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...
Taking Hot Showers on Shabbat or Yom Tob
Is It Permissible To Light Memorial Candles From An Existing Flame on Yom Tob?
Must One Prepare an Eruv Tavshilin if He Does Not Intend to Cook on Yom Tov for Shabbat?
Which Cooked Foods May be Used for the Eruv Tavshilin?
Lighting a Flame on Yom Tob
Carrying on Yom Tob
Can a Visitor from Israel be Called to the Torah on Yom Tob?
Yom Tob-Borer (Selecting) on Yom Tob
The Proper Beracha for Aliyat Maftir on Shabbat Hol Hamoed
Borer on Yom Tob
Halachot of Baking on Yom Tob
The Tefilot of An Israeli On The Second Day Of Yom Tov When Visiting Outside of Israel
How Many Days of Yom Tob Does A Student or Someone Observe in Israel if He is Unsure Whether He is Staying There Permanently?
The Laws of Candle Lighting When Yom Tov Occurs on Shabbat and Sunday
Habdala and “Va’todi’enu” When Yom Tob Falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found