B"H

Maran wrote in his Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayim section # 273, item # 3, that whosoever makes the Kiddush over wine on the night of the Sabbath, customarily done before one sits down to eat his Sabbath meal, his Kiddush is nullified if he does not proceed from there, at some point in time, into eating his meal. The RAMA (Rabbi Moshe Iserlisch) understood this to mean that he is required to proceed directly from making the Kiddush into eating his Sabbath meal,without delay. (ibid.)

In Yemen, the practice was somewhat different, viz., to delay in eating the Sabbath meal in order to partake first in eating "Ja'aleh" (Refreshments, or desserts, or what is also called hors d'oeuvre, consisting usually of roasted seeds, nuts and fruits, as well as drink). These refreshments were eaten after the Kiddush, but before one washed his hands in order to commence the eating of his Sabbath meal. The custom of eating "Ja'aleh" is old and is not
restricted only to the Sabbath. All ceremonial meals (Weddings, circumcisions, etc.) were preceded by eating "Ja'aleh." The practice is intimated in the Jerusalem Talmud (Berakhos 6:4).

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi explains there the meaning of the foregoing Mishnah (Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhos 6:4) as implying that a man can eat any fruit that he desires (not necessarily the seven kinds of fruit had in the land of Israel), each with its designated blessing, when he knows that his intention is to eat bread after his eating the fruit!

The practice of eating "Ja'aleh" (refreshments) between the Kiddush and one's Sabbath meal is also mentioned by Rabbi David Mishreqi, in his commentary on the Shulhan Arukh known as "Shetilei Zeitim," Orah Hayim, section # 285, small item # 13, where he wrote:

"Our custom is to make the Kiddush after leaving the synagogue, and they fix themselves there to eat different kinds of fruits, with arrack or wine,and they say [there] songs, and praises for the honour due to the [Sabbath] day, while others practice to browse through a book, afterwhich they eat [their meal]- now all this is done for the honour due to the Sabbath."

Rabbi Shelomo Qorah (the current Av Beis Din at the rabbinic court in Benei Barak), when referring to the RAMA's prohibition of doing this, wrote in his book "Arichas Shulhan," section # 274, item # 9:

"From the most basic sense of [our] application of the Law, the people have already fulfilled their obligation [of sanctifying the day] at the time when they said the Kiddush during the prayer, since it was [only] the Rabbis that enacted saying the Kiddush over the wine, in the place where one is wont to eat his supper. See [the commentary] 'Shetilei Zeithim,' section # 271, small item # 2, and what he wrote there in the name of Magen Avraham. ...The Torah was not concerned with the differences in time [between the Kiddush and
eating one's Sabbath meal], because the principal reason for the Kiddush is to remember and sanctify the Sabbath [day], but not to cause an atmosphere of holiness surrounding the meal."

David

Very interesting, R' David.

Of course, even Ashkenazim have a similar practice on the first night of Rosh Hashana (and some on the second night as well) of eating the "Simanim" between Kiddush and HaMotzi.

B"H

Thank you, Rebbe Yisroel!

Rabbi Qorah (Av Beis Din of Benei Barak) goes on to bring more proof about the legality of this practice. He says:

"Had it been otherwise, the [popular] phrase that is found with us, אין קידוש אלא במקום סעודה (There is no Kiddush except in the place where one is wont to eat his meal), would have rather been worded: אין קידוש אלא בשעת סעודה (There is no Kiddush except at the hour of one's meal)."

Even RASHI brings down the practice of eating refreshments before the meal. See: Ketuvos 8b, s.v., קודם אכילה. He writes that "thus did they have it as a practice in all large suppers to eat fruit before the meal." (see also RASHI in Sukkah 27, s.v., פרפראות.)

David

B"H

In an effort to explain the RAMA (ibid.), it would seem that the RAMA's requirement to go directly from the Kiddush to eating one's supper stems from a teaching that says: תכף לקידוש סעודה

In this case, the refreshments eaten by some directly after the Kiddush, yet before breaking the bread, was considered as part of their supper. This explains why they made no final blessing over those refreshments, but included that blessing in the final grace (Bentch) said over the meal.

David

B"H

Maran wrote in his Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayim, section # 32, items # 42 – 43, that the embossed letter "Shin" on the head phylactery (Tefillin) is derived from an oral teaching delivered by Moses at Sinai, and that the groove-like point at the bottom of the letter "Shin" should reach as far as the stitching at the upper-base of the platform (Titura). The RAMA (Rabbi Moshe Isrelisch) agrees with him here. In Menachos 35a, we learn that Abaye requires the "groove" (Heb. "charitz") to reach down as far as the stitching at the upper-base of the platform (Titura). Rav Dimi, when he returned from Eretz Yisroel, said that it was not necessary that it reach down so far, but only that it be recognized that it is a groove. Here, in this case, Maran ruled in accordance with "Piskei Rabbeinu Asher," yet, rejected the opinion of RASHI in Menachos 35a who said the groove (Heb. "charitz") referred to there is none other but the compartments built within the house of the head phylactery, and which contains the parchment.

In Yemen, the practice was somewhat different, viz., to make the embossed letter "Shin" without a base at all. Its three leg-like branches, on the one side, and four leg-like branches, on the other side, each rose up directly from the base of the platform (Titura). There was never a point on the embossed letter "Shin" as is the custom of Ashkenaz. Still, in all of the old phylacteries, the grooves or compartments built within the head phylactery went down to a depth of about two-thirds the height of the box. Meaning, it did not even reach as far as the stitching at the upper-base of the platform (Titura), in accordance with the words of Rav Dimi (ibid.) who said that it was not necessary that it reach down so far.[1]
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[1] Thus writes Rabbi Yoseph Qafih in his commentary on Rambam's "Mishne Torah," Hilchos Tefillin Mezuzoth wesefer Torah.