| 42:1 |
 A person who has animals
or fowl
who are dependent on him for their food
is prohibited from eating at all
until he feeds them,
as [implied by Deut. 11:15]
" I will grant grass for your cattle in your field,
that you may eat and be satisfied."
Thus, the Torah gave precedence to an animal's eating
before a human's.
(However), with regard to drinking,
man comes first,
as [Gen. 24:14] states:
"Drink
and I will also draw for your camels."
Similarly, [Num. 20:8] states:
"And you will provide water for the congregation
and their cattle." |
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| 42:2 |
A person should neither eat
nor drink
like a glutton.
Neither should he eat while standing
nor drink while standing.
His table should be clean
and covered properly,
even if he has nothing to eat
except food of no special importance.
One should not hold
a piece of food larger than a k'beitzoh
and eat from it.
Neither is it proper to hold food with one hand
and take from it with the other hand.
One should not drink
an entire cup of wine at one time.
One who did drink (the entire cup)
is a glutton.
(Finishing it) in two (swallows)
is the correct (well-mannered) way,
but drinking it in three
is a sign of haughtiness
unless it is a large cup.
Then, one may drink it in many sips.
Similarly, (a person drinking from) a very small cup
may finish it in one go. |
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| 42:3 |
One should not take a bite out of a piece of bread
and put it on the table,
or give it to a friend,
or put it on the serving dish,
for his friend may be disgusted by this.
One should not drink from a cup
and give it to a friend to drink the remainder.
A person should take care
not to drink from the remainder of a cup
from which a friend has drunk.
In this instance, out of embarrassment,
one's friend may feel forced to drink. |
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| 42:4 |
A person should not display anger
when eating.
This will cause guests
and the members of his household
to be embarrassed to eat,
thinking that (their host) has become upset
and angry at their eating. |
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| 42:5 |
A person should not talk during a meal,
even words of Torah,
because of the danger (of choking),
if (the food) goes down the windpipe
rather than the esophagus.
Even (with) a person who sneezes
it is forbidden to wish him
"good health."[This applies only while actually eating.]
While one is not eating,
it is a mitzvah to say words of Torah at the table,
and one should take great care regarding this.
It is a proper custom
to say,
after eating
the bread over which "who brings forth bread" was said
[Psalms 23]: "A Psalm of David:
G-d is my Shepherd, I shall not want...".
This is considered as (both words of) Torah
and a prayer for one's sustenance.
After the meal is concluded,
it is customary to say
on a weekday,
[Psalms 137]: "By the rivers of Babylon...".
On the Sabbath,
festivals,
and any days on which tachanun is not said,
we say [Psalms 126]:
"A Song of Ascents: When G-d returned...".
When studying at the table
from a book,
one should take great care
because it is possible there are in books
small worms (which could fall into the food),
(and he may eat them) and transgress a prohibition,
Heaven forbid. |
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| 42:6 |
When two (or more) sit down at the (same) table,
even if each person has his own plate
or a fruit dish
where each one has his own helping,
it is proper
that the (more) important person
reaches out his hand (to the food) first.
One who reaches out his hand
before one who is more important than him,
is considered a glutton. |
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| 42:7 |
If two people are eating from the same dish
and one stops eating
in order to drink
or perform a minor activity
it is proper manners
for the second also
to (pause and) wait for him.
However, if there are three people (eating together),
the two need not pause
for the sake of one. |
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| 42:8 |
A person may make use of a loaf any purpose,
provided it does not cause it to become spoilt.
But not anything which does spoil it.
Thus, a loaf cannot be used as a support
for a pot containing food,
which could fall on the loaf and spoil it.
When one eats a cooked dish
with a piece of bread,
and uses a piece of bread as a spoon,
one must be careful to eat
some of the bread each time
and what is left over from the bread
should also be eaten
afterwards. |
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| 42:9 |
It is forbidden to throw bread,
even in a place where it will not get spoiled.
The act of throwing is disrespectful (to the bread).
Other types of food,
if they will be spoilt by being thrown,
then it is forbidden to throw them.
However, (types of food) which are not spoilt (if thrown)
- e.g., nuts and the like
- may be (thrown).
A person should not sit on a sack
containing fruit,
if that causes them to become spoilt.
One should not wash one's hands
with wine or other beverages,
for this is disrespectful (to treat food this way).
When one sees food
lying on the ground
one should pick it up.
