Navigating the Transition: The Afternoon Purim Seudah into Shabbas and the Halachic Principle of Poreis Mapah U'Mekadeish

Part 1:

The Shulchan Aruch (249:2) rules that on Friday, one is prohibited from eating a large meal that is not typically consumed on a weekday. The Rama adds that a seudah [mitzvah] that falls on Friday, such as a bris or pidyon haben, is permitted. The reasoning behind this restriction is to ensure that one maintains an appetite for the Friday night meal (S.A.), which Rashi (Pesachim 99b) explains is considered hidur mitzvah. Additionally, the Magen Avraham (249:4) offers another reason: avoiding a large meal on Friday ensures that a person doesn't become busy with it and neglects preparing for Shabbos.

When Purim falls on a Friday, the Purim meal is a seudas mitzvah that would seemingly be permitted. However, the Rama (685:2) rules that the Purim meal should ideally be eaten in the "morning". The Mishnah Berurah (685:10) explains that "morning" refers to before chatzos (midday, six halachic hours after sunrise). He then cites the Yad Efraim, which brings a ruling from the Maharil. The Maharil says that one should start the meal before the 10th hour. Shiurei Halacha (53:2) clarifies that because the Mishnah Berurah only referenced the Maharil and didn't quote him directly, it's understood that the ideal time to begin the meal is before chatzos. However, if that's impossible, it should start before the 10th hour like the Yad Efraim says. 

Thus, the Rama says that the Purim meal should be held in the morning, and the Mishnah Berurah understands that this means before chatzos or, if that's not feasible, before the 10th hour.

Mateh Moshe (1,011), Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (142:5), and Auch HaShulchan (249:7) also share this view of the Rama. It's important to note that the Mishnah Berurah (249:13) states that if one cannot begin the meal before the 10th hour, one should still eat the Purim meal after that time.

Part 2 

As previously discussed, the ideal time to begin the Purim seudah this year is before chatzos. If that is not possible, the meal should be started before the 10th halachic hour. This ensures one isn't too full for the Shabbos meal on Friday night. By eating earlier, one will have an appetite for Shabbos, thereby honoring it. 

An alternative approach, however, is to start the Purim meal later in the day and extend it into Shabbos, employing a process known as Pores Mapa Umikadeish. This practice was done by the Meiri (Kesubos 7b) and later by other communities (see Nitei Gavriel, Purim HaMeshulash, chapter 23, footnote 30, for additional communities).
 
The advantage of continuing the meal is that, even if one starts the Purim meal later in the day, they can still eat the Shabbos meal. This is because we don't assume they will be complete, as they are still in the midst of a meal. In this way, the honor of Shabbos is preserved. 

Pores Mapa Umikadeish on a fundamental level involves starting the Purim meal as usual. Once nightfall arrives, without reciting Birchas Hamazon, the table is covered with a cloth, Kiddush is recited, and the meal continues. Afterward, Birchas Hamazon is recited, combining the Purim and Shabbos meals.

However, several halachic disputes surround the precise method of performing this process, which we will address in a future post. Due to these uncertainties, many authorities advise against performing Pores Mapa Umikadeish, instead that one begins the meal earlier and finishes it before Shabbos.

The Mekor Chaim (685:2) states that ideally, one should avoid this practice. Leket Yosher (156:4) notes that it is not the custom. Based on the Arizal, the Kaf Hachaim (271:26) holds that Maariv should be davened before Kiddush. As a result, one should recite Birchas Hamazon, then daven Maariv, followed by Kiddush, without engaging in Pores Mapa Umikadeish.

Many other authorities also discourage this practice, including Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Mesoras Moshe 2:331) and the Chut Shani (Purim 11:2). Shiurei Halacha (Felder, Purim 53:4) says that, due to the numerous uncertainties regarding the halachos, one should avoid this practice unless it is a family custom.

Part 3

Purim Seudah On Friday Part 3
In the previous sections, we brought three approaches regarding when the Purim seudah should begin. In part one, we discussed the first two approaches: starting the meal before chatzos and starting before the 10th halachic hour. In part two, we introduced a third approach, which involves beginning the Purim seudah closer to Shabbos and continuing it into Shabbos using the process called Pores Mapa Umikadeish.

In this third and final part, we will outline the halachos for performing Pores Mapa Umikadeish. This is relevant whether one begins the meal close to Shabbos, as previously mentioned, or if one continues a meal that started earlier and extends until right before Shabbos begins, and now wishes to perform Pores Mapa Umikadeish.

Once sunset arrives, one may not eat without first making Kiddush. The Gemara states (Pesachim 100a) that one needs to spread out a cover and then make Kiddush. There is a dispute as to what needs to be covered before Kiddush: The Levush (271:4) says that everything on the table needs to be covered, while the Magen Avraham (271:7) rules that only the bread needs to be covered. The Mishna Berura (271:15) and Chai Adam (6:24) both rule like the Magen Avraham. 

The Shulchan Aruch (271:4) rules that if one has already made a bracha on wine before beginning Pores Mapa Umikadeish, they do not make a new Hagafen during Kiddush.

After Kiddush, two challahs are taken and placed together for a moment for Lechem Mishna. If bread was not eaten during the first part of the meal, then the regular Hamotzi is recited. However, if bread was already eaten during the first part, the Mishna Berura (271:18) and many others rule that we don’t make another Hamotzi. Instead, just cut the bread and distribute it to everyone to eat (a k’zayis M.B. 271:35).

Regarding Birchas Hamazon, the Pri Megadim (M.Z. 685:3) suggests that both Al Hanisim and Retzei should be recited. However, the Chai Adam (155:32) and Mishna Berura (685:15) rule that one should only recite Retzei, and not Al Hanisim, in this situation.

In short:

The preferred time to start the Purim seudah is before chatzos. If that’s too difficult, one can start before the 10th halachic hour. For those who have the custom (or if, for some reason, a person didn’t start at the proper time), they can combine the Purim seudah with the Shabbos seudah. The process is as follows: Begin eating before sunset. Once sunset arrives, cover the bread and recite Kiddush without Hagafen. Place two challahs together for a moment, and without making Hamotzi, eat a k’zayis of bread. During Birchas Hamazon, one should only recite Retzei and not Al Hanisim.