Shabbos Bulletin Parshas Bamidbar & Shavuos 5778

Minchah, Seudah Shlishis, on Shabbos Erev Yom Tov

When Shabbos is erev Yom Tov, as is now coming up, seudah shlishis/mincha and Hilchos Yom Tov can conflict. There are a few lechatchilahs (initially the ideal way to do things) which can conflict, and one has to plan beforehand and decide.

• It is better not to eat a seudah erev Yom Tov once the “tenth-hour” is reached. (4:05 pm this year)
• It is better to eat seudah shlishis after one davens Minchah

After the tenth hour, one may eat seudah shlishis on erev Yom Tov, if necessary, but must be careful not to eat a “large seudah” and to eat less bread than usual. One may certainly eat seudah shlishis before Minchah, if necessary.

The Shul will be having its usual 1:20 pm Minchah. That allows one to daven Minchah, and then eat seudah shlishis whenever one wants, even before 4:05 .

But many people feel rushed in their second seudah if they try to make the 1:20 Minchah.

We didn’t schedule a, say, 2:30pm Minchah, feeling that is a difficult time for people.

So we scheduled a 5:30pm Minchah, figuring that that allows for an almost-normal AuB; and it is still early enough to not really have a problem of encroaching on the nighttime Yom Tov seudah (although it is after the lechatchilah zeman).

One may, of course, choose to eat seudah shlishis before  Minchah. Probably better to eat seudah shlishis before Minchah, and to eat it before 4:05pm.

As of this writing, we will also be having a pre-sheki’ah Minchah, at 7:10 pm .Please check the bulletin if that remained in place.

Theoretically, one can b’di’eved eat a small seudah shlishis up till sheki’ah; but after sheki’ah, even if one is in the middle of their seudah and is used to continuing after sheki’ah on a Motzei Shabbos; be aware that Kiddush (of Yom Tov ) is different than Havdalah, and thus one must stop eating at shekiah, until one makes Kiddush.