Q & A
FOR PASSOVER
Page 3
Often at a Passover Siyum, it is noisy & hard to hear the person
who is finishing the learning.
Does everyone need to hear or understand what is being taught
or is it enough that they are present?
- This is a matter of dispute.
- The Ben Ish Chai (vol. 1, Parshas Tzav, 25) & Rav Ovadya Yosef (Yabia Omer
OC 1:26:8) write that only those guests who hear & understand the learning that is taking
place can be considered participants in the siyum. - This is especially relevant on Erev Pesach, when the custom is that firstborns fast unless
they attend a siyum. - Only if one is connected with the siyum, either by virtue of participating in the learning or
providing the meal, can they be considered a participant. - Therefore, the one who is finishing the learning should make sure to be heard & explain
himself well so that even the unlearned guests can understand the subject matter. - However, Sefer Piskei Teshuvos (470:10) cites many poskim, including the Steipler
Gaon (quoted in Teshuvos V’hanhagos 2:210) & Minchas Yitzchak (9:45) who held
that the custom is to be lenient. - Since the meal that is served at a siyum is a seudas mitzvah, even if one arrived late after
the learning was completed, they can still participate.
This year, because the first day of Pesach is Shabbas,
one must make sure to eat three meals on the first day of Yom Tov.
Is there any issue with eating Shalash Sheudas late in the afternoon?
- The mitzvah of honoring Yom Tov includes refraining from beginning a meal on erev
Yom Tov within 3 hours of sunset.
- Chazal forbade starting a meal close to Yom Tov, so that one will enter Yom Tov with
an appetite. - Even on Shabbas, when there is a requirement to eat Shalosh Shudas it is preferable
tha tone begin Shalosh Seudos more than three hours (Sha'os zemaniyos-halachic hours)
before sunset. - In early Spring, a halachic hour will be only slightly longer than a regular hour.
- However, it is also preferable to eat Shalos Sheudas after davening Mincha.
- Therefore, one should try to attend an early Mincha on Shabbos, so one can start
Shalas Sheudas more than three hours before sunset. - If this is not possible, one should eat before davening Mincha.
- However, if one was delayed & did not begin Shalash Shudas sbefore this time, the
Mishnah Berurah (529:8) writes that one must still eat Shalash Seudos even after
this time. - One should scale back the meal, so that one will still have an appetite at night.
- The Magen Avrohom writes that this even applies in a year such as this one when
Shabbas is also the first day of Yom Tov.
- In other words, we are required to scale back our eating in the late afternoon of the first
day of Yom Tov, in order to have an appetite at night (which is the second day Yom Tov).
- The Mishnah Berurah (Beiur Halacha 529, s.v. B’erev) questions why this should be
so. - How could enjoying the first day of Yom Tov, which is a mitzvah from the Torah, get
pushed off because of the need to honor the second day of Yom Tov, which is only a
mitzvah drabbanan.
- However, the Mishnah Berurah recognizes that the ruling of the Magen Avrohom was
accepted by the later poskim& elsewhere, the Mishnah Berurah (471:16) quotes the
Magen Avrohom without comment.
This year, because the second night of Yom Tov is also Motzei Shabbas,
one recites Havdalah together with Kiddush.
What should one do if one forgot Havadalah &
said only Kiddush? When should Havdalah be recited?
- Mishnah Berurah (473:4) writes that this would be a matter of dispute between Sefardim,z
who follow the Beis Yosef & Ashkenazim who follow the Rama. - The reasoning one may not drink a cup of wine between the four cups if it will require a
bracha of Borei Pri Hagofen. - To drink wine with a bracha would appear that there are more than 4 Kossos (cups of wine).
- The Beis Yosef holds that the bracha of Borei Pri Hagofen on the first Kos remains in
effect until one drinks the second Kos & no bracha is recited on the second Kos at the conclusion of Maggid. - As such, it is permissible to drink wine between the first & second Kossos because
Borei Pri Hagofen need not be recited. - On the other hand, the Rama holds that the Borei Pri Hagofen not be recited.
- On the other hand, the Rama holds that the Borei Pri Hagofen of the first cup does not
apply to the second cup because the haggadah is an interruption. - It follows that one may not drink additional cups of wine between the first & second Kossos because a new Borei Pri Hagofen would be required for each additional cup, which is not permitted between the Kossos.
- What follows from this is that according to Beis Yosef (Shulchan Aruch OC 473:1), if one forgot Havdalah at the end of Kiddush, he can drink another cup of wine & recite Havdalah
but this is only true if Maggid was not yet started. - Havdalah cannot be recited during Magid because it would be an inappropriate interruption.
- Once Maggid starts, one must wait until the second cup is drunk at the conclusion of Maggid & recite Havdalah on that second cup.
- The Rama, on the other hand, would not allow drinking additional cups of wine after, as noted, & for that reason Havdalah cannot be recited after Kiddusha has been concluded.
- Therefore, if one forgot Havdalah,he must wait until he drinks the second Kos after Maggid
& recite Havdalah on the second cup.
♦♦♦♦♦
Q & A For Passover - Page 1
Q & A For
Passover - Page 2
♦♦♦♦♦
Copyright © 2012 -2018 KosherWoman.com
All rights reserved