Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 299 - To Neither Eat, Drink, Nor Perform Any Work Before Reciting Havdalah

Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah, ch. 59, note 33, emphasizes that this prohibition applies to men and women equally.

Lubavitch custom, which accords with the directive of the AriZal, is to refrain even from drinking water before Havdalah (Sefer HaMinhagim, p. 35).

Pesachim 105a.

I.e., he included the passage Atah chonantanu in the blessing Atah chonein.

In that source, the Alter Rebbe explains that “[Our Sages] ruled more stringently with regard to Kiddush and Havdalah, because primarily, the mitzvah is to be fulfilled at the very beginning of its time frame, i.e., close to the commencement of Shabbos and close to its departure.”

“Twilight” or “dusk.” See sec. 261:1 for a more precise definition.

Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham 299:2) explains that this rule applies even when one merely tasted his food before bein hashmashos, but did not partake of an olive-sized portion until after that time.

I.e.,the Alter Rebbe is speaking about a situation where a person (or persons) sat down to eat a proper meal, then ceased eating, but continued to sit and drink. See subsection 3.

In subsection 8, the Alter Rebbe mentions a person who “forgot or purposely ignored.” Seemingly, that would be the case in this instance as well.

In his Kuntreis Acharon (note 1), the Alter Rebbe refers to his statements in his Kuntreis Acharon to sec. 271(note 3). In that source, the Alter Rebbe states that on Friday afternoon, one must cease eating immediately upon the onset of bein hashmashos, i.e., at sunset. Although there are authorities who rule that one may continue eating until nightfall, the Alter Rebbe follows the more stringent view, citing many Rishonim who rule in this manner. The Alter Rebbe does, however, maintain that, with regard to Havdalah, there is greater halachic support for the views that permit one to continue eating until nightfall. For the fundamental dimension of Havdalah is to make a distinction between Shabbos and the weekdays, and that distinction is best made when it is definitely night. On that basis, he maintains that those who begin the third Shabbos meal during bein hashmashos on Saturday evening need not be admonished.

Here, the translation does not fully communicate the intent of the original. היה קבוע implies sitting down to eat or drink in a significant and prolonged setting.

I.e., to drink wine or another significant beverage, and not to eat. A fixed setting established by drinking is far less halachically significant than one established by eating.

If one remembers the obligation after washing his hands to partake of bread and after reciting the blessing Al netilas yadayim, he should first recite Havdalah and partake of the wine, and then recite the blessing Ha­Motzi. He need not wash and recite the blessing Al netilas yadayim a second time, because there is room for leniency with regard to making an interruption between the blessings Al netilas yadayim and HaMotzi.

See sec. 271:15 for a parallel ruling with regard to Kiddush. In his Kuntreis Acharon (note 2), the Alter Rebbe focuses on the explanation that Magen Avraham 299:2 gives for the ruling of Rama (Orach Chayim 271:5), that if one began eating a meal on Friday or Saturday evening after sunset, when it is forbidden to do so, he must cease eating at nightfall. Magen Avraham explains that Rama maintains that this rationale holds true for Havdalah as well, because he maintains that Havdalah is a Scriptural obligation.

The Alter Rebbe disputes that contention, stating that from Rama’s ruling (Orach Chayim 296:8) that women should not recite Havdalah, it can be inferred that Havdalah is not a Scriptural commandment, for were it to be so, women would be obligated to recite it.

The Alter Rebbe acknowledges that there is no conclusive proof that Rama maintains that Havdalah is a Rabbinic commandment. On the contrary, his ruling (Orach Chayim 299:10) that women should recite Baruch HaMavdil… before performing forbidden labors on Saturday night can be understood as implying that they are Scripturally obligated in Havdalah. It can be said, writes the Alter Rebbe, that Rama was undecided about the issue and therefore adopted the stringencies of both approaches.

Nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe disputes the very basis of Magen Avraham’s contention, bringing proofs that even authorities who maintain that Havdalah is a Rabbinic ordinance require one to cease eating at nightfall, unless he began eating when he was permitted to do so. Although one need not interrupt a meal to observe other Rabbinic commandments (e.g., prayer) even when one began the meal when forbidden to do so, Kiddush and Havdalah are exceptions. In these instances, one must cease eating because our Sages ordained that a distinction be made between Shabbos and the weekdays at the very beginning of the holy day and at the very beginning of its departure (see Magen Avraham 235:4).

