#11: Tasting the Shabbat Food
- The Mishnah Berurah (250:2) writes (originally from the Arizal) that there is a mitzvah to taste from the Shabbat food on Friday. The main reason given is to check if it tastes good and to add salt or other seasoning if needed. Another reason given by some is that it says in Musaf of Shabbat: וטועמיה חיים זכו, those that taste of it (Shabbat) will merit life. This is homiletically interpreted to refer to tasting the Shabbat food, which seems to be based on the idea to give honor to Shabbat.
- The difference between the two reasons might be in cases where the food is not one that can be easily improved if it does not taste perfect. According to the main reason, there would be no mitzvah to taste, while according to the second reason, there would. Also, if one person tastes the food, that should be sufficient for the first reason, while for the second, perhaps there is reason for everyone to taste a little. For further discussion and additional opinions (such as where the food is the same as previous weeks and one knows how it tastes), see https://outorah.org/p/130253.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
