[Avodah] time of Purim Seudah

[Elazar M. Teitz]

R.Eli Turkel wrote:

<from halachah yomit

"This year, because Purim (outside Yerushalayim) is on Erev Shabbos,
one should begin the Seudah before Chatzos (1:03 pm NYC).
Bi'dieved one may begin the Seudah anytime before the 10th hour of the day.
Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 695:2, Yad Efraim citing the Maharil,
Piskei Tshuvos 695:6"

I spoke with people from Teaneck, NJ and was surprised to hear that
(for this group) the women were getting together for bagels and the men would grab something at work. They come home the last minute before shabbat and so it is too late according to the above quote.

Given the above scenario I was wondering whether it would not be
preferable to instead adopt the Sefardi custom of starting clode to shabbat and having the seudah go into shabbat and lighting candles and kabbalat shabbat as part of the meal with Maariv afterwards.>
 
    I agree that it's a better alternative than gulping down a bagel or a sandwich, which certainly violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the din of s'udas Purim.  Until this year, implementing the S'faradi custom was also difficult for working people, since candle-lighting was before 6:00, necessitating a very early start to be into the s'udah before Shabbos, but this year, with the US on daylight savings already, it is much more feasible.

     It has the further advantage of allowing the meal to end at night, as we do every other year (outside of mukafos choma), the reason for which (I think) is to have Al Hanisim said on the 15th as well as the 14th.

     However, there are drawbacks. One is the risk that being involved in a meal, a family may lose track of the time, and neglect to light the candles on time -- a problem which will be exacerbated if the family is mehader in ad d'lo yada.  Another is that it requires going to shul immediately after the s'udah for ma'ariv (assuming that there _is_ a late minyan available), which many will probably not do, but will opt for davening biychidus at home, since being full (and perhaps a bit in one's cups) is not conducive to dressing for shul and taking the walk, especially for those who find the singing of Shir Hama'alos on Friday night the most effective sleeping pill.  A more mundane problem is that it renders it difficult to invite guests for the s'udah who must travel to get home.  Indeed, I suspect that these drawbacks are largely responsible for the poreis mappah approach falling into disuse by Ashk'nazim in the first place.

EMT

 
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