Meals and Mitzvot- By Rav Michael Siev

1) Our Sugya

The mishna on 38a says that if one has not yet fulfilled the mitzva of lulav, such as if one was travelling and did not have a lulav, יטול על שלחנו, he must pick up the lulav even “at his table.” The Gemaraunderstands this to mean that even if one is in the middle of a meal, one must interrupt the meal in order to fulfill the mitzva of lulav.

However, this presents a problem based on a mishna in Massechet Shabbat (9b). The mishna there states that when the time for mincha has almost arrived, one should not begin a meal or other activity in which one may become engrossed before onedavens. However, if one does begin, one need not interrupt that activity in order to daven. This seems to directly contradict our mishna!

In answer to this question the Gemara quotes RavSafra’sexplanation that it depends if there is enough time to do the mitzva after the activity in which one is currently engaged. If there is enough time, the mishna in Shabbat is operative and one need not interrupt one’s meal or other activity; if there is not enough time afterward, our mishna in Sukka applies and one must interrupt one’s meal. The Gemarathen cites a dispute between Rava and R’ Zeira regarding whether the previous discussion pertains to mitzvotd’oraita (Rava) or d’rabanan (R’ Zeira).

2) The Full Story

As is often the case in Gemara, we can only get a full sense of the halachic ramifications of this topic when we examine the presentations of the Rishonim, who explained how our Gemara relates to other sugyot that address this same issue. The Ran (18b in Rif, ד"ה מתני'), for instance, points out that our Gemara only quotes a fragment of the mishna in Shabbat. The continuation of that mishna states that whereas one who has begun a meal (or similar activity) need not interrupt it in order to davenmincha, one must interrupt one’s meal in order to recite keriatshema. Why is there a difference between mincha and keriatshema? The Ran explains simply that the difference relates to the level of the mitzva: The mitzva of keriatshema is d’oraita while the mitzva to davenmincha is d’rabanan.

Therefore, since R’ Zeira seems to get the last word in ourGemara regarding RavSafra’s ruling, the final analysis is as follows: If there is not enough time to fulfill the mitzva after the meal, one must interrupt in order to fulfill the mitzva even if it is d’rabanan. However, if there is enough time to fulfill the mitzva later, one does not need to interrupt one’s meal. This is what ourGemara says; however, it is only addressing, as R’ Zeira indicates, one who wants to fulfill a mitzvad’rabanan. If one needs to fulfill a mitzvad’oraita, one must interrupt one’s meal to do so even if there will be time to fulfill the mitzva even after the meal, as indicated by the continuation of the mishna in Shabbat.

The Ran adds yet another critical point: The Gemara does not explicitly address the question of whether one has started one’s meal before or after the beginning of the z’man ha-mitzva, the time in which the particular mitzva at hand may be fulfilled. The case in our Gemara is presumably one in which the z’man ha-mitzva began before one started one’s meal; the mitzva of lulav becomes relevant at daybreak and it is certainly uncommon for people to start meals before daybreak and to continue into the morning. Therefore, the Ran assumes that the whole discussion focuses on cases such as this, when one begins an activity during or immediately prior to the onset of a z’manmitzva before doing the mitzva. However, if one begins one’s activity more than half an hour before the z’manmitzva even starts, one need not interrupt even for mitzvotd’oraita unless there will be no time to fulfill the mitzva after the conclusion of one’s activity.

3) Understanding our Halacha

This last point of the Ran allows him to explain an otherwise difficult Gemara in Pesachim, and also gives us insight into the inner workings of our sugya. The Gemara in Pesachim (100a) cites a machlokettanna’im regarding one involved in a meal on Friday afternoon[1] when Shabbat begins: R’ Yehuda argues that one must interrupt one’s meal and make Kiddush and R’ Yosei holds that one may continue eating and make Kiddush later. The Gemara indicates that we hold like R’ Yosei in terms of the essential halacha, though it also cites Rav Yehuda in the name of Shemuelwho recommends covering the food with a cloth and making Kiddush in the middle of the meal. Nonetheless, as the essential halacha follows R’ Yosei, we must ask how this Gemara relates to the discussion we have cited above. After all, we said that one must always interrupt one’s meal for a mitzvad’oraita but the Gemara in Pesachim indicates that one need not interrupt one’s meal for the mitzvad’oraita of Kiddush!

