Seudat Purim Erev Shabbos

Hi, this year Purim is on Erev Shabbos. Do I have to have the seudah early, or can I combine the two seudot and start with Seudat Purim that will continue into Seudat Shabbat?

Thank you for your question.

There is an important halacha that, in honor of Shabbos, one should not eat a meal on Erev Shabbos so that he will enter Shabbos with an appetite for the Seudat Shabbat.

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות שבת סימן רמט סעיף ב

אסור לקבוע בערב שבת סעודה ומשתה שאינו רגיל בימי החול.... מפני כבוד השבת, שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאב לאכול; וכל היום בכלל האיסור.

It is forbidden to arrange a meal and feast on Friday that is not usual during the weekdays... out of respect for Shabbos, so that one may enter Shabbos hungry to eat; and this prohibition applies all day.

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות מגילה ופורים סימן תרצה

וכשחל פורים ביום ששי, יעשו הסעודה בשחרית, משום כבוד שבת (מנהגים);

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Laws of Megillah and Purim, Section 695:
Rema: When Purim falls on a Friday, the feast should be held in the morning, in honor of Shabbos

The Mishnah Brurah ad loc adds that lechatchilah one should have the meal before chatsot (Halachic midday).

This year, we have a mitzvah to have a seudah on Erev Shabbos since Purim falls on Friday. How can we uphold these two halachot: having a festive Purim party and entering Shabbos with an appetite for the Shabbos meal?

The best option is that one should ideally eat the seudah before chatzot (halachic midday), or at least start the meal before chatzot. If one wasn’t able to do so, then they should eat the meal even after chatzot. The correct way is to eat the meal before the halachic tenth hour of the day, or at least to start the meal before then. However, when doing so, one should first daven Minchah.

There are those who combine the two meals, as you mentioned, by starting the Purim seudah and then continuing the meal as a Shabbos meal. In the halachic world, this is called 'Pores Mappah u'Mekadesh' (פורס מפה ומקדש), which is mentioned in Orach Chaim 271, seif 6. However, one should not do this lechatchilah, as there are several halachic complications involved, for example with the blessings and 'Al Hanissim' and 'Retzeh.' The same applies with regard to davening Maariv (see Orach Chaim 271, seif katan 21, and Orach Chaim 695, seif katan 15). According to kabbalistic sources, one should daven Maariv before eating the Shabbos meal (as brought in the sefer Kaf HaChaim, Orach Chaim 271, seif katan 22).

In a case that one does this option than he should do so as follows;

After davening Mincha, one should start the Seudat Purim by washing his hands and beginning the meal.

Between the time of 'plug ha'mincha' and hadlakat neirot, one should light the Shabbos candles, accept Shabbos, and stop eating.

Bring lechem mishnah to the table, cover them along with all the breads on the table.

Then recite Kiddush. If you already made a brachah on wine at the start of the meal, then just recite Kiddush without the brachah of Hagafen.

After drinking the wine from Kiddush, one should cut the lechem mishnah without washing one's hands or reciting hamotzi.

Then, one should give each of the participants a little more than a kebeitza of bread in order to fulfill the mitzvah of Seudat Shabbat, or at least a kezayit of bread so it should be considered a kiddush b'makom seudah.

All participants should try to eat again a kezayit of bread after tzeit hakochavim.

At the end of the meal during Birkat Hamazon, one recites Retzeh and does not recite 'Al Hanissim'.

Maariv: If one didn’t pray during the meal, one should pray after the meal.

To summarize, there are three options: the best is before chatzot or before the halachic tenth hour. If one wasn't able and it's getting late, then there is the option of Po’res Mapah u'Mekadesh.

Of course, it's important to remember that since we wear our Shabbos clothing on Purim, one should remove all muktzeh items before Shabbos, or in a place without an eruv, make sure he is not carrying anything in his pocket before Shabbos.

Wishing you a Purim Sameach.

Azamroh Lishmecho Moadim