Questions tagged [zemanim]

Questions related to different times of day as they apply to Jewish Law.

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Halakhic International Date Line issues

According to halakha, where is the international date line? More specifically, I have heard that some people say you should observe Shabbat on Sunday in Japan & New Zealand and/or on Friday in ...
Sam's user avatar
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21 votes
4 answers
3k views

When does somebody living in space (e.g. ISS) observe Shabbat?

I understand that Jewish astronauts have been advised to observe Shabbat by Cape Canaveral time, by analogy with traveling to a place that doesn't have daily sunrise/sunset where some rule you use the ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
746 views

When does a day start/end in the far North/South?

As I understand it, a day in the Jewish calendar is from sunset to sunset. How is this handled if you are living so far north or south that you have long periods of daylight or darkness?
Evan's user avatar
  • 243
15 votes
1 answer
2k views

Halachic justification to not pray the amidah before zman t'filah?

Some Chassidic courts are not makpid (careful) to daven the morning Amidah before z'man tefilah, although this seems to be a clear halacha. Are there any opinions they are relying on? I was once told ...
Shraga's user avatar
  • 2,150
8 votes
1 answer
949 views

Shabbat in the arctic

If I were to travel to Barrow, Alaska in the summer, when there is no sunset, when should I light the Shabbat candles? (This is not a hypothetical question; I work remotely for an Alaskan corporation ...
מרדכי בן דניאל's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
728 views

Time for t'filah and you don't have a siddur: better to daven from memory or wait (and possibly miss the time)?

If the set time comes to daven (on a weekday, let's say) and you unexpectedly don't have a suitable (or any) siddur,1 does halacha call for you to wait (and possibly miss that amidah entirely), or ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
747 views

Precise Zemanim?

This site (see the paragraph starting with "accuracy") says that no one can predict the times for sunrise and sunset to within a minute accurately for a given location because of certain atmospheric ...
Double AA's user avatar
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15 votes
5 answers
2k views

Eating before davening Shacharis

Are there any accepted authorities of Halacha that permit a man to eat (i.e., "real" eating such as consuming cake or cereal) before davening Shacharis under "normal circumstances" (i.e., a healthy ...
C.K.'s user avatar
  • 481
10 votes
1 answer
8k views

When is the earliest time you can daven ma'ariv during the week?

When is the earliest time you can Daven Maariv on a weekday?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
1k views

Commencing Shabbos: Shkiya behind a mountain

It is common practice nowadays for Shuls to publish the zmanim (times) to begin Shabbos (the Sabbath) and other activities. These times, it would seem, are based upon standard calculations of sunrise ...
Yirmeyahu's user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
766 views

Why don't Rabbinic fasts end by Ben Hashmashot?

There's a doubt in the Gemara when the new day starts, at sunset or at three stars (Ok, and there's Rabbi Yossi's opinion). When it comes to Shabbos (or any other biblical time), we have to be strict ...
ertert3terte's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
703 views

Determining times of Halachic import on a long flight

If I'm taking a long flight on an airplane on a day when permitted activities change at a certain point, e.g. with the start or end of a fast day, or with the start of the chametz prohibition kicking ...
debbie's user avatar
  • 111
6 votes
3 answers
928 views

If it's your minhag to daven Hanetz, do you do so even without a minyan?

A friend once told me that if one's minhag is to daven with Hanetz (i.e., starting the Amida prayer at sunrise), and if there's no Hanetz minyan nearby, you should still daven Hanetz, even without a ...
Naftuli Kay's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
326 views

Shachris in the Dark

When do people who live in places where it is dark for days Daven Shachris and put on Tefillin? Please provide a source (Mareh Makom).
SimchasTorah's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
265 views

Biblical vs. Rabbinical end of Shabbat

This question states, "havdalah ends shabbat (for one who didn't daven ma'ariv)." But won't Shabbat end on its own at some point--specifically, at nightfall--even if we don't make havdalah nor daven ...
SAH's user avatar
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20 votes
4 answers
6k views

Fast days and time zones

If I fly westward on a fast day, and travel through one/several time zone/s, thereby going back in (clock) time, must I then fast until it ends in my current time zone? What if I fly eastward, thereby ...
HodofHod's user avatar
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15 votes
3 answers
12k views

Putting on tefillin late

For whatever reason, I was unable to put on tefillin while davening shacharit this morning. However, I have access to tefillin now, and the sun has not yet set. After I put on the tefillin, what ...
Sam's user avatar
  • 3,930
14 votes
9 answers
24k views

When is the latest time you can daven minchah bedieved?