(True, Rabbeinu Nissim offers a further explanation why one must interrupt his Friday night meal to recite Kiddush, namely, that Kiddush was ordained to be recited before one’s meal. Nevertheless, he does not advance that rationale because he considers the explanation cited by Magen Avraham insufficient to justify interrupting one’s meal for Kiddush and Havdalah. Rather, Rabbeinu Nissim seeks to explain why the rule for interrupting for Kiddush is different from the rule for Havdalah:that on Friday night, one must cease eating to recite Kiddush even if he began his meal when permitted. That rule does not apply Saturday night with regard to Havdalah.)

Thus causing the initial blessing to be unacceptable and to be considered as having been recited in vain; see sec. 167:9.

I.e., after completing their meal, they continued sitting at the table, sharing wine or other similar beverages.

Both their eating and their drinking.

As the Alter Rebbe explains in sec. 271, Kuntreis Acharon (note 5), in this regard there is a difference between Kiddush and Havdalah. When one says, “Let us make Kiddush,” he thereby accepts the Shabbos and from that moment on is forbidden to eat until he recites Kiddush. No such concept applies with regard to Havdalah.

I.e., when one diverts his attention from eating or drinking, he is required to recite another blessing before he eats or drinks again. Nevertheless, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain, in this instance, a second blessing is not necessary since the people never fully diverted their attention from eating and drinking.

As explained in sec. 197, it is common for people to change their minds and begin eating again after deciding to stop eating.

As stated in subsection 2 above.

As similarly stated in sec. 271:11 with regard to Kiddush.

Since it was forbidden to drink, there is reason to think that the person is considered to have diverted his attention from drinking and a new blessing is required. See footnote 27 below.

One is not required to interrupt a meal to recite Havdalah. Instead he may continue eating and recite Havdalah afterwards.

As stated in sec. 174:5, the blessing recited over wine before the meal covers the wine one drinks during the meal.

See sec. 174:2.

In his Kuntreis Acharon (note 3), the Alter Rebbe explains why he rules more leniently than Magen Avraham does in this instance. Magen Avraham 299:6 states that one should not recite Havdalah in the midst of a meal, while the Alter Rebbe recommends not doing so only as an initial preference.

In explanation, the Alter Rebbe explains the source of Magen Avraham’s ruling, stating that Rav Yosef Caro in his Beis Yosef {and his Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 299:3)} mentions two opinions: a) that of Rashi and Rabbeinu Asher, who maintain that it is not necessary to recite a blessing over the wine, and b) that of Maharik and others, who maintain that a blessing is required, because from nightfall on, it is forbidden to drink further. (See sec. 178:7 which mentions a related concept with regard to the cup of wine over which Grace is recited.)

Magen Avraham notes that in sec. 271, when discussing the parallel law with regard to Kiddush, Rav Yosef Caro did not mention the stringent view that one must recite a blessing over the wine. Accordingly, the Alter Rebbe explains, Magen Avraham understands that there are two reasons why a blessing over wine should be recited for the wine of Havdalah: a) one is required to cease eating, and b) unlike Kiddush, Havdalah shares no connection to the meal.

Magen Avraham maintains that instead of stopping to recite Havdalah, one should continue eating and recite Havdalah after the meal. The Alter Rebbe asks: Since Magen Avraham does not accept the rationale that one is required to cease eating (for he allows one to continue eating), then seemingly, if the person desires to recite Havdalah, he should be allowed to do so without reciting the blessing over wine, because there is insufficient reason to require him to recite a blessing.

After having recited the Evening Service, his connection with Shabbos ceases and he should not recite the passage Retzeih in Grace, as stated in sec. 188:17.

Badei HaShulchan 99:7 questions whether reciting Baruch HaMavdil bein kodesh lechol (see subsection 16) is sufficient to require him to cease eating. See sec. 188:17, which states: “There is uncertainty whether saying [Baruch] HaMavdil bein kodesh lechol… is equivalent to reciting the Evening Service.”

As sanctioned in sec. 293:2.

See subsection 1; compare to sec. 271:12 with regard to Kiddush. Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham 299:1) states that after reciting Havdalah, the person may return to his meal without reciting any additional blessings.

See subsection 2.

For one should drink from the “cup of blessing” as soon as possible after reciting Grace.

See the explanation of this concept in sec. 182:1.

The concept that the ha­lachah is defined by one’s personal con- duct is discussed in sec. 296, Kuntreis Acharon (note 2, discussed in sec. 296, footnote 59 above). See Leket Tziyunim VeHaaros, which explains that even a person who maintains that Grace should be recited over a cup of wine, but on occasion does not do so, either because he does not possess wine or is constrained by other factors, is permitted to drink of the wine before Havdalah.

