Question: If one was eating cakes and cookies towards the end of Shabbat and then the sun set, may one continue eating or must one stop eating until one performs Havdala?
Answer: In the previous Halachot we have explained that one may not taste anything from sunset on Motza’ei Shabbat until one performs Havdala. Nevertheless, if one was in the midst of partaking of a bread meal for Seuda Shelishit and the sun set, one need not stop eating as a result, for stopping a meal being held in honor of Shabbat would be a lack of respect for the Shabbat. Rather, one should conclude one’s meal, pray Arvit, and then recite Havdala. We have also written that if one did not have a chance to begin eating Seuda Shelishit before sunset, one may begin this meal until approximately fifteen minutes after sunset. However, if the time of halachic nightfall (approximately fifteen minutes past sunset) has already arrived, one may no longer begin eating Seuda Shelishit.
Not let us deal with the issue at hand. Shall we say that one eating cake or other pastries shares the same law as one eating a bread meal in which case one will not be obligated to stop eating (when sunset arrives) or is eating baked goods similar to the law of one who is drinking wine or other beverages and must stop drinking immediately upon the arrival of sunset?
The root of this question lies in the fact that our Sages did not obligate one to stop one’s bread meal upon the conclusion of Shabbat. However, if one was drinking wine or eating fruits, one must stop doing so immediately at sunset. The question is whether eating cake is equal to the law of eating a bread meal or perhaps since such a meal does not quite share the settled character of a bread meal, one must stop eating immediately when Shabbat concludes.
The Aruch Ha’Shulchan (Hagaon Rabbeinu Yechiel Michel Ha’Levi Epstein zt”l, head of the rabbinical court in Novardok, one of the great Ashkenazi Acharonim and known to be a tremendous genius and Posek) writes that it seems to him that since eating cake is not of a settled character since one need not wash one’s hands or recite Birkat Hamazon for it, this does not retain the law of an actual “meal”. Thus, if one was eating and the sun set, one must stop eating immediately until performing Havdala. Many other great Poskim, including Hagaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l and the great Rishon Le’Zion, Maran Harav Yitzchak Yosef Shlit”a, rule likewise.
On the other hand, Hagaon Harav Shmuel Ha’Levi Wosner zt”l writes that since the underlying reason why one need not stop one’s bread meal is because this meal is being eaten in honor of Shabbat, the same applies when one is eating cakes and other pastries in order to fulfill one’s obligation of eating Seuda Shelishit that one need not stop eating at sunset. Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l writes that this is indeed supported by the words of the Tosafot Rabbeinu Peretz who writes that the reason why one must stop drinking is because every drinking is separate than the other as opposed to when one eats which is all considered one “eating”. We can imply that this is room for leniency regarding baked goods as well and one need not stop eating since it has, at the very least, more of a settled character than drinking.
Halachically speaking, Maran zt”l rules that if one was eating cakes and cookies on Shabbat and the sun set, one need not stop eating immediately; rather, one may continue eating until approximately fifteen minutes (somewhat less) past sunset (since this time is subject to a disagreement whether or not one may begin eating at this time in any case, as we have discussed). However, once halachic nightfall arrives (at approximately fifteen minutes past sunset), one must stop eating until one recites Havdala on a cup of wine.
