Questions related to different times of day as they apply to Jewish Law.
12
votes
4answers
656 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 ...
11
votes
7answers
201 views
Zmanim accuracy before digital clocks?
How was time measured for the purpose of Zmanim before we had accurate clocks like we do today? Was it possible to accurately determine Chatzos (at night) or the different watches of the night? I know ...
11
votes
4answers
191 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 ...
11
votes
5answers
420 views
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 ...
11
votes
1answer
307 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 ...
11
votes
1answer
203 views
Is all-night Shavu'ot learning as prevelant in the Southern Hemisphere?
In the Northern Hemisphere, Shavu'ot falls in the late Spring or early Summer. As a result, sunrise is relatively early, so learning "all night" and then praying the morning service at the earliest ...
11
votes
3answers
1k 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 ...
10
votes
3answers
256 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 ...
10
votes
3answers
324 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 ...
10
votes
2answers
281 views
40 minutes offset for candle lighting?
Several Zmanim apps are giving a choice on my "candle lighting offset". The default here is 40 minutes instead of the usual 18 minutes I've heard.
Why 40? Why do I even have a choice?
Does the fact ...
10
votes
1answer
233 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?
10
votes
3answers
173 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 ...
9
votes
2answers
248 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
179 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
8
votes
2answers
171 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 ...
8
votes
2answers
252 views
Polyphasic Sleep and Halacha
I recently read an article on polyphasic sleep and I'm quite interested in experimenting with it. The article advises the Uberman approach which advocates 20-30 minute naps every four hours, meaning ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the earliest time one can daven Shacharis?
When is the earliest time you can Daven Shacharis?
7
votes
2answers
249 views
Magen Avraham - Practically no Plag HaMinḥah or just no Plag HaMinḥah in winter?
Calling all science and math-oriented Judaism.SE-ers!
According to the website MyZmanim.com, today's Halachic times where I work are as follows (only a handful of times are shown because the question ...
7
votes
1answer
157 views
When do the restrictions of 3 weeks start when 17 Tammuz is on Shabbos?
When do the restrictions of 3 weeks start when 17 Tammuz is on Shabbos (e.g. this year)?
Do they start motzei shabbos (already 18 Tammuz), since the 17 Tammuz is technically on shabbos or do they ...
7
votes
3answers
159 views
Hours, minutes, and chalakim
On Shabbat preceding Rosh Chodesh, the time of the molad is generally announced in units of hours, minutes, and chalakim. However, minutes are not a traditional Jewish unit of time; rather hours are ...
7
votes
1answer
274 views
When praying alone, can one say Ma'ariv/Arvit before shkia (sunset)?
I have heard in the past that one praying alone may not say Ma'ariv/Arvit until shkia/sunset but that one praying with a minyan can start Ma'ariv as early as Plag HaMincha. Could someone provide me a ...
7
votes
1answer
120 views
Does praying at the wrong time count for anything?
(This question might be a prerequisite to be able to answer this question.)
Does praying at the wrong time count for anything? What does it accomplish? Sources, please.
6
votes
2answers
260 views
Davening late rather than never?
If for some reason I am held up doing something until after the time that mincha must be done by and I have not davened mincha, is it better to daven mincha after the time it is supposed to be done by ...
6
votes
1answer
139 views
Why does it get darker in Israel quicker?
Why is it that it gets darker in Eretz Yisroel quicker than in the USA, making for a shorter Ben Hash'moshos?
6
votes
2answers
117 views
Earliest time to make an Eiruv Tavshilin
When's the earliest time one can make an Eiruv Tavshilin on erev yom tov?
6
votes
1answer
82 views
Candle Lighting Time: Why Then?
Why 18 minutes (or other minhagim). Where did these numbers come from?
6
votes
1answer
151 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
127 views
Davening after the zman
Can someone please explain the halachot for someone who wakes up after zman kriat shema? After zman tfillah?
6
votes
2answers
359 views
Until what time in the morning may you eat on a fast day?
