Preparing on the Sixth Day and the Three Sabbath Meals

"And it shall be on the sixth day" (Exodus 16:5). Rav Chisda said: A person should always rise early to spend for the Sabbath, as it is said, "And it shall be on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in" (Exodus 16:5); "and they prepare" means at once. Rabbi Abba said: On the Sabbath a person is obligated to break bread over two loaves, as it is written "double bread" [lechem mishneh]. Rav Kahana would take two and break one, saying, "They gathered" is written. Rabbi Zeira would break the whole portion at the start of the meal. Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Does this not look like gluttony? And so on. Our rabbis taught: How many meals is a person obligated to eat on the Sabbath? Three. Rabbi Chidka says: Four. Rabbi Yochanan said: Both expounded a single verse. "And Moses said, Eat it today" (Exodus 16:25). Rabbi Chidka holds these are three for the daytime apart from the night, and the rabbis hold including the night. Bar Kappara says: Anyone who fulfills three meals on the Sabbath is saved from three calamities: from the birth pangs of the Messiah, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "Behold, I send you Elijah" and so forth (Malachi 3:23); from the judgment of Gehinnom, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "That day is a day of wrath" (Zephaniah 1:15); and from the war of Gog and Magog, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "On the day Gog comes" (Ezekiel 38:18). Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Had Israel kept the very first Sabbath, no nation or tongue would have ruled over them, as it is said, "And it came to pass on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather" (Exodus 16:27), and it is written after it, "And Amalek came" (Exodus 17:8).