Shabbat meals

Friday evening meal

The first meal opens on Friday night with the singing of Shalom Aleichem to greet visiting angels, followed by Eishet Chayil in honour of the woman of the house. The household sanctifies the Sabbath through kiddush over wine or grape juice before washing hands. The host then lifts two challah loaves, pronounces the Hamotzi blessing, and serves bread dipped in salt. Courses often feature gefilte fish, chicken soup, and roasted chicken. Between courses, diners sing zemirot and listen to a brief reflection on Torah teachings before concluding with Birkat Hamazon.

Saturday daytime dining

The second meal takes place on Saturday morning, starting again with wine sanctification and the blessing over twin loaves of challah. Observant families serve hot dishes at this table, continuing a historical practice championed by the Pharisees during the Second Temple period to honour the Oral Torah. Regional traditions define the main course: Ashkenazic homes prepare slow-cooked cholent stew containing meat, barley, potatoes, and beans. Sephardic traditions, including Moroccan and Iraqi communities, serve a warm stew named chamin, while Bukharian households cook a dish known as Osh Sovo.

The third meal

Referred to as Seudah Shlishit or Shalosh Seudos, the final Sabbath meal begins late on Saturday afternoon before sunset and often extends into the evening. Like the preceding meals, it begins with ritual handwashing and reciting the Hamotzi blessing over two challah loaves. This lighter gathering marks the closing hours of Shabbat. Depending on local family customs, dairy foods are sometimes served at this time, accompanied by songs and words of Torah study that carry the Sabbath spirit to its conclusion.

Table hymns and study

A defining element across the meals is the performance of zemirot, table hymns sung throughout the gathering to evoke the solemnity of the ancient Temple altar. Male voices traditionally lead these chants between dishes. Alongside music, diners share insights on the Torah known as Dvar Torah. The host normally delivers a teaching before reciting the Birkat Hamazon, the concluding grace after meals. These customs transform an everyday domestic dining room into a dedicated space of shared religious thought and contemplation.

How Shabbat meals is kept

Observance follows a three-part sequence across the Sabbath. On Friday evening, families sing welcoming hymns, recite kiddush over wine, wash hands, and share two salted challot before eating fish, soup, and main dishes. On Saturday midday, the table gathers again for wine, bread blessings, and slow-cooked hot stew. Late on Saturday afternoon before sundown, the third meal commences with handwashing and bread, sometimes featuring dairy foods. Throughout every meal, diners interweave courses with table songs, Torah discussions, and post-meal grace.

When and where

The meals are observed every week during the Jewish Sabbath. The first takes place on Friday evening, the second during the day on Saturday morning, and the third in the late afternoon before sunset.

Shabbat meals are prepared in Jewish homes worldwide. Distinct culinary customs appear across regional branches, including Ashkenazic households, Sephardic families with Moroccan or Iraqi roots, and Bukharian communities.

What Shabbat meals means

The Sabbath table is seen as a domestic reflection of the ancient Temple altar. Singing zemirot and discussing Torah elevate ordinary eating into an act of sacred devotion. Eating heated dishes like cholent or chamin upholds the authority of the Oral Torah, while opening songs welcome angels into the residence.

Questions people ask about Shabbat meals

See also

Arabic coffeeA bitter, spiced brew served as a gesture of hospitality across the Arab world.NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsOudA fretless, pear-shaped Middle Eastern lute, plucked with a plectrum called a rishaKhatamA Persian inlay craft that builds geometric patterns from thousands of tiny cut pieces

Good reading and sources

• Shabbat meals on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-07.