DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 432 KB)
Within How Much Time Must One Eat the Masa at the Seder?

One of the Misvot at the Seder on Pesah is to eat Masa; Halacha requires one to eat two Kezetim of Masa at the Seder.

What is the time frame within which the two Kezetim of Masa must be eaten?

Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) addresses this question in his work of responsa Or Le’sion (vol. 3, 15:13; listen to audio recording for precise citation). He writes that ideally, one should place the two Kezetim of Masa in his mouth all at once, chew it very well, and then swallow it. Ideally, one should swallow all the Masa at once. If this is too difficult, one should swallow one Kezayit, and then swallow the rest afterward.

If one finds himself unable to put all the Masa in his mouth at the same time, then he should at least eat the entire amount within a period of four minutes, starting from the time he begins swallowing the Masa. (The time spent chewing does not count toward the time limit.) An ill or elderly person, who cannot eat so quickly, should endeavor to eat all the Masa within 6-7 minutes. If even this is too difficult, then he should try to eat the Masa within nine minutes.

Summary: Ideally, when one fulfills the Misva of Masa at the Seder, he should place all the Masa in his mouth at the same time, chew it, and then swallow it all at once. If this is too difficult, he should eat the Masa within four minutes, and those who cannot eat quickly should eat the Misva within no more than nine minutes, and preferably within 6-7 minutes.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Must One Wash His Hands Before Eating an Oily Donut, Vegetable Soup, Cereal with Milk, or a Food Dipped in Melted Butter?
Netilat Yadayim – If a Person Forgot to Recite the Beracha Until After He Dried His Hands; a Person With a Bandage or Cast
If a Woman Cannot Remember Whether She Recited Birkat Hamazon After a Meal
Birkat Ha’Torah
Does One Recite a Beracha Aharona After Eating/Drinking Scotch, Hot Coffee, Ice Cream or Ices?
Interrupting During Birkat Hamazon
Washing One’s Hands After Bathing or Entering a Restroom
Reciting Zimun if Two Out of the Three Men Wish to Leave
Reciting Birkat Hamazon After Eating a Large Quantity of Mezonot Food
Why is There No Beracha Aharona Recited After Smelling Something Fragrant?
The Proper Procedure for Reciting Birkat Ha’re’ah
If a Person Forgot the Insertion for Shabbat or Yom Tob in the Beracha Me’en Shalosh
Reciting a Beracha with Proper Pronunciation, with Concentration and Audibly
If One Ate Two Foods Requiring a Me’en Shalosh and Boreh Nefashot
Reciting a New Beracha If More Fruit Was Unexpectedly Served
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found