna Gaon's Monumental Torah Edifice"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060728080649/https://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5764/KRH64features.htm |date=2006-07-28 }}, ''Dei'ah veDibur'', accessed March 19, 2006</ref>

==''Seudat Bar Mitzvah''==

Rabbi [[Solomon Luria|Shlomo Luria]] ("[[Maharshal]]") notesnoted that the occasion of a youth becoming obligated to obey the [[613 mitzvot|the commandments]] is to be celebrated with a religious feast, usually including a sermon the youth has prepared.<ref>''Yam Shel Shlomo'', ''[[Bava Kamma]]'' 7:37</ref> It is customary at a ''[[bar mitzvah]]'' meal for parents to give thanks and praise to [[Names of God in Judaism|God]] for giving them the merit to raise a child to ''be a bar mitzvah'' and to educate him in the ways of [[Torah]] and the commandments.<ref name=chabad2>Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubo, [https://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/bar-mitzvah/04.htm "Yalkut Bar Mitzvah: Bar Mitzvah Customs"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518194520/https://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/bar-mitzvah/04.htm |date=2006-05-18 }}, Chabad Lubavitch, accessed March 16, 2006.</ref> Rabbi [[Ovadiah Yosef]]<ref>Yabia Omer 2:29</ref> holds that a Bat Mitzvah is also a seudat mitzvah.

==''Seudat Siyum Masechet''==

Based on the [[Talmud]] and [[Midrash]], the ''seudah'' celebration upon the completion of a Talmudic tractate is considered a ''seudat mitzvah''.<ref>''[[Solomon Luria|]], ''Yam Shel Shlomo]]'', ''Bava Kamma'', ''Merubah'' 37; ''Maharam Mintz'' 119; ''Shach'', ''[[Yoreh De'ah]]'' 246:37</ref> This ''seudah'' is made to rejoice over the accomplishment, and also to motivate and inspire others to do the same. Rabbi [[Chaim Elazar ShapiroSpira]], (the "Munkatcher [[Munkacs (Hasidic dynasty)|Munkacser Rebbe]]"), observesobserved in his work ''Sha'ar Yissachar'' that the [[Yetzeryetzer hara|evil inclination]] does not want to see this type of shared joy, noting that one of the names of the evil inclination, "[[Samael|Sama'el]]"," may be seen as an acronym for ''Siyum Masechet Ain La'asot'', or "do not make a ''siyum''".<ref name=siyum>Shlomo Katz, [https://www.torah.org/learning/hamaayan/5763/matos.html "Matos-Masei: Power of Prayer"], Torah.org, accessed March 19, 2006.</ref>

==''Seudat Hoda'ah''==

==''Seudat Nissuinnissuin''==

==''Seudat Havraahhavraah''==

''Seudat Havraahhavraah'' is the "meal of consolation" or comfort provided for a mourner upon his or her return from the cemetery following interment of the deceased.<ref name=mourning>Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner, [https://www.aishdas.org/webshas/avel/seudah.htm "Initial Meal Post-Burial - Seudat Havraah"], AishDas, accessed March 16, 2006.</ref> It usually consists of foods symbolic of life such as boiled eggs and lentil soup. The [[Talmud]] states that the lentil stew [[Jacob]] was preparing ([[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 25:29), and for which [[Esau]] sold his birthright, was the ''seudat havraah'' for his father [[Isaac]] who was beginning to sit ''[[Shiva (Judaism)|shiva]]'' for ''his'' father [[Abraham]].<ref>''[[Bava Batra]]'' 16b</ref>

==''Seudat Shabbat'' and ''Seudat Yom Tov''==

==''Seudah HaMafseket''==