Pesachim 102b. The intent is that each mitzvah should be granted its own unique importance. See also sec. 271:12, which states a similar law with regard to Kiddush.

In his Kuntreis Acharon (note 4), the Alter Rebbe focuses on his ruling in the main text, that a person who does not possess a second cup of wine over which to recite Havdalah should recite Grace and Havdalah over the same cup of wine. The implication is that the mitzvah of reciting Grace over a cup of wine overrides the Talmudic principle that “mitzvos should not be performed in bundles.”

The Alter Rebbe cites a passage from Berachos 52a from which it is evident that even the authorities who maintain that it is not obligatory to recite Grace over a cup of wine maintain that when a person possesses only one cup of wine, he should recite Grace and Havdalah over the same cup. Since we follow the approach that the optimum manner of fulfilling the mitzvah is to recite Grace over a cup of wine, that ruling should certainly be followed.

The Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain that one must taste from the cup of wine directly after reciting Grace. It is not desirable to recite Grace, make an interruption, and then recite Havdalah. True, after making the interruption, because of the time lapse, it would not be considered as if the mitzvos were “performed in bundles.” Nevertheless, that time lapse would disassociate drinking the cup of wine from the blessings of Grace.

Accordingly, when a person has two cups of wine, he should recite Grace over one, and immediately thereafter recite Havdalah on the second. He should then drink from the cup over which Havdalah was recited and then drink from the cup over which Grace was recited. The recitation of Havdalah is not considered as an interruption between Grace and drinking from the cup of wine over which Grace was recited. As proof, the Alter Rebbe cites the custom of reciting the seven wedding blessings after Grace before drinking from the cup of wine over which Grace was recited. {The Alter Rebbe also refers to sec. 296, Kuntreis Acharon (note 2, summarized in footnote 59 above of that section), which also discusses concepts relevant to this issue.}

Although he praises the halachic reasoning, Tehilah LeDavid 299:1 notes that common custom is not to follow the guidelines stated here, but instead to recite the Evening Service first and then to recite Havdalah over the same cup over which Grace was recited even if one has a second cup of wine. He explains that it could be said that the Alter Rebbe is referring to a situation where the person recited the Evening Service in the midst of his meal. Otherwise, he is required to recite the Evening Service directly after his meal, before he recites Havdalah over a cup of wine. If so, the time lapse between Grace and Havdalah resolves the difficulty of performing mitzvos in bundles. Hence, it is preferable to recite Havdalah over the cup of wine over which Grace was recited and not over a second cup. See Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham, sec. 299:7, which follows similar reasoning.

This explanation can clarify the conduct of the Rebbe, who at the conclusion of festivals, together with the entire chassidic community, would begin a meal before sunset, continue the meal well into the night, and then recite Grace over a cup of wine. He would not partake of the wine immediately, but would instead, recite the Evening Service. After its conclusion, he would recite Havdalah on the same cup of wine and then partake of it.

For, otherwise, the cup would be blemished and unfit for Havdalah to be recited over it.

Pesachim 107a.

Ibid. Compare to sec. 271:16 with regard to Kiddush. There are many halachic authorities who maintain that the leniency of reciting Havdalah on subsequent days is not granted when one purposely did not recite Havdalah on Saturday night. S’dei Chemed, Asifas Dinim, Maaereches Hei, sec. 15, explains that the Alter Rebbe is following the approach of Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 29:4), who equates Kiddush and Havdalah.

See also the gloss of Rabbi Akiva Eiger to the Shulchan Aruch of Rav Yosef Caro (Orach Chayim 299:5), who explains that a similar ruling also applies if one did not recite Havdalah on the day following a festival. Birkei Yosef, in his gloss to Orach Chayim 491:1, differs. Leket Tziyunim VeHaaros maintains that by speaking about failing to recite “Havdalah on Saturday night,” the Alter Rebbe implies that the leniency is granted only Saturday night and not on the nights following festivals. Others, however, maintain that this conclusion is not necessarily implied. The Alter Rebbe may have used this wording because he is writing specifically about the laws of Havdalah on Saturday night.

Pesachim, op. cit.

This refers to a situation where a person possesses wine, but has not recited Havdalah for other reasons. Different laws apply if he does not possess wine, as stated in sec. 296:10.

In Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 31, p. 104, the Rebbe explains that although the fundamental time for the recitation of Havdalah is Saturday night, reciting it on subsequent days does not merely serve as compensation for failing to recite it at its proper time. Instead, the time for Havdalah itself extends until Tuesday of the following week.

