Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Responsa for Shabbat 47:6

אמר אביי לרב יוסף הא דרב הונא ורב יהודה דרב הוא דאמר רב גידל אמר רב ראש חדש שחל להיות בשבת המפטיר בנביא בשבת אינו צריך להזכיר של ראש חדש שאילמלא שבת אין נביא בראש חדש

— at the Evening, Morning and Afternoon [Services] the Eighteen [Benedictions] are recited, and the nature of the occasion is inserted in 'Thou hearkenst unto Prayer';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name of the sixteenth Benediction. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> yet if one does not insert it he is not made to repeat it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because these are not Biblical institutions. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> and no reference is made on these [days] in grace after meals.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first clause states that a reference is made on New Moon, in agreement with Rab. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> The scholars propounded: Should one refer to Hanukkah in the Additional Services?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the Sabbath and New Moon; these always occur during Hanukkah, which commences on the 25th of the month and lasts eight days. ');"><sup>23</sup></span>

Shut min haShamayim

They responded: "And you shall eat your fill and bless the name of your God, who has dealt so wondrously with you." (Joel 2:26) - and the proof can be found in Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av and other fast days. I believe the proof that they refer to is the Talmudic statement (Shabbat 24a:4): "On fast days, one recites the regular evening, morning and afternoon prayers, and includes a mention of the event of the day in the Shome'a Tefillah blessing." Now, it can't be that this additional paragraph for fast days would be recited in the evening prayer if one was going to then eat afterwards1This applies to fast-days that strictly begin at sunrise. It would be permitted to eat at night, but the blessing wouldn't be relevant unless the meal was earlier and not intended for after the evening prayer. Rather, it must be that it applies to those who eat after the afternoon prayer, and only then recite the evening prayer with the additional relevant paragraph for fast days included within. Therefore, we see that it is permissible to eat between the two prayers.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse