Melaveh Malkah
Encyclopedia
Melaveh Malkah is the name of a meal that, as per halakha
, is customarily held by Jews after their Sabbath (Shabbat
), in other words, on Saturday evening). The intent of the meal is to figuratively escort the "Sabbath Queen" (the traditional metaphor for Shabbat in Jewish liturgy
) on her way out via singing and eating, as one would escort a monarch upon his departure from a city. This meal is alternatively called "the fourth meal."
This custom is also referred to as Se'udata d'Dovid Malkah Meshicha (Aramaic: סעודתא דדוד מלכא משיחא), "The meal of David
, King Messiah
." King David asked God when he would die and God revealed to him that he would die on a Shabbat. From that time on, David made a meal for the members of his household at the conclusion of each Shabbat to thank God that he was still alive.
where the knot of the head tefillin
is placed, and which God will use to "reconstruct" a person at the time of techias hameisim
— is nourished solely from the meal of Melaveh Malkah (Kaf Hachayim 300:1-2).
Rabbi Isaac Luria
is claimed to have said that the 'additional soul' which is given to each Jew for the duration of each Shabbat does not leave a person until after the Melaveh Malkah. For this reason, many people refrain from work
and remain in their Shabbat clothes until after Melaveh Malkah.
The eating of the Melaveh Malkah meal is said to be a segulah for easy childbirth
, as well as for injecting blessings of health, wealth and spiritual gain into the following week.
that is incumbent on both men and women. After the conclusion of Shabbat and the saying of Havdalah
, a fresh tablecloth is spread and candles are lit for the meal of Melaveh Malkah. The meal should be eaten as close to the end of Shabbat as possible, although in cases of need one may delay it until later, but preferably no later than midnight. Some Hasidic rebbe
s would eat Melaveh Malkah on Sunday morning, but they would make sure to eat some food Saturday night.
Ideally, only food that was specifically prepared for the Melaveh Malkah meal should be served, rather than leftovers from Shabbat. One may fulfill the mitzvah by eating as little as a ke'zayit of bread. Some say that if one is not hungry, he may fulfill the custom of Melaveh Malkah by drinking a cup of fresh-brewed tea or coffee, or by eating a piece of cake or fruit.
Those seeking to beautify the mitzvah prepare a special dish for this meal. The Talmud
tells of the household of Rabbi Abbahu
, in which they would slaughter a calf at the conclusion of each Shabbat and Rabbi Abbahu would eat one of its kidneys. When his son grew up, he asked why an additional calf had to be slaughtered after Shabbat especially for the Melaveh Malkah, when they could instead save the kidney from the calf that they regularly slaughtered for their Shabbat meals? His advice was well taken, and a bit of the Shabbat meat was set aside for the Melaveh Malkah. But then a lion came and devoured the calf, so that nothing was gained by the suggestion. This story appears in the Talmud to show that it is proper to beautify the mitzvah by preparing a special dish in honor of the Melaveh Malkah meal, and to not be satisfied with eating leftovers from the Shabbat foods.
Special songs have been composed for singing at this meal, the most popular of which welcomes the coming of the Prophet Elijah, who will announce the advent of the Messianic age.
Melaveh Malkah has become a popular venue for Saturday-night get-togethers among friends and larger group social events. Many Jewish organizations hold Melaveh Malkahs for hundreds of guests as a fundraising
event.
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, is customarily held by Jews after their Sabbath (Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
), in other words, on Saturday evening). The intent of the meal is to figuratively escort the "Sabbath Queen" (the traditional metaphor for Shabbat in Jewish liturgy
Jewish liturgy
Jewish liturgy refers specifically to following the Torah in all of its rites and ceremonies, whether in the home or in the Synagogue. The main purposes of following the carefully laid out observances is to maintain uniformity, and to avoid improper and unacceptable practices at variance with those...
) on her way out via singing and eating, as one would escort a monarch upon his departure from a city. This meal is alternatively called "the fourth meal."
Source
The source for the custom is found in the Babylonian Talmud:A man shall always set his table after Shabbat — even though he needs but a ke'zayitKe'zayitKe'zayit is a Talmudic unit of volume approximately equal to the size of an average olive. The word itself literally means "like an olive." The rabbis differ on the precise definition of the unit:...
of chamin [meaning, even though he is quite full and satisfied.
