Early Shabbos: Eating Before Davening?

Is it acceptable to accept early Shabbos, recite Kiddush and eat the Friday night Seudah prior to davening Maariv?

The Gemara[1] records that Rebbi would daven Maariv for Shabbos prior to the sun setting. The gemara then adds that Kiddush too can be recited prior to sunset. The Rashba[2] writes that Kiddush can be made while it is still daytime, but he goes on to cite others who believe that Kiddush can only be recited after dark. The Tur[3] cites this idea as well, but the accepted halacha is to allow for reciting Kiddush prior to sunset.[4] While this is the accepted practice, it is not entirely clear how this “early” Kiddush fulfills the Torah obligation of reciting Kiddush on the day of Shabbos. After all, if tosefes Shabbos is only rabbinically ordained, how can kiddush recited at that time fulfill the Torah obligation?[5] While we established that Kiddush can be recited early, can one eat the Shabbos meal prior to sunset? The Magen Avraham[6] writes that while from Tosfos it emerges that one may eat their seudas Shabbos while it is still light, the Shelah and Sefer Chasidim believe that the Shabbos seudah must be eaten after dark. He cites the Bach,[7] who also believes this to be the case and thus requires one to eat a k’zayis after dark. The Magen Avraham concludes that it is proper to be concerned for the view of the Shelah and eat after dark. The Taz[8] also cites the stringent view, but he argues that due to tosefes Shabbos one may actually complete the entire meal during the day. The Elya Rabbah[9] writes that being that the obligation to eat three meals is derived from the words היום,[10] these meals must be eaten during the natural day of Shabbos.[11] Thus, while most poskim imply that the Friday night meal can be completed before dark, the Mishna Berurah[12] suggests adhering to the stringent view and eating part of the meal after dark.

Upon first glance there would appear to be no problem in making Kiddush on Friday afternoon prior to davening Maariv. In fact, the Magen Avraham[13] writes this explicitly. However, in Maaseh Rav[14] it is recorded that the Vilna Gaon argued on the Magen Avraham and he held that one must daven Maariv prior to reciting Kiddush and eating the Friday night meal.[15] As for the logic of the Vilna Gaon’s p’sak, Rav Soloveitchik[16] felt that based on the Rambam’s[17] presentation of the Shabbos schedule it appears that every Shabbos meal should follow and not precede a tefillah. While the Rambam doesn’t specify the Friday night order, it appears that the same would be true.[18] Thus, if it is not a great inconvenience, it would be best to daven Maariv before reciting Kiddush.

[1] Brachos 27b.

[2] D.h Ha De’Amar.

[3] 293.

[4] Shulchan Aruch 267:2. See however Biur Halacha 271 d.h Miyad, who believes that it is preferable not to recite Kiddush until after sunset.

[5] See Magen Avraham 267:1 citing Mordechai, Megillah 2: 798. See also Rambam Shabbos 29:11.

[6] 267:1.

[7] 472.

[8] 291:6.

[9][9] 267:2.

[10] Shabbos 117b.

[11] See Sefer Asher L’Shlomo Moed 29.

[12] 267:5.

[13] 271:5.

[14] 117.

[15] Interestingly, in the Peulas Sachir printed on the margins of the Maaseh Rav he questions the accuracy of this claim. See Kaf Hachaim 271:22 who draws the same conclusion based on Kabbalistic reasons.

[16] Nefesh Harav 158.

[17] Shabbos 30:10.

[18] See Rema 291:2, Aruch Hashulchan 4.