Food which is suitable for people
should not be fed to animals,
for this is using food in a degrading manner. |
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| 42:10 |
If necessary, one can use
bread for medical purposes
or any other kinds of food,
even though this causes them to spoil. |
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| 42:11 |
One should be careful with crumbs
not to throw them out,
for this brings about poverty.
Rather, one should collect them
and give them to the birds. |
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| 42:12 |
One who drinks water
should not drink in the presence of others.
Rather, he should turn his face (to the side).
When (drinking) other beverages
it is unnecessary to turn (to the side). |
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| 42:13 |
One should not look
in the face of one who is eating,
or drinking,
or at the portion in front of him,
so as not to embarrass him. |
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| 42:14 |
All food and drink
which is brought before a person,
and it has a pleasant aroma,
and is appetizing to a person,
One must give from this (food),
immediately, a small part to the waiter,
because it is harmful for a person
to see before him food
which he desires
if he cannot eat from it. (See also Ch. 33:4.) |
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| 42:15 |
A person should not serve food (to anyone)
except to one he knows
that he will wash his hands [before partaking of bread]
and bless. |
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| 42:16 |
A women whose husband is not with her
should not drink wine.
If she is at some other place,
and not at her home,
even if her husband is with her,
she should not drink (wine).
The same laws
apply to other alcoholic beverages.
and if she is accustomed to drinking wine
in her husband's presence,
she may drink a little (wine)
even when her husband is not with her. |
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| 42:17 |
Guests may not take anything
from the portions served
and give it to the son or daughter
of the host.
Perhaps the host has no more
than he served to them,
and he will be embarrassed
that they will not have enough.
However, if there is on the table,
much food prepared,
it is permitted. |
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| 42:18 |
A person who comes into a home
should not say:
"Give me something to eat,"
until he is invited by his hosts.
It is forbidden to partake of a meal
which does not suffice the host,
this is (termed) "the shade of theft"
even though the host
invites one to join him,
and is considered a severe sin,
and one of the things
that repenting for it is difficult. |
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| 42:19 |
One is forbidden to leave his place
before saying the grace after meals.
This applies even to going, in the middle of the meal,
(from one room) to another room
to finish one's meal there,
(or leaving but intending) coming back afterwards
to here to finish his meal.
Even stepping outside one's door
(with the intention) of returning back here
to finish his meal,
one should be careful about this.
One who transgressed and left,
whether he completes his meal
at his destination
or returns back to here
to complete his meal,
need not say again
the blessing "who brings forth bread".
Since he decided on a meal with bread,
even though he changed his place,
anyway, it is considered to be one meal.
However, he should take care to eat at least
a k'zayis of bread in the place
where he says the grace after meals.
However, (with regard to) other foods,
(these laws) do not apply. (See Ch. 50:13). |
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| 42:20 |
If a group of people eat together
and some of them leave
with the intention of returning back to here,
so long as at least one remains
of them, here in his place,
the group is not nullified.
When the others return,
(it is considered as if) they have returned to that sitting
without having made an interruption. |
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| 42:21 |
If, at the time of the blessing "who brings forth bread"
he had the intention
to go later on to a different place,
and to complete his meal there
and say grace,
it is customary to allow this.
One should be careful to eat also there
at least a k'zayis of bread
and one should not do this
except when necessary
for a meal associated with a mitzvah. |
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| 42:22 |
One who says the Shemoneh Esreh during the meal,
when he resumes eating
does not have to say "who brings forth bread" again.
Similarly, if he slept,
in the middle of the meal,
(only) a nap,
- even if it is prolonged slightly
- is not considered to be an interruption.
Similarly, interrupting (one's meal)
for other matters
- e.g., one had to relieve himself
or the like - (is also not considered an interruption).
Nevertheless,
in all these instances,
a person must wash his hands again,
for he has diverted his attention from them,
unless he kept his hands (from impurities).
No blessing should be recited on this washing,
because diverting one's attention
does not require a new blessing on the washing.*
* {See Ch. 40:16, and notes.} |
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| 42:23 |
If a person concluded his meal
and decided to say grace after meals,
and then changed his mind
and decided to eat
or drink (more before grace].
There are many different laws
regarding the blessings (to be said).
Therefore, the entire issue should be avoided,
and as soon as one decides
to say grace after meals,
one should (do so and) say grace. |
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