Seudat mitzvah


A seudat mitzvah, in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah, such as a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah, or a siyum. Seudot fixed in the calendar are also considered seudot mitzvah, but many have their own, more commonly used names.

Seudat Brit Milah

Attendance at a brit milah and its subsequent seudah is of such great significance that Rabbi Moshe Isserles notes that a Talmudic saying that one who is invited but does not participate in the seudat brit milah is ostracized by God. For this reason, people are generally not invited, but merely informed of the brit's time and location. Talmudic sages have compared a brit to a Temple sacrifice, and eating at a seudat brit milah to eating a Temple sacrifice. 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 Jewish people.

Seudat Pidyon HaBen

Unlike other seudot mitzvah in which the meal follows the act or ceremony which warrants the festive meal, the redemption ceremony for a first-born Jewish male child, 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 shekels to redeem his child. The father chooses the latter option and hands over the money, as well as recites a special blessing. 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 Pidyon Haben, the Vilna Gaon was asked whether it was true that all the Torah's commandments are alluded to in 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 Bereishit, the Hebrew initials which stand for Ben Rishon Achar Sheloshim Yom Tifdeh or "a firstborn son after thirty days redeem".

Seudat Bar Mitzvah

Rabbi Shlomo Luria notes that the occasion of a youth becoming obligated to obey the commandments is to be celebrated with a religious feast, usually including a sermon the youth has prepared. It is customary at a bar mitzvah meal for parents to give thanks and praise to God for giving them the merit to raise a child to bar mitzvah and to educate him in the ways of Torah and the commandments. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef 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. This seudah is made to rejoice over the accomplishment, and also to motivate and inspire others to do the same. Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapiro observes in his work Sha'ar Yissachar that the evil inclination does not want to see this type of shared joy, noting that one of the names of the evil inclination, "Sama'el," may be seen as an acronym for Siyum Masechet Ain La'asot, or "do not make a siyum".

Seudat Hodaa

Seudat HoDaa literally means a meal of thanksgiving.
At a public meal that is given to recognize the good - Hakarat HaTov - the beneficiary gives something to others - the ability to say blessings - Brachot.

Seudat Nissuin

During the festive meal following a Jewish wedding ceremony, guests participate in the mitzvah of L'Sameach Chatan v'Kallah, to bring joy to the groom and bride. The emphasis of the celebration is on entertaining the newlyweds. At Orthodox wedding meals, men and women dance separately - sometimes separated by a divider - for reasons of modesty. At the end of the seudat nissuin, Grace After Meals is recited, and the Sheva Berachot that were recited under the wedding canopy are repeated.

Seudat Havraah

Seudat Havraah is the "meal of consolation" or comfort provided for a mourner upon his or her return from the cemetery following interment of the deceased. 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, and for which Esau sold his birthright, was the seudat havraah for his father Isaac who was beginning to sit shiva for his father Abraham.

Seudat Shabbat and Seudat Yom Tov

These include three meals on the Sabbath, as well as two on each festival day making four each for Shavuot, Rosh HaShana, Sukkot, two each for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, eight for Passover. The Passover Seders are seudot mitzvah. Except for Seudah Shlishit all of these meals are preceded by Kiddush. If one recites Kiddush, Jewish law states that one must immediately eat the seudah in the same place that he heard/recited Kiddush. At Shabbat meals, it is customary to sing Zemirot, learn Torah and discuss the week's portion of Scripture.

Seudah HaMafseket

Seudah HaMafseket is the "separating meal" eaten before the fasts of Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av.
The pre-Yom Kippur meal is a festive meal, which may include meat.
At the pre-Tisha B'Av meal it is forbidden to eat meat, wine, or more than one cooked food. Alcoholic beverages should be avoided. The meal is eaten sitting on the ground or a low seat. It is customary to eat a hardboiled egg, and also a piece of bread dipped into ashes, and to say, "This is the Tisha B'Av meal." During the meal, three men should not sit together so they will not have to recite the Grace after Meals as a group. None of these restrictions apply when Tisha B'Av occurs on Shabbat or Sunday.

Seudat Purim

On Purim day, typically toward evening, a festive meal called Seudat Purim is held, with wine as a prominent beverage, where drunkenness is not uncommon. The custom of drinking at this meal stems from a statement in the Talmud attributed to a rabbi named Rava that says one should drink on Purim until he can "no longer distinguish between arur Haman and baruch Mordechai
This saying was codified in the Rif, Rosh, Tur, Shulchan Aruch, and is interpreted simply by the Chatam Sofer. This interpretation of the Talmudic statement, or the acceptance of the statement itself, is disputed by the Ba'alei Tosafot, Maimonides, Rabbeinu Ephraim, Ba'al HaMa'or, Ran, Orchot Chaim, Be'er Hagolah, Magen Avraham, Taz, Rema, Vilna Gaon, Maharsha, Rashash, Tzeidah LaDerech, Hagahot Maimoniyot, Ra'avyah, Korban N'tan'el, Bach, Maharil, P'ri M'gadim, Kol Bo, Chochmat Mano'ach, Mishnah Berurah, and others. These authorities all advocate drinking wine in some quantity, but all discourage the level of drunkenness suggested by the Chatam Sofer. The Rema says that one should only drink a little more than he is used to drinking, and then try to fall asleep. This position is shared by the Kol Bo and Mishnah Berurah, and is similar to that of Maimonides.