שופטים, פרק י״ט, פסוק ה׳

On the fourth day of his stay, the traveler faces another attempt by his father-in-law to delay his departure. During the previous days, the host had encouraged his son-in-law to drink wine, knowing that alcohol confuses travelers and would force the guest to stay the night. However, on this particular day, the guest is careful to avoid drinking. Recognizing this, the father-in-law changes his strategy. He intentionally drags out the eating process until late in the day to keep his son-in-law from leaving [מלבי״ם].

The host urges his guest not to set out on the road before tasting some food [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He offers a simple piece of bread to provide physical support [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. The goal of eating before the journey is to strengthen the heart and prevent it from becoming weak [מצודת דוד]. This reflects the fundamental purpose of any meal, which serves as a foundation to sustain the body and keep it from failing [מצודת ציון].