Q. If you do make Shechecheyanu on the cherries, should you wait until Shabbat or the sooner you make the brocho the better?
Thank you
A. Mishna Berura (250: 2) quotes from the Talmud (Beitza 16a), a dispute between Shamai and Hilel. Shamai understood the posuk (Shemot 20:8) "Remember the Shabbos to keep it holy" to mean that one should start putting aside food for Shabbos even at the beginning of week. His eating experience was always geared towards the honor of Shabbos, for if he would come into possession of a good animal, he would set it aside for the Shabbos meal; but if he would later find an even better animal, he would eat the first and set aside the second for the Shabbos seuda.
By contrast, Hilel believed that, because of his deep faith in Hashem, he would be furnished with a festive meal for Shabbos even if he would not put aside the good animal at the beginning of the week. Instead, he would eat it right away.
Mishna Berura (ibid.) writes that many Poskim understand that Hilel himself would in principle agree that Shamai's view is the preferred one for most people. It was only his unusually strong emuna in Hashem that made possible his position.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that even if he were to recite shehecheyanu it is better to eat the fruit now than to wait for Shabbos, unless it is required then, as would be on the second night of Rosh Hashono.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
