This week’s article concludes our series on eating and drinking before Kiddush and Havdalah. When does the prohibition to eat and drink before Kiddish begin? Under what circumstances can a woman who lit candles early drink before Kiddush? Is taking medicine with water before Kiddush permissible? Can one begin a meal on Friday afternoon close to Shabbos? What should be done if a Friday Purim meal extends until Shabbos? How should the ill or elderly who need to eat early make their dinner a Shabbos meal if it began before Plag HaMincha? And other halachic implications: If someone heard Kiddush but did not hear the blessing “Borei Pri Hagafen”: have they fulfilled their mitzva? Has one who mistakenly recited “Borei Minei Mezonos” instead of “Borei Pri Hagafen” fulfilled his obligation? What should be done if one eats before Havdalah by mistake? These questions and more are explored in this week’s article.
Eating and Drinking Before Kiddush and Havdalah [Part 3]
Once a person takes on Shabbos, all eating, including light tasting or drinking water, is prohibited until after Kiddush, even before sunset. After sunset, everyone is forbidden from eating until after Kiddush. If waiting until after Maariv is difficult, one can recite Kiddush immediately after accepting Shabbos, as long as the meal begins at least half an hour before the time for Maariv.
If it is within half an hour to Ma’ariv and one cannot wait until after Ma’ariv, he may recite Kiddush, eat a small amount of bread (more than an olive but less than the size of an egg-about one slice of challah) or drink the cup of grape juice on which Kiddush was recited, and then daven Maariv.
Extenuating Circumstances
What can someone who is suddenly overcome with thirst and unable to recite Kiddush do? The Maharam Shick (Ahavas Shalom 11, printed at the end of Minchas Shabbos) states that someone in distress is not bound by the Sages’ prohibition, and drinking water after accepting Shabbos, even during bein hashmashos, is permitted. Therefore, a woman who has accepted Shabbos at candle lighting and suddenly becomes thirsty and is unable to make Kiddush, may drink before Kiddush.
However, the Minchas Yitzchak (8:18) contends that it’s rare today for someone to be unable to recite Kiddush. He suggests that perhaps in the Maharam Shick’s time, it might have been more common for women not to know how to read, especially Hebrew. But today, with widespread literacy and the availability of transliterated siddurim, most Jews can manage to recite Kiddush.
[Although Rav Moshe Feinstein notes an opinion that exempts a wife from the mitzva of daytime Kiddush until her husband is finished davening, on Friday night all opinions agree that tasting anything before Kiddush is prohibited for all.]
This halacha is relevant where one has no access to wine or challah — for example, when they are on vacation and cannot enter the kitchen until it opens, or if they are in shul and there is no wine or challah.
The Minchas Yitzchak lists three points in time, with different levels of prohibition:
- After accepting Shabbos but before sunset, most opinions permit drinking water, but it is preferable to be stringent. Therefore, in extreme cases, drinking is permitted.
- After sunset and before tzeis hakochavim, there is a debate whether drinking water may be permitted or not. When one is in significant distress, it can be permitted.
- After tzeis hakochavim, all opinions agree that drinking water before Kiddush is strictly prohibited and cannot be permitted at all.
The Minchas Yitzchak adds that swallowing a pill with water before twilight and before Maariv is permitted, even if the individual could technically make Kiddush, but prefers to wait for the rest of the family. However, drinking flavored liquid, even if only for swallowing a pill, is prohibited. This is the rule: if the drink requires a bracha, drinking it is forbidden, whether water or other liquids.
Taking Medication Before the Meal
Flavorless or bitter medication can be taken it before Kiddush. However, medicine that needs to be sweetened with sugar cannot be taken before Kiddush, except in extenuating circumstances (see Chut Shani, Volume 4, Chapter 85:2).
Eating a Meal
In last week’s article, we briefly noted that if the time for Kiddush arrives while one is in the middle of a meal, they must pause eating or drinking to make Kiddush. In contrast, if it is time for Havdalah, one may continue eating as long as the meal began before the time for Havdalah.
It’s more common to find people in the middle of Seudah Shlishis when Havdalah time approaches, but this scenario shouldn’t regularly happen on Friday afternoons, as meals are discouraged at that time to ensure the Shabbos meal is eaten with a proper appetite.
However, certain circumstances may arise where this issue becomes relevant. Because these situations are less frequent, people may not always be familiar with the necessary halachos, which we will outline below.
The common scenarios can be grouped into three categories: Seudas Mitzvah, times of great need, and individuals new to mitzvah observance. We will first list the situations where this is likely to occur, and then provide the options, halachic preferences, and guidelines on how to make Kiddush in the middle of a meal.
Seudas Mitzvah
When Yom Tov falls on a Saturday night, some people may delay their Seudah Shlishis until close to sunset. Even if they eat just a small amount of bread to keep their appetite for the evening Yom Tov meal, they must either combine the evening Yom Tov meal with Seudah Shlishis or stop eating at sunset, as will be explained below.
Another situation where this might occur is when Purim falls on a Friday, and the Purim meal is delayed until late in the afternoon. Similarly, if a Bris Milah is postponed until the afternoon or at a Pidyon Haben, which is always scheduled after midday, the meal might begin late and extend into Shabbos.
Necessary Occasions
There are situations where the elderly, ill, or families with young children find it too difficult to wait until nightfall for supper, particularly in northern countries during the height of summer when sunset occurs very late. In such cases, the recommended solution is to accept Shabbos at Plag HaMincha, recite Kiddush, and begin the meal at once. (This option was discussed in detail in the Ki Sisa article published earlier this year, 5784.) However, at times, even Plag HaMincha might be after seven or eight in the evening, making it challenging for the elderly, unwell, institutional occupants, or very young, to wait.
Logistical constraints may also necessitate starting the evening meal earlier, such as when the meal is held in a synagogue or social hall and needs to conclude before dark to allow participants to return home safely before dark where it is unsafe to walk outside.
Additionally, individuals who are new to mitzvah observance may find it difficult to adjust their usual dinnertime routine, and seek guidance on how to transform their dinner into a Shabbos meal and perform Kiddush properly.
Friday Meals Before Shabbos or Yom Tov
Ideally, meals on Friday should be earlier and lighter to allow enjoying the Shabbos or Yom Tov meal with good appetite. However, if this is not feasible, or if delays occur, the following guidelines should be followed:
If possible, daven Mincha, and start the meal after Plag HaMincha. In this case, you can accept Shabbos, make Kiddush, and begin the meal, even if it follows a Bris or Pidyon Haben that took place on Friday.
When Purim falls on a Friday, or Yom Tov begins on Motzaei Shabbos, the Purim Seuda or Seudah Shlishis must begin before Shabbos or Yom Tov is accepted. Therefore, the previous solution does not apply. In these situations, the best approach is to conclude the meal before sunset (at least one minute prior), then accept Shabbos or Yom Tov, daven Ma’ariv, and make Kiddush before beginning the Shabbos or Yom Tov meal. However, this is far from ideal-one should eat the seudas mitzvah or Purim earlier unless it is not possible.
Another option, is to make Kiddush in the middle of the meal. In this approach, one stops eating , accepts Shabbos and makes Kiddush, and then continue the meal, which now transitions into the Shabbos or Yom Tov meal.
Making Kiddush in the Middle of a Meal
When sunset arrives, an action must be taken to signify that the remainder of the meal is in honor of Shabbos. There is no need to physically reset the table or remove any food. Instead, it is sufficient to cover the challah or bread, recite Kiddush, uncover the challah, and then continue the meal (Pesachim 100b; Shulchan Aruch OC 271:4).
The text of Kiddush may vary slightly in this scenario. If the person reciting Kiddush has already drunk wine during the meal and has recited the blessing “Borei Pri Hagafen,” this blessing is not repeated; only “Vayechulu” and the Kiddush blessings are recited. However, some authorities (Shaar Hatziyun 271:25) contend that the blessing should still be repeated. In practice, the blessing should not be repeated, as the general principle regarding brachos is to be lenient in cases of doubt. To avoid this situation, the Mishnah Berura advises to refrain from drinking wine or grape juice at the beginning of the meal if there is a possibility that Kiddush will need to be recited later. Additionally, if one of the guests has not yet had wine, it is preferable for that person to recite Kiddush, thereby fulfilling the obligation for everyone present.
After reciting Kiddush, there is no need to wash hands again, though there is a halachic debate over whether one must recite “Hamotzi” again (Shulchan Aruch OC 271:4). Due to the doubt regarding this obligation, it is customary not to repeat “Hamotzi” (Mishnah Berura 271:17). However, if another person joins the meal at this point, it is preferable for them to recite the blessing, fulfilling the obligation for all participants. If no wine is available and Kiddush is recited over challah, all authorities agree that the challah should be lifted, and “Vayechulu” and the Kiddush blessing should be recited over it, but the “Hamotzi” blessing should not be repeated (Mishnah Berura, ibid).
“Borei Pri Hagafen” — Part of the Kiddush or Not
Halachic authorities have concluded from this ruling that “Borei Pri Hagafen” is not an intrinsic part of Kiddush but is required solely to permit drinking from the Kiddush wine. Based on this, Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul (Or LeZion, Volume 2, Chapter 20) ruled that if one heard the entire Kiddush except for “Borei Pri Hagafen”, they have fulfilled the mitzvah of Kiddush. However, they are not permitted to taste from the wine unless they first recite “Borei Pri Hagafen”.
Forgot About Kiddush
If someone mistakenly recited a blessing over food or drink before realizing they needed to recite Kiddush, they should proceed as follows: If the blessing was “Hagafen” or “Hamotzi,” they should continue by reciting the Kiddush blessing, and then drink the wine or eat the bread. Even if their custom is to recite Kiddush over wine, in this situation, they should recite Kiddush over the bread to avoid an unnecessary blessing. Additionally, “Vayechulu” should be omitted to prevent a break between the blessing and Kiddush (Rama, OC 271:5).
If this mistake occurs before Havdalah and the blessing “Borei Pri Hagafen” were recited, one should continue with the Havdalah blessing “Hamavdil bein kodesh lechol” and then drink the wine, without reciting the preceding verses. If it is after sunset but before Shabbos has officially ended, the blessings over the candle and spices should be omitted and only recited once Shabbos has ended. However, if the blessing recited was “Hamotzi,” one should eat a small amount of bread and not recite Havdalah at that point.
Eating Before Havdalah
If one ate before Havdalah, whether intentionally or accidentally, even though Havdalah is no longer made over the first taste after Shabbos (Shulchan Aruch OC 299:5; Mishnah Brura footnote 15), till Tuesday they are still required to recite Havdalah. (A timely anecdote: On a Sunday morning, the administrators of a sleepaway camp discovered that the individual who had recited Havdalah for the entire camp the previous evening had inadvertently omitted Hashem’s name from the Havdalah blessing. To rectify this, Havdalah was repeated for the entire camp that morning.) The blessings over the candle and spices, however, are only recited on Motzaei Shabbos (Shulchan Aruch OC 299:6). After Yom Tov, Havdalah may only be recited until the end of Isru Chag (the day following Yom Tov) (Mishnah Brura, 299:16).
