Waiting Between Meat and Milk
Question
Why are there so many different opinions on waiting between meat and milk?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
Indeed, one must wait between eating meat and dairy products. The Halacha is to wait six hours.
The source for the different waiting times between meat and dairy is generally taken from the amount of time, in earlier generations, that passed between one meal and the next. The waiting period is calculated from the time that one actually ceases eating meat, even if one continues to eat other foods during the meal. One must always recite Birkat Hamazon (or other beracha acharona , as appropriate) before eating dairy, no matter how much time has passed
The custom requires six full hours between meat and dairy. One who lost track of time or is otherwise unsure whether six hours have passed however he is sure that one hour has definitely passed, but not sure if six hours have passed, then one may be lenient and eat milky.
Source
Chullin 105a; YD 89:1 with commentaries; Rabbeinu Yerucham, Issur V’heter 39; Chochmat Adam 40:12,13; Kreisi U’pleiti , YD 89:3