The Ran explains that the answer to this question is based upon the timing of the meal. As we mentioned, the Ran claims that if one begins a meal or some other activity before the z’manmitzva begins, one need not interrupt one’s meal even for a mitzvad’oraita. In this case, one began the meal well before Shabbat, before the mitzva of Kiddush became relevant. Therefore, one need not interrupt one’s meal in order to make Kiddush.

Tosafot in our sugya (ד"ה מאי) give alternate answers to this question. They explain that although we generally are concerned that one who is engrossed in a meal or some other activity will simply forget to fulfill the mitzva, that is not the case when it comes to the mitzva of Kiddush. This is for two possible reasons: Firstly, the mitzva of Kiddush may be fulfilled any time over the entire Shabbat. Therefore, even if one forgets to make Kiddush at night one can fulfill the mitzva the following day.[2] It is not likely that one will forget to make Kiddush the entire Shabbat. Additionally, since one is eating a Shabbat meal, one will not forget to make Kiddush even at night.

RavSoloveitchik[3] pointed out that these differing answers of Tosafot and the Ran reflect different understandings of how this whole halacha works. According to Tosafot, the issue is simply one of concern that one will forget to fulfill the mitzva. It is because of this concern that one should not begin a meal during a z’manmitzva and if one is in the middle of a meal, one must interrupt it in order to fulfill the mitzva unless the opportunity to fulfill the mitzva will be present later. According to the Ran, there is another essential element involved in this halacha: If one begins a meal or some other activity during the z’manmitzva of a mitzvad’oraita, there is a “k’nas,” a penalty, that the halacha imposes, which is that one must interrupt one’s activity in order to fulfill the mitzva. Presumably, this penalty is meant to remind us to put our priorities in order; if one has the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvad’oraita or begin a meal or a haircut, the mitzva should be one’s first priority. It is because the Ran views this halachaas includinga penalty that he differentiates between cases in which one begins the activity before the z’manmitzva begins, in which case there is no need for a penalty, and cases in which one begins the activity after the z’manmitzva starts, which is when the penalty is relevant. According to Tosafot, even if one began during the z’man ha-mitzva there is no need to interrupt in cases in which it is clear that one will not forget to do the mitzva. At the same time, it is entirely possible that according to Tosafot starting before the z’man ha-mitzva would not be a factor in determining whether or not one must interrupt what one is doing in order to fulfill the mitzva.

4) Practical Applications

Practically speaking, the halacha follows our Gemara as explained by the Ran.[4] Thus, one may not begin a meal or other involved activity during a z’manmitzva before performing the mitzva. If one does, one must interrupt one’s meal if it is a mitzvad’oraita, but if the mitzva is d’rabanan and one has time to fulfill it after the meal, one need not interrupt. If one begins the meal before the z’manmitzva,[5] one need not interrupt even for a mitvad’oraita if there will be time to fulfill the mitzva later.

This halacha has practical relevance in a wide variety of common situations. One common example that people do not always think of relates to “early Shabbos.” When people make early Shabbat they may begin their Shabbat meal shortly before tzeit ha-kochavim. However, tzeit ha-kochavim is when the mitzva of keri’atshema begins. Similarly, early Shabbat minyanim generally don’t count sefirat ha-omer, which mayonly be counted after sheki’a (and preferably after tzeit ha-kochavim). Based on our sugya, it is necessary to begin the meal more than half an hour before tzeit ha-kochavim. If one started closer to tzeit ha-kochavim, it would seem that one must interrupt the meal in order to recite keri’atshema, which is a mitzvad’oraita.

