Erev Yom Kippur

Shalom! When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, like this year, can a man accept Shabbat earlier, after plag hamincha, and make a kiddush and the first seuda before shkiya? This way one can fulfill 2 additional mitzvos! If it is possible, how to be with lighting the candles of Shabbat and Yom Kippur?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

There is no mitzva of Kiddush on Shabbat-Yom Kippur. This is true even for those who must eat on Yom Kippur – they do not recite Kiddush before doing so.

Our rabbi, Rav Fried, explains (based on the Mordechai to Megilla 29), that on a regular Shabbat, where there is a mitzva to recite Kiddush and eat a Shabbat meal, then the Kiddush and the Shabbat meal may indeed be held earlier, any time after "plag hamincha," as many people do throughout the summer. However, if there is no mitzva of Kiddush and no Shabbat meal, such as this year when Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbat, then there is no possibility of doing these mitzvot earlier, either.

There is a mitzva to eat on Friday, Erev Yom Kippur. There is no Kiddush to be recited before these meals although they are festive meals.

There are two primary reasons why we eat on Erev Yom Kippur (note: some say that the mitzvah is a continuous mitzva all day long!) One reason is to ensure that we are well prepared to go without food for 25 hours and the other reason is that our festive meals are actually “Yom Tov” meals that we are unable to eat on Yom Kippur. (Yom Kippur is a Yom Tov!). As such, we eat the “Yom Kippur Meals” on the day before.

All foods are included in the mitzva to eat all day, however one should avoid eating, eggs, and garlic (though some say it only applies when these food are hot.) There are different customs concerning cheese and other dairy products though common custom is to permit them in the morning, especially when cold. Milf in coffee is permitted. Eating fish in the morning (i.e. before the final meal) is especially recommended.

One should eat chicken but not meat at the final meal before the fast.

Men should not eat foods that are said to "warm the body" such as eggs, garlic, cheese, or milk. This is especially true when eaten hot and some rule it is not to be done even when eaten cold.  One should not drink wine, especially not a heavy or aged wine.  There are no such food restrictions for women.

Other widespread customs include: dipping one’s bread into honey before the meals, and eating kreplach at the final meal before the fast. Eating is so important on Erev Yom Kippur that one should cancel one’s Torah studies in order to be able to eat properly!

Oddly enough, the source for the requirement to eat on Erev Yom Kippur is actually derived from the requirement to fast on Yom Kippur. The Torah states that “you are to afflict your souls on the ninth of the month in the evening.” It is noted that this verse seems odd considering that the date of Yom Kippur is the tenth of the month, not the ninth! It is from here that our sages derive that one who eats and drinks on the ninth, and then fasts on the tenth, is considered to have fasted both days.

Regarding the Yom Kippur candle lighting: It is indeed similar to the weekly Shabbat candle lighting. The blessing recited when lighting the candles this year is “…”L’hadlik new shel Shabbat v’shel Yom Hakippurim.” One then recites the “Shehecheyanu” blessing. The candles should be lit about 20 minutes before sunset. Once one has lit the candles and recited Shehecheyanu, Yom Kippur is considered to have begun.

Rosh Hashana 9a; OC 604 and commentaries