Q. On question 687, as to how many shiros or divrei Torah one has to sing or say to turn a Chanuka regular meal into a seudas Mitzvo. What practical difference is there if this meal becomes a seudas Mitzva or no?
A. If the meal eaten in Chanuka was served with the intention of rejoicing and being besimcha because of the yeshuos and miracles attained in Chanuka, and this is demonstrated by the shiros of praise being sung and the divrei Torah being repeated, it would be a mitzvah to attend such a seuda. Talmud (Chulin 95b) relates that Rav would not benefit from a seuda that was not a mitzvah. Similarly in Talmud (Pesachim 49a) Rabbi Shimon says that a Talmid Chacham should not partake from a seuda that is not a seudas mitzvah.
It would make a difference also when someone has a tradition of fasting on a day of yortzait, a seudas mitzvah may be permitted or in regards to eating meat on the nine days. (Aruch Hashulchan Y.D. end of 246 – see also Chavos Yoir 70 and Birchas Moadecha 1, in respect to other differences and why is not every seuda where divrei Torah are repeated is considered as a seudas mitzva)
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised By Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
Important Numbers