I.e., sunset according to the approach of the Alter Rebbe in his Siddur.

Literally, “The departure of the Shabbos,” and thus a time when it is still appropriate to recite Havdalah.

Pesachim 106a; see sec. 248:5 and sec. 285:5, which speak of the relation of Shabbos to the preceding and subsequent days.

To revive the soul which is despondent because of the departure of the extra dimension of holiness it was granted on Shabbos, as stated in sec. 297:1.

After reciting the Afternoon Service.

See sec. 293:2 for a parallel ruling. Leket Tziyunim VeHaaros notes that, in contrast to Magen Avraham 299:8, the Alter Rebbe does not speak of the option of reciting Havdalah on Saturday night and having another person drink the wine.

Eliyah Rabbah 299:3 writes that the intent is not that he must begin fasting from the time he accepts his fast, but that he should accept the fast during the afternoon before the fast begins and begin fasting after nightfall or after the recitation of the Evening Service.

As stated in sec. 298:3.

Tehilah LeDavid 299:2 notes that even though it is preferable to recite the Evening Service before reciting Havdalah over a cup of wine, from the Alter Rebbe’s wording here, it is evident that it is not an absolute necessity. Based on Tosefes Shabbos 299:10, it can be said that the emphasis is that even though one recited Havdalah in the Shemoneh Esreh of the Evening Service, we do not say that the person’s fast commences immediately (as is the case when Tishah BeAv begins Saturday night). Instead, he is permitted to recite Havdalah.

On the basis of this law, the authorities have questioned what to do when, on Shabbos, a person loses a close relative, heaven forbid, for whom he is required to mourn. Since after Shabbos, he will be exempt from the observance of mitzvos until after the burial, it might be preferable for him to recite Havdalah on Shabbos day. (Although he recites Havdalah – and, similarly,in all other instances when one recites Havdalah on Shabbos day – he may not perform any activities forbidden on Shabbos until nightfall.) On the other hand, since it can be assumed that he will soon be able to bury his dead and hence, recite Havdalah within three days of the Shabbos, it would seem preferable for him to wait and recite Havdalah at that time. Most authorities agree that if the burial will not be held Saturday night, he should recite Havdalah on Shabbos afternoon after p’lag haminchah.

Thus, he will not be able to recite Havdalah until Monday night, which is the beginning of Rosh HaShanah.

Mareh Mekomos U’Tziyunim notes that generally Havdalah may not be recited over bread. Nevertheless, as stated in sec. 296:11, when one recites Kiddush over bread, he may also include Havdalah. In this instance, however, when the Kiddush and the Havdalah refer to two separate days, there is room to say that it is inappropriate to do so.

For, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain, unlike a situation when a festival falls on Saturday night, in this instance, Shabbos is followed by an ordinary weekday and that is the subject on which he focuses when reciting Havdalah.

Pesachim 102b.

I.e., at the beginning of the subsection.

Magen Avraham 299:9 gives the person the option of reciting Kiddush and then reciting Havdalah on another cup of wine. Tehilah LeDavid 299:4 raises many questions regarding such a situation and suggests that the Alter Rebbe did not mention this option because of its problematic nature.

Although, generally, one should minimize the interval between Kiddush and the blessing HaMotzi to the greatest possible extent (sec. 273:5), in this instance the person has no alternative, for he must recite Havdalah before eating.

As stated in that source, a person who fulfills his obligation for a blessing over food by listening to the blessing recited by another person may not interrupt between answering Amen to the blessing and partaking of the food.

There, the Alter Rebbe writes:

When a person recites Havdalah at his table, i.e., close to his meal, in the place where he will eat the meal, it is not necessary for him to recite a blessing on the wine that he will drink during the meal.

There are authorities who maintain that since one does not partake of the wine consumed for Havdalah for the sake of drinking, but rather for the sake of the mitzvah, it does not cover the wine consumed during the meal, unless he recited Havdalah at the table [at which he will eat his meal], i.e., he established a setting for himself for a meal at the table, or after he washed his hands [for the meal]….

Weight should be given to their words at the outset. Thus when one recites Havdalah before establishing a setting for a meal, he should have the intent that the blessing [recited over the wine in Havdalah] does not cover the wine he will drink during the meal. After the fact, [if] one did not have this intent, he should not recite a blessing on the wine that he drinks during the meal, because when there is a question concerning blessings established by Rabbinic decree, we rule leniently.