If you realized that you didn't yet daven minchah and it's past shekiyah, when is the latest that you can begin praying the Amidah? I'm looking for different people's cutoffs.
Ani Yodea's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
12k views

What is the earliest time one can daven Shacharis?

When is the earliest time you can Daven Shacharis?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

When do Sefardim start mourning in a year that Tisha B'av is postponed until Sunday?

As mentioned here, Sefardim observe the mourning period known to Ashkenazim as "The Nine Days" only during the week that Tisha B'av occurs. Tisha B'av falls out on Shabbat this year (5772), and the ...
Menachem's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can one follow Rabbeinu Tam time for beginning Shabbos?

Does anyone today follow Rabbineu Tam time for the beginning of Shabbos? Reading some tshuvas (e.g. Eretz haTzvi) it is clear this was widespread in Europe. If one has previously been accustomed to ...
Curiouser's user avatar
  • 7,901
3 votes
2 answers
625 views

Eating before shachris when up all night

This question has been asked (and answered) on this forum before, but my question is when is the cutoff after which it is considered eating before shachris (as opposed to eating AFTER maariv). ...
Dennis's user avatar
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21 votes
4 answers
3k views

Halachic Justifications for the Amshinover Rebbe

The current Amshinover Rebbe in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem is known in the Jewish world as a man of great piety and for his great knowledge in Torah. He is also known to keep very different "Zmanim"- ...
Shoel U'Meishiv's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
819 views

Time for morning prayer when flying over Greenland and seeing the sun rise twice

Last year I flew from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. The flight leaves at night (1am) and, in the winter, lands when it is still night (630am). However during the flight, over Greenland, one sees the sun ...
mbloch's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Kiddush between 6 and 7 o'clock - Which clock?

Many people hold that one should not make kiddush on Shabbos between the hours of 6 and 7. (Sources: Shulchan Aruch Harav and Taamei Haminhagim, (who, in turn, bring a Maharil, a Magen Avraham, and a ...
HodofHod's user avatar
  • 21k
9 votes
2 answers
5k views

Davening on Plane Zmanim [duplicate]

How do you know when to daven Shachris on a plane?
SimchasTorah's user avatar
  • 33.2k
8 votes
1 answer
281 views

Candle Lighting Time: Why Then?

Why 18 minutes (or other minhagim). Where did these numbers come from?
yydl's user avatar
  • 38.6k
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

Flying During Channukah Candle Lighting

Obviously you cannot light candles on a plane, so if you can't light candles within the time frame is there any other activity one could do, which is permissible on an airline, that would fulfill the ...
Zach Leighton's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
187 views

12 hours to the day, 12 hours to the night

Why is a day and night divided into 12 hours? Why not 10 hours? What is the significance of 12?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
116 views

Time for evening prayer when flying eastward over Greenland and the sun doesn’t set?

(This is the “return" question for my question on the right time for shaharis when encountering sunrise twice in a day) In the summer, when flying from the East Coast to Tel Aviv on an afternoon ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 51.6k
5 votes
1 answer
701 views

Mincha started before sheki'a, extended beyond it. What about davenning maariv straight after mincha?

A minyan starts to daven mincha before sheki’a with the intention to daven maariv after sheki’a. In the event, mincha extends beyond shki’a. There are IMHO three possible cases: They start but do ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes
6 answers
7k views

Priorities: Mincha Ketana vs Mincha Gedola

Which timing of mincha is more important: mincha gedolah or mincha ketana? Why?
Koachyah 's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
540 views

Variant on: Is it better to Daven "too early" with a Minyan, or to Daven alone at the right time?

In many communities there is a regular weekday morning Minyan and the "working-person's" Minyan, which technically Davens too early according to most opinions, but which is better than nothing, ...
Seth J's user avatar
  • 41.6k
12 votes
2 answers
878 views

Davening early Maariv first night of Shavuos

I have always heard that on the first night of Shavuos you should wait till Tzais HaKochavim for Maariv in order to have Temimos - 7 complete weeks of Sefira. Recently I heard that Harav Ovadia Yosef ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Are there required "ritual/daily" prayers in Judaism?

