3. Question:Are there any differences to be aware of when Purim coincides with Friday? Discussion: The most significant difference when Purim coincides with Friday is the timing of the se’udas Purim: Generally, when Purim coincides with a weekday (other than Friday) the Remo writes (Siman 695 Se’if 2) that the minhag is to have the Purim se’udoh in the afternoon, after Mincha. When Purim coincides with Friday, the Remo (ibid) writes that one should have the Purim se’udoh in the morning, so as not to infringe on kovod Shabbos. The precedent for this idea can be found in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim Siman 249 Se’if 2) that tells us that it is forbidden to partake of a meal on a Friday that one is not accustomed to eating on a weekday. The reason for this is because of kovod Shabbos, i.e. so that a person should enter Shabbos with an appetite, and the prohibition applies the entire Friday – even Friday morning. The Remo (ibid) adds that a se’udoh where the correct time is Erev Shabbos (for example a bris or pidyon haben se’udoh where the bris or pidyon haben occur on Friday) are permitted to be eaten on Erev Shabbos. The Mishna Berura (s.k. 13) adds that ideally one should try to have the se’udoh [for the bris or pidyon haben] in the morning, and b’dieved one can partake of such a se’udoh even in the afternoon. Returning to Purim on Friday, the Mishna Berura (Siman 695 s.k. 10) refers to the Yad Efrayim, who quotes the Maharil who writes that when Purim coincides with Erev Shabbos one should begin se’udas Purim before sho’oh asiris, which is nine variable hours of the day. (This is calculated by taking the total time of the day – from honetz hachamoh until shki’as hachamo – and dividing by twelve. The result of this is one variable hour, and at the end of nine variable hours, or three quarters of the day, is sho’oh asiris.) We see that according to the Maharil there is no requirement to eat or begin se’udas Purim in the morning, and one just needs to ensure that one begins the se’udo before sho’oh asiris. However, from context, the Mishna Berura himself opines that ideally one should begin se’udas Purim in the morning, i.e. before chatzos. [Although chatzos is not mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch in Siman 249 as the time from which one should refrain from partaking of a se’udoh on Erev Shabbos, it appears that the Mishna Berura bases himself on the opinion of the Ra’avad (in his hasogos on the Rambam Hilchos Shabbos Perek 30 Halocho 4) who opines that it is forbidden to begin a se’udoh from chatzos on Erev Shabbos. This is consistent with the ruling of the Mishna Berura in Siman 249 who writes that ideally one should partake of a se’udas bris milah or se’udas pidyon haben on Erev Shabbos in the morning.] Summary: When Purim coincides with Friday one should begin the se’udas Purim ideally in the morning (i.e. before chatzos), so as not to infringe on kovod Shabbos. If one did not manage to begin his se’udas Purim in the morning, one should at least endeavour to begin the se’udoh before sho’oh asiris which is nine variable hours (or three quarters) of the day. • One other unrelated point that should be mentioned is that one who is wearing Shabbos clothes on Purim (which is a commendable minhag mentioned by the Maharil and quoted by the Mishna Berura) should check his pockets before Shabbos to ensure that there is no muktzeh items in them. Certainly, in an area where there is no eruv one should check his pockets before Shabbos so that he does not come to inadvertently carry outside on Shabbos. • This year because Purim coincides with Friday one is allowed to cut hair and shave on Purim, because of kovod Shabbos. |
Purim
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