See sec. 174:6, where the Alter Rebbe writes:

When, however, a person recites Havdalah before partaking of a meal and had the intent not to cover the wine he would drink during the meal, or he did not intend to drink wine during the meal, he is required to recite a blessing after the wine he drank before the meal, if he drank a measure that requires such a blessing. (If he forgot and did not recite this blessing before the meal and remembered before he recited Grace, he must recite the blessing Al hagefen immediately.) If he did not remember until after he recited Grace, he need not recite the blessing [Al hagefen], for, after the fact, Grace also covers one’s responsibility for the one blessing that encapsulates three.

And with regard to other beverages one drinks before a meal – and certainly, this includes beverages over which he recites Havdalah, the Alter Rebbe states there:

One who drinks other beverages before a meal… must recite a blessing after drinking them, even if he intended to drink [these beverages] during the meal as well. [The rationale:] The blessing recited before partaking of these beverages before the meal does not cover the beverages he drinks during the meal, for the beverages he drinks during the meal do not require a blessing at all. (If he forgot and did not recite a blessing [after drinking] and only remembered afterwards – even after Grace – he must recite the blessing. For Grace does not cover the blessing Borei nefashos rabos, even after the fact.)

See also the Kuntreis Acharon (note 7) to that section, which elaborates in explanation of these rulings.

I.e., that a blessing is being recited over the wine before a blessing is recited over it, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain. See a similar example of this concept in sec. 473:44 with regard to the portions of the Hagadah recited over wine at the Pesach Seder. See also sec. 271:10, 14.

I.e., wheat from which bread is made.

Devarim 8:8. See Seder Birkas HaNehanim 10:13, which emphasizes how the blessing over wheat products deserves precedence over all other products from the seven species, including wine.

I.e., he added some time from Saturday night to the Shabbos day (sec. 293:1).

Shabbos 103b.

Subsection 25. See also subsection 21.

See also sec. 491:3 for a comparison with this prohibition vis-à-vis festivals.

Activities that are Rabbinically forbidden as a safeguard, either because they closely resemble the forbidden labors or lest they lead one to commit a forbidden labor (Rambam, Hilchos Shabbos 21:1).

See sec. 323:1 for examples of activities forbidden because of this rationale.

In that source, the Alter Rebbe explains that this is why the shofar may be sounded at the conclusion of the Neilah Service on Yom Kippur when night has already fallen, but prior to the recitation of Havdalah over a cup of wine or the recitation of Atah chonantanu in the Shemoneh Esreh.

As stated in subsection 1 above.

If, however, one says HaMav- dil bein kodesh lechol on a Saturday night that is a festival, or HaMav- dil bein kodesh lekodesh on an ordinary Saturday night, his state- ments are not effective (Shulchan Shlomoh 299:14).

See sec. 106:2, which does not consider the recitation of the Evening Service as mandatory for women.

Even those authorities who maintain that women should not recite Havdalah by themselves (Rama, Orach Chayim 296:8) agree that they should be taught to recite this phrase. See footnote 14 above.

Writing refers to writing with the calligraphy of a scribe. For this reason, it is considered a strenuous activity.

Although these activities are forbidden by Scriptural Law, according to these authorities, our Sages did not include them in this prohibition since they do not involve strenuous activity.

And that is a Scripturally forbidden labor.

See Mareh Mekomos U’Tziyunim to sec. 308:33, which explains that this does not necessarily refer to a burning candle. Even a candle that is unlit is muktzeh and may not be carried until after one recites Havdalah in prayer.

In the original, baal nefesh, literally “master of [his] soul.”

I.e., the passage beginning V’Atah Kadosh; see sec. 295:1.

Pesachim 50b. A person who recites the Evening Service alone (at home or elsewhere) must wait until the time the congregation recites the order of Kedushah (Badei HaShulchan 95:5).

I.e., to enable the congregation to pray.

Vayikra Rabbah 22:4; Bamidbar Rabbah 18:22.

Which accompanied the Jews on their journey through the desert.

In that source, the Alter Rebbe states that both these actions are permissible. He adds that this leniency is granted even when one prolongs the Shabbos by extending the third meal and he has yet to recite Grace, in which he will say the passage asking G‑d to favor us “on our day of rest.”

See also subsection 15 above, which states that even though a person is prolonging his observance of the Shabbos, he is not bound by the prohibitions involving speech. Thus, one may instruct someone else to perform a forbidden labor on his behalf.

I.e., while he is still bound by the Shabbos restrictions.