When Shalosh Seudos Extends Past Shabbos
QUESTION: If I am still eating Shalosh Seudos after tzeis ha’kochavim (when stars become visible), can I end Shabbos by saying “Baruch Hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol” (Blessed is He who separates between sacred and non-sacred), turn on the lights, and continue eating, or must I then stop eating and wait to hear Havdalah?
ANSWER: The Mishnah Berurah (Shar Hatziyun 299:8) writes that if one davens Ma’ariv in the middle of Shalosh Seudos, one is required to stop eating until reciting Havdalah. However, if one recites “Baruch Hamavdil” in order to permit doing melacha, this would not require one to stop eating. One could turn on the lights and still continue eating Shalosh Seudos. However, this is not the ideal practice because once one does melacha, one will no longer be able to recite Retzei in bentching. Reciting Retzei, which proclaims that today is holy, after doing melacha would be a contradiction (see Mishnah Berurah 491:1). In fact it is preferable not to say Baruch Hamavdil before bentching even without doing melacha. The reason for this is that the Mishna Berurah (263:67) raises the possibility that merely proclaiming the conclusion of Shabbos by reciting Baruch Hamavdil would constitute a contradiction to Retzei.
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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.