I have a question about the daily prayers of Judaism. I noticed on my trip to Jerusalem that a lot of those practicing Judaism got up at a certain time in the morning on the plane and faced a wall and ...
ironman's user avatar
  • 667
12 votes
2 answers
584 views

Latest shabbat not longest day...?

I was under the impression that the longest day was June 22nd, and yet, year after year- the latest time for candle lighting takes place about a week and a half after that. Intuitively, the latest ...
user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
421 views

Who distributed the zemiros across the three meals?

Any book of zemiros whether it's a siddur, birchon, or what have you divides the zemiros between the three meals. Sometimes the rationale is obvious as with the tikkunim which are written for each ...
Yitzchak's user avatar
  • 5,311
10 votes
1 answer
632 views

Said Kiddush Levana prior to three days after Molad - Does he say it again?

Be'er Hataiv 426:10 says that one can say Kiddush Levana as early as 3 days after the Molad. The Rambam - Hilchos Brachos 10:17 rules that one may say Kiddush Levana immediately after the Molad. ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
368 views

The Effect of an 18- or 6-Hour Day

Since the 18th century, Jews have been settling in Sweden without the requirement of conversion (source). As such, there are now a number of Swedish Jewish communities, the largest of which is in ...
Shimon bM's user avatar
  • 18.9k
7 votes
1 answer
356 views

Customs regarding reciting the Shema after the allowed time

The latest time for reciting the קְרִיאַת-שְׁמַע is שׇׁלוֺש שׇׁעוֺת זְמׇנִיּוֺת (three variable hours) after sunrise (Orach Chayim 58:1). On Shabbat, many communities recite the morning Shema after ...
Tim Biegeleisen's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can I say kiddush levana during daylight hours if the moon is visible?

Suppose it's late afternoon or early morning and the moon is visible -- can I say it then? Or must it be at "night"? (If so, how do we define "night"?)
Shalom's user avatar
  • 133k
6 votes
1 answer
245 views

Is davening a "late" mincha in contradiction with counting an "early" sefira?

According to what Halichipedia states: According to most poskim, it is correct to wait until Tzet Hakochavim in order to count sefirat haomer; however, one fulfills his obligation by ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.4k
5 votes
1 answer
271 views

Alarm clock in place of a shomer

There is an idea that one can an appoint a shomer (guard) to daven maariv (shma) and some achronim extend this idea to lighting the menorah. What this does is allows one to do work and eat something ...
sam's user avatar
  • 41.6k
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Timing of Maariv / Havdalah at the end of Shabbos

Is it required that all elements of Maariv / Havdalah at the conclusion of Shabbos come after dusk, or may some part come between sunset and dusk?
chrysanthemum's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
1k views

Minyan, netz hachamoh, and precision in time

There are halachic sources that discuss the importance of davening shemona esrei at netz (at sunrise), some of which state that it is preferable to daven at netz over davening with a minyan (at least ...
Isaac Kotlicky's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
239 views

Disparate Zemanim in the same local community

Someone pointed out on a local email list that the ending time for Tish'ah BeAv is listed differently - significantly so - at various institutions in our local community. He noted the following times ...
Seth J's user avatar
  • 41.6k
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

What time is sunset?

Is sunset (Shkiya) the time the sun hits the horizon or when it sunk completely below it? What about sunrise?
ertert3terte's user avatar
  • 40.4k
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

If you didn’t put on tefilin at shacharis, when should you? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Putting on tefillin late Someone was unable to put on tefilin when he 'davened' (prayed) shacharis. When should he put on tefilin — immediately when he has the ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
943 views

Are there different shitos for when fasts end? What are they?

Are there different shitos for when fasts end? (Similar Motzei Shabbos, when some people wait 72 minutes past shkiya to do melacha, where other people wait less.)
Moshe's user avatar
  • 2,251
3 votes
3 answers
285 views

Assistance with on-line articles on "Bein Hashmashot"

I'm compiling a shiur that I plan to give on Rosh Hashanna that focuses on Ben Hashmashot (twilight). I know that there is much confusion and many opinions on how this is defined. The shiur will take ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.4k