At first glance, it would seem as though the halacha would also prohibit several practices that are even more common. How can one ever eat lunch or engage in any of the activities one does in the afternoon before daveningmincha? Is there ever justification for eating dinner before ma’ariv? In order to understand these issues properly, it is still necessary to mention some further details quoted by the poskim.

The Mechaber (232:2) writes that one may not even begin a small meal within half an hour of “minchagedola.”[6] The Rama (232:2) writes that others disagree and that common practice takes a very lenient view, only prohibiting a “big meal” close to the time of “minchaketana.”[7]He surmises the perhaps the reason common practice follows such a lenient view is that it was common to have someone whose job it was to go around the community calling everyone to come davenmincha in shul. Since there is someone reliable reminding everyone to daven, we are not concerned that people will forget due to being engrossed in their meal or other activities.

This takes care of one of our primary concerns, that one will forget to daven. But what about our other concern, which is that of priorities? Shouldn’t davening take precedence over eating? RavShlomoZalmanAurbach[8] explained that the issue of priorities only comes to the fore when one wants to engage in two activities and the question is which takes precedence. However, if one has a good reason to delay performing one of the activities – for instance, if one wants to delay davening in order todaven with a minyan or in a setting more suitable for davening – there is never a clash between the two activities and eating before davening does not represent a faulty set of priorities. Thus, if one has a good reason to delay davening as well as a method of ensuring one will not forget to daven because one is engrossed in a different activity (such as a meal), it is permitted to start a meal even during the z’mantefilla.

Just how good a reminder must one have in order to be sure that one will not forget to daven? The Rama we quoted earlier clearly assumed that a person whose job it is to remind you to daven is good enough. This need not be an official community position, as in the Rama’s case; even if one asks one’s friend to remind him to daven, that is good enough. However, poskim add, that is only true if the friend himself is not going to get involved in any other activity. In this sense, modern technology has provided wonderful reminders such as alarms on cell phones. Electronics do not “forget” to do their job, so one may set an alarm to remind one to daven and thereby be confident that one will not forget.

It is even possible that even a set schedule can be considered ingrained in one’s mind to the point that an external reminder is unnecessary. Based on the ShulchanAruch in 89:6, some poskim[9] write that if one has a regular schedule and always davens at a set time, there is no concern that one will forget to do so. Thus, for instance, if one always davensmincha on Shabbat at a minyan that is set for half an hour before shekia, one may eat seudashelishit before mincha secure in the knowledge that he will not forget to go to shul for davening, as he always does. It seems that most people rely on this in going about their regular business in the afternoon before daveningmincha, which in most shuls is done shortly before sunset. Of course, if one departs from one’s normal schedule in this regard, an external reminder is needed. Thus, if one generally davensmincha early in the afternoon and one day decides to daven later, one may not be able to assume that one will remember to daven, and one must set an alarm or arrange for some other reminder.

[1] It should be noted that one should not begin a meal in the last three hours of the day on Friday, or have an unusually heavy meal at any time on Friday – see ShulchanAruch 249:2.

[2] If one does fail to make Kiddush at night, one recites the text of the nighttime Kiddush (including the beracha of מקדש השבת) during the day. However, one does not say the paragraph of ויכלו.

[3]Quoted in ReshimotShiurim, pp. 181-2.

[4] See ShulchanAruch 232:2, 652:2.

[5]This means more than half an hour before the beginning of the z’man ha-mitzva – see M”B 232 s”k 7.

[6]Minchagedola is six and a half hours into the day, half an hour after chatzot ha-yom.

[7]Minchaketana is nine and a half hours into the day, two and a half halachic hours before sunset.

[8]Quoted in HalichotShlomo on Tefilla, 2:11.

[9] See, for example, Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchatahch. 56 fn. 12.