Breaking a fast with meat

Question

Someone told me that it's assur (or inappropriate? either way...) to break any fast with meat. They didn't have a source, and I wasn't familiar with one, so I looked into it. I only found one relevant halacha.

Hilchos Tisha Baav Simman 558

בְּתִשְׁעָה בְּאָב לְעֵת עֶרֶב הִצִּיתוּ אֵשׁ בַּהֵיכָל וְנִשְׂרַף עַד שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה בְּיוֹם עֲשִׂירִי, וּמִפְּנֵי כָּךְ מִנְהָג כָּשֵׁר שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר וְשֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן בְּלֵיל עֲשִׂירִי וְיוֹם עֲשִׂירִי. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ מַחְמִירִין עַד חֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם וְלֹא יוֹתֵר (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי); אִם חָל תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב בְּשַׁבָּת וְנִדְחָה לְיוֹם א', מֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר וְיַיִן יוֹם ב', אֲבָל בַּלַּיְלָה אָסוּר מִפְּנֵי אֲבֵלוּת שֶׁל יוֹם (מַהֲרִי''ל). ‏

In the evening of the 9th of Av, a flame engulfed the Heichal and burned until sunset of the 10th. Therefore the custom is to refrain from meat and wine on the night of the 10th and the day. Rema: some are strict until noon and no later. If Tisha Baav falls on Shabbos and is pushed off until Sunday, it is permissible to ear meat and drink wine the next day, but not the night after due to the mourning of the day.

You can infer from this that only after Tisha Baav a person shouldn't break their fast with meat, unlike other fasts. However you could argue that in general you shouldn't and after Tisha Baav is more strict since you can't have meat even after you break your fast.

However the Rema's last halacha is telling. If Tisha Baav is pushed off to the next day, really there's no problem eating meat afterwards, if not for the problem of the mourning of the day.

The Mishnah Berurah Seif kattan 5 infers:

ה) מפני אבילות של יום - משמע דרק בזה מפני אבילותו של ט"ב מחמרינן גם בלילה שאחריו דהוא כמו בין המצרים דיש אנשים שמחמירין על עצמן מבשר ויין אבל בשארי תעניתים אין להחמיר בזה:‏

Because of the mourning. Sounds like it's only because of the mourning of Tisha Baav are we strict not to eat meat even the night after, since it's like the 3 weeks that there are those who are strict not to eat meat. However regarding other fasts a person shouldn't be strict.

However, the MB is discussing eat meat that night, not with what to break your fast.

Is there anyone who actually prohibits breaking a fast with meat?

Answer 1

This may be a matter of health rather than halacha. One should break a fast with easily digestible foods (which are usually not meat).

Top 5: Best foods to break the fast on

For starters, experts recommend that people break a fast (however long it be) slowly with foods that are easily digestible to help avoid gastrointestinal problems. Quickly consuming foods that are hard to digest and heavy in the stomach, such as bread, fried foods, full fat dairy products and of course meat, can make one feel ill.

Water

Watermelon

Vegetable soup

Sweet Potatoes

Eggs

Guidelines for Breaking a Fast

Because of these biological changes, overeating immediately following a fast is much worse than overeating at any other time. Your system needs time to readjust back to normal digestion and assimilation. Not taking the proper measures can result in stomach cramping, nausea, and even vomiting.

The adjustment period necessary is based on the length of the fast. Four days is considered adequate for any of the longer fasts, 1-3 days for shorter fasts, and just a day or so for one-day fasts.

The most nutritious and easy-to-digest foods are used to break a fast initially, gradually adding more diversity and complexity over time.

The type of fast employed will determine the type of foods you use to break it. While juice or fruit are good for breaking a water fast, obviously, they aren't very helpful in breaking juice or fruit fasts.

To help you determine when to introduce the different food groups, use the following list. It begins with those that are easiest on the system and can be introduced early on, and progresses to those that should be added later.

Depending on the length of your fast, you may go through the list in one day or in 4 days. And you certainly don't need to eat everything on the list, it's just a general guideline.

• fruit and vegetable juices

• raw fruits

• vegetable or bone broths

• yogurt (or other living, cultured milk products), unsweetened

• lettuces and spinach (can use plain yogurt as a dressing and top with fresh fruit)

• cooked vegetables and vegetable soups

• raw vegetables

• well cooked grains and beans

• nuts and eggs

• milk products (non-cultured)

• meats and anything else

Any of the first three items are good for that initial "breaking" of a fast, that first thing you eat; raw fruit being the easiest and most popular.

Answer 2

The Maharshal siman 92 brings from the Sefer Chassidim(I could not find it ) that one should not go into a fast with meat and wine nor break their fast on meat and wine. I dont believe this is codified in the classical halachic texts.

Text of Maharshal: