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Generally speaking, one may not eat before Shacharis unless it's for the sake of being able to daven better.

Does such a halachah apply to Mincha and Ma'ariv as well? Once their respective earliest zmanim arrive, may one eat before davening?

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DonielF
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1 Answers1

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The link you attached to your question, comes with answers that basically say that even if you're allowed to eat before shacharis, it's only for eating "mezonot" and not a full meal with bread.

Therefore, my answer is that one is allowed to eat a light meal before Mincha or Maariv even if it's not in order to help him daven better.

Eating before Mincha

S"A Orach Chaim 232:3 which discusses eating before Mincha, says the following:

והא דאסור לאכול סעודה קטנה היינו כשקובע לסעודה אבל לטעום דהיינו אכילת פירות מותר וה"ה לאכול פת כביצה כדרך שאדם אוכל בלא קבע מותר

The Issur of eating before Mincha only applies to one who "sits down" for a meal. But to eat fruits or to eat a kabeitza of bread like a person does without keva, that's allowed (my translation)

Mishna Berura 232:34 explains the above in the following way:

מותר - אפילו כבר הגיע זמן מ"ק ואפילו אם אוכל הרבה פירות דזה לא מקרי סעודה. ותבשיל העשוי מחמשת המינים ג"כ מותר אם אינו קובע עלייהו 

Permitted - even if the time for Mincha Ketana has arrived, and even if he eats a lot of fruit, that's not called a meal. And food made of the 5 types of grain are also allowed as long as he's not kovea on them. (My translation)

However, some say if one always goes to minyan and there’s a set time, it’s permissible to eat, even after 9½ hours except having a feast such as a wedding or Brit Milah after 9 hours.[Piskei Teshuvot 232:3] (Halachipedia)

Eating before ma'ariv

The Mishna Berura 235:16 says that one is allowed to eat fruits or cake before maariv, but not a full meal:

אסור להתחיל וכו' - והטעם שמא ימשך בסעודתו ופעמים ישתקע עי"ז גם בשינה וישכח לקרות שמע ואפילו לאכול קמעא אסור ומ"מ טעימה בעלמא מיני פירות או אפילו פת בכביצה שרי

Some say that if one always goes to minyan and there is a set time, it is permissible[to eat a meal], even after Tzet HaChachavim except by a feast such as a wedding or Brit Milah one should not start after Tzet.[Piskei Teshuvot 235:6] (Halachipedia)

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  • Does anyone there make a distinction if there’s a usual minyan that he goes to? – DonielF May 08 '18 at 16:06
  • @DonielF if there's a regular minyan, then some say you can have a full meal with bread etc. But i understood from your question that you're looking for eating a snack before mincha, and that's lechatchila allowed before davening mincha/maariv as stated in my answer. More here – aBochur May 08 '18 at 16:36
  • @DonielF If I misunderstood the question, feel free to let me know so I can edit it. – aBochur May 08 '18 at 22:56
  • I had intended to refer to either a snack or a proper meal, and to that you’ve sufficiently answered the question. I’m asking further, does that change if there’s a fixed minyan later that he plans on attending, so his eating won’t delay him, or is it the same reasoning by Shacharis, that he’s fulfilling his own needs before (so to speak) G-d’s? – DonielF May 08 '18 at 22:58
  • @DonielF edited. – aBochur May 09 '18 at 00:38
  • The reasoning behind Shacharis doesn't apply, because you've already attended to your needs after Shacharis - the only reasoning left is the fear that you'll miss the time to daven. In that respect then, you've got the heter if you daven at the same time in the same minyan. –  Nov 17 '18 at 23:49