This custom is also referred to as Se'udata d'Dovid Malkah Meshicha (Aramaic: סעודתא דדוד מלכא משיחא), "The meal of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
, King Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
." King David asked God when he would die and God revealed to him that he would die on a Shabbat. From that time on, David made a meal for the members of his household at the conclusion of each Shabbat to thank God that he was still alive.
Kabbalistic reasons
According to the Kaf Hachayim, the luz bone — which is located at the base of the skullBase of the skull
The base of skull is the most inferior area of the skull, composed of the endocranium and lower parts of the skull roof.-Bones:*Ethmoid bone*Sphenoid bone*Occipital bone*Frontal bone*Parietal bone*Temporal bone**Petrous portion of the temporal bone...
where the knot of the head tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
is placed, and which God will use to "reconstruct" a person at the time of techias hameisim
Resurrection of the dead
Resurrection of the Dead is a belief found in a number of eschatologies, most commonly in Christian, Islamic, Jewish and Zoroastrian. In general, the phrase refers to a specific event in the future; multiple prophesies in the histories of these religions assert that the dead will be brought back to...
— is nourished solely from the meal of Melaveh Malkah (Kaf Hachayim 300:1-2).
Rabbi Isaac Luria
Isaac Luria
Isaac Luria , also called Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Ashkenazi acronym "The Ari" "Ari-Hakadosh", or "Arizal", meaning "The Lion", was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Palestine...
is claimed to have said that the 'additional soul' which is given to each Jew for the duration of each Shabbat does not leave a person until after the Melaveh Malkah. For this reason, many people refrain from work
39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat
The commandment to keep Shabbat as a day of rest is repeated many times in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. The commandment is usually expressed in English in terms of refraining from the doing of work on Shabbat, but the Hebrew term used in the Bible is melakha , which has a slightly different...
and remain in their Shabbat clothes until after Melaveh Malkah.
The eating of the Melaveh Malkah meal is said to be a segulah for easy childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, as well as for injecting blessings of health, wealth and spiritual gain into the following week.
Conducting the meal
Melaveh Malkah is a mitzvahMitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
that is incumbent on both men and women. After the conclusion of Shabbat and the saying of Havdalah
Havdalah
Havdalah is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and holidays, and ushers in the new week. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky...
, a fresh tablecloth is spread and candles are lit for the meal of Melaveh Malkah. The meal should be eaten as close to the end of Shabbat as possible, although in cases of need one may delay it until later, but preferably no later than midnight. Some Hasidic rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
s would eat Melaveh Malkah on Sunday morning, but they would make sure to eat some food Saturday night.
Ideally, only food that was specifically prepared for the Melaveh Malkah meal should be served, rather than leftovers from Shabbat. One may fulfill the mitzvah by eating as little as a ke'zayit of bread. Some say that if one is not hungry, he may fulfill the custom of Melaveh Malkah by drinking a cup of fresh-brewed tea or coffee, or by eating a piece of cake or fruit.
Those seeking to beautify the mitzvah prepare a special dish for this meal. The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
tells of the household of Rabbi Abbahu
Abbahu
Abbahu was a Jewish Talmudist, known as an amora, who lived in the Land of Israel, of the 3rd amoraic generation , sometimes cited as R. Abbahu of Caesarea . His rabbinic education was acquired mainly at Tiberias, in the academy presided over by R. Johanan, with whom his relations were almost...
, in which they would slaughter a calf at the conclusion of each Shabbat and Rabbi Abbahu would eat one of its kidneys. When his son grew up, he asked why an additional calf had to be slaughtered after Shabbat especially for the Melaveh Malkah, when they could instead save the kidney from the calf that they regularly slaughtered for their Shabbat meals? His advice was well taken, and a bit of the Shabbat meat was set aside for the Melaveh Malkah. But then a lion came and devoured the calf, so that nothing was gained by the suggestion. This story appears in the Talmud to show that it is proper to beautify the mitzvah by preparing a special dish in honor of the Melaveh Malkah meal, and to not be satisfied with eating leftovers from the Shabbat foods.
Special songs have been composed for singing at this meal, the most popular of which welcomes the coming of the Prophet Elijah, who will announce the advent of the Messianic age.
Melaveh Malkah has become a popular venue for Saturday-night get-togethers among friends and larger group social events. Many Jewish organizations hold Melaveh Malkahs for hundreds of guests as a fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
event.
External links
- What is a Malave Malka, and what happens at one? at Torah.org knowledgebase
- Shabbat How-To: Melaveh Malkah at aish.com