Mincha Ketana or Mincha Gedola
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Question
1. When is it best to pray Mincha (Mincha Gedola or Ketana) in practice, as it is indeed customary to pray Mincha Gedola and it seems even preferable (but in the Shulchan Aruch it does not appear so). 2. And for someone who prays Mincha Ketana, until then can they not eat, or since it is a fixed time in all synagogues (where they pray about 20 minutes before sunset every day), can they eat because it is considered as having a guard?
Answer
Shalom and blessings,
The opinion of the Shulchan Aruch is that the primary time is Mincha Ketana, and Mincha Gedola is only in a case of necessity.
The opinion of many later authorities is that it is permissible to initially pray during Mincha Gedola. This is the custom of the Ashkenazim.
In practice, many Sephardim have the custom to specifically pray Mincha Gedola. The Mishnah Berurah (there, sk. 1, in the name of the Magen Avraham) writes that even those who follow the Shulchan Aruch and pray Mincha Ketana, if they wish to eat, can initially pray Mincha Gedola (see Aruch HaShulchan, siman 233, סעיף 12). Also, because it is considered a time of need, if they pray only after noon, it will lead to the neglect of Torah study.