On fast days that begin in the morning, (Asara B'Teves, Taanis Esther, Shiva Asar B'Tamuz, Tzom Gedalya) if you intend to eat when you awake, until what time may you eat in the morning? Does it depend ...
6
votes
1answer
82 views
Chanuka lighting: BeZman (at the best time) or Pirsumei Nissa (publicization of the miracle)?
Is it better to light candles at bezman, or later when there will be more pirsumei nissa? I find 4:30 (approx candlelighting time in NYC this year) to be too early to catch the regular "rush hour." Is ...
6
votes
0answers
50 views
Shkiya/Netz behind a mountain [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Commencing Shabbos
If one is located behind a mountain, what time is Shkiya or Tzeis?
Is it when the sun sets below the "calculated" horizon (when the sun should set ...
5
votes
2answers
178 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
92 views
What is “חצות האמצעי”?
While researching an answer to this question I stumbled across the term "חצות האמצעי".
What does it mean? Does it refer to halachic midday, i.e. halfway between netz hachama and shkias hachama, or ...
5
votes
1answer
171 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"?)
5
votes
3answers
127 views
In an average shul, how long before sunset does a combined weekday Mincha/Maariv service start?
Many shuls worldwide run combined weekday Mincha/Maariv services. How long before sunset do these services tend to start? Please specify a range, measured in "number of minutes". Also, please cite ...
5
votes
2answers
353 views
How is Chatzos Halayla (Halachic Midnight) calculated?
It seems pretty easy to calculate from the get-go that the formula is something like this:
# a halachic hour is one twelfth of the time between sunrise and sunset
halachicHour = (timeOfSunset - ...
5
votes
1answer
190 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
102 views
Why does Jewish law and tradition specify times for saying Shema?
This question is asked at a very basic level, not deeply aware of Judaism or the process of Jewish law. I'm not Jewish so it isn't directly applicable to me, but it helps me to ask a broader question ...
5
votes
1answer
91 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
135 views
Do Sefardim keep Rashi time or Rabbeinu Tam time?
On one hand, the Shulchan Aruch rules in Hilchos Shabbos like Rabbeinu Tam (that one should add to Shabbos from shkiya [not that it's shabbos yet halachically, and one can do melacha at that point]), ...
5
votes
1answer
243 views
What are (all) the Havdalah halachic times?
What are all the halachic opinions for when to do havdalah? I'm writing a calendar and I want to provide all the options that people use.
The ones I've seen are:
42 min after sunset ??
72 min after ...
5
votes
0answers
87 views
Late sunset times and Jewish observance
This question is distinct from other questions which ask how and when to begin Shabbat, etc. when there is no sunset. I am asking about places in which sunset occurs very late during certain times of ...
5
votes
0answers
133 views
Is mincha gedolah better [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Timing of Mincha
Why do people wait to daven mincha later and not daven mincha gedolah?
4
votes
3answers
390 views
Calculating shabbat candle lighting time
Is it possible to calculate the candle lighting time based on location and date alone?
Assume all you have is a GPS, a watch and a calculator.
4
votes
2answers
183 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).
4
votes
2answers
63 views
When can Melavah Malkah be eaten until?
When is the last time one can eat a meal on Motzei Shabbos and still have it considered Melavah Malkah? When is the deadline?
4
votes
1answer
177 views
Alos Hashachar on a flight from Israel to Toronto
What time will a person cross alos hashachar (first light of the sun) if he is flying from Israel to Toronto on the night of the fast of the 17th of Tammuz? The flight leaves Israel at one in the ...
4
votes
1answer
101 views
Mincha before lunch on the 8th day of Pesach (Chabad)
The Luach Kolel Chabad says it's customary to pray mincha before lunch on the eighth day of Pesach. Why?
4
votes
2answers
120 views
Tachanun for Shacharis in the afternoon, on a day where there is no Tachanun at Mincha
If you start Shacharis Shmonei Esrei just before Chatzos, on a day where there is no Tachanun said at Mincha, and finished after Chatzos, do you say Tachanun?
