Eating before Mincha

MISHNA: A person may not sit before the barber adjacent to the time of minḥa until he recites the afternoon prayer. And a person may not enter the bathhouse and may not enter to work in a tannery [burseki]. And he may neither begin to eat a meal nor to sit in judgment until he prays. And however, if they already began engaging in those activities, they need not stop and recite the Amida prayer. The tanna articulated a principle: One stops engaging in all of these activities to recite Shema and one does not stop to recite the Amida prayer.

Abaye said: Those Babylonian Torah scholars, according to the opinion of the one who said: The evening prayer is voluntary, once he loosens his belt, we do not impose upon him [to stop his meal and pray... But that's the same for Mincha, which] is obligatory, and we learned in our mishna that if they started eating, they need not stop. And Rabbi Ḥanina said it's from when he loosens his belt!

[The Gemara answers that for Mincha], drunkenness is uncommon, [but for Arvit], drunkenness is common, [so there was more reason to create the decree requiring one to interrupt his meal to recite the evening prayer].

Alternatively, since Mincha has a fixed time, he is anxious, and he won’t come to be negligent [and forget to pray]. But for Arvit, since all night is the time for the evening prayer, he is not anxious, and he will come to be negligent.

It is forbidden to take any refreshment or do any work after daybreak, till the morning service has been recited. ... But refreshment may be taken before reciting the additional service or the afternoon service. A meal however must not be taken, close to the hour for reading the afternoon service.

However, in a situation in which there is no concern that he will forget to recite Minchah, these activities are permitted... It is also permissible... to pray Minchah in a minyan, or when one asks his friend to remind him to pray Minchah...

6. See Shabbat 9b, where it is written that it is forbidden to get a haircut, enter a bathhouse or a tannery, eat, or judge a case of law close to Minchah time. The Rishonim are divided as to whether or not Chachamim intended to forbid a significant act like a long bathing or a large feast, or even a minor act, such as a short bath or a small meal, the reason being that small acts lead to bigger ones, like a short meal eventually becoming a long one. Further, they disagree whether the prohibition begins at chatzot (halachic noon) – half an hour before Minchah Gedolah, or starts after nine hours have passed – half an hour before Minchah Ketanah. The Rif, Rambam, and Shulchan Aruch rule stringently concerning performing even a minor act near the time of Minchah Gedolah (Shulchan Aruch 232:2).

Rabbeinu Tam and the Rosh forbid a significant act near the time of Minchah Gedolah and a small act near the time of Minchah Ketanah (according to the Gra, this is the main and median opinion). The Maor and the Rashba maintain that both significant and minor acts are only forbidden near the time of Minchah Ketanah. Rabbeinu Yonah maintains that a minor act is always permissible and a major act is forbidden near Minchah Gedolah. The Hagahot Mordechai and the Mahariv are more lenient and maintain that only a significant act is forbidden from close to Minchah Ketanah, but a minor act is permissible at all times. (The Rama 232:2 writes that we practice this way. However, it is proper to be stringent concerning a large feast from chatzot, like the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam. Regarding this entire matter, see Rama 232:2, Mishnah Berurah 232:5 and similarly, paragraphs 21-26, as well as Aruch HaShulchan 8-16.) ...

However, the Acharonim wonder why nowadays people are not careful concerning these matters. Aruch HaShulchan 15 writes that the cause for leniency lies in the Yerushalmi...

In a place where there is someone who can remind the people to pray, there is no concern, as the Rama 232:2 says. Even when there is no such person, the Aruch HaShulchan 232:16 writes that someone who is accustomed to praying in a set minyan, and normally stops in the middle of his work or business, may start any activity, for there is no concern that he will forget to pray. Today, we rely on his reasoning.

7. Shulchan Aruch 232:2; Mishnah Berurah 14-16. However, the Mishnah Berurah in 13 writes that if he began when he was forbidden to do so in the half-hour before Minchah Ketanah, even if he estimates that he will succeed in praying, he must stop immediately when the time of Minchah Ketanah arrives...

Since it is unclear which activities are prohibited by the Chachamim, and there are poskim who rule leniently, and in general we are lenient when there is doubt regarding a rabbinic commandment, therefore, I have returned to the fundamental principle that it all depends on whether or not there is concern that he will forget to recite Minchah.

The Mishnah Berurah 13 and Kaf HaChaim 23 write, “when it is necessary to stop and pray,” meaning, when the time of Minchah Ketanah arrives and not before then, for that is the main time to pray Minchah...

The Rif and the Rambam... Although the Shulchan Aruch 232:2 rules like them, still, Sephardim are accustomed to acting leniently, see Kaf HaChaim 30, Yalkut Yosef, part 3, 232:8. However, l’chatchilah it is good to be stringent and pray before the meal, as explained in Or L’Tzion, part 2, 15:1-2 and Yechaveh Da’at 4:19.