Chayei Sarah 24:33 · unit 1

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 24:33

The Complete Passuk

וַיּוּשַׂ֤ם לְפָנָיו֙ לֶאֱכֹ֔ל וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֹכַ֔ל עַ֥ד אִם־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי דְּבָרָ֑י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר דַּבֵּֽר׃

But when food was set before him, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my tale.” He said, “Speak, then.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Shulchan Aruch / early sources on invitation to eat.

TT lemma: לא אכל.

Sefaria — related halakhah

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
מִכָּאן שֶׁאִם נָתְנוּ לְאָדָם לֶאֱכֹל אֵין צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֶאֱכֹל.

English: From here [we learn] that if food has been placed before a person, it is not necessary that they explicitly say to him “eat.”

On the daf / in context: Eliezer speaks of eating before any verbal invitation is recorded; the mere setting of food before a guest is treated as sufficient invitation.

Type of Learning

Custom (halakhic inference — invitation by placing food)

What Is Learned

Placing food before a guest constitutes an invitation to eat; an explicit verbal command is not required.