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For many daily activities, the time frame for completion is dependent on the proportional hours (sha'ot zmaniot). But is there an extension of those hours to proportional minutes and seconds which would then be applicable in cases where the time frame is similarly delineated?

Some quick examples -- if we light candles 18 minutes before shkiah, what kind of minutes would those be?

When announcing the new moon, do we set the molad based on proportional hours, minutes and chalakim?

When baking (or, later, eating) matzah, would the length of the minutes be proportional and different depending on how early or late in the solar year Pesach falls?

When waiting after meat, would I wait 6 shorter hours in the winter (though this one, I know, is less likely because the initial discussions weren't about hours but about meals -- but if I wait less time between meals in the winter so I can eat before it gets too dark...)

To what extent to we use proportional timing and why are there any limitations to its applicability?

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  • Plag Mincha is 1 proportional hour and 15 proportional minutes before sundown. Mincha Ketana is 3.5 proportional hours after noon. Of course there are proportional units less than hour.
    – Double AA
    Apr 17, 2019 at 10:37
  • Matza baking and meal waiting aren't times of day, so I don't know why you mention them.
    – Double AA
    Apr 17, 2019 at 10:43
  • @DoubleAA is the application of proportional hours/minutes only for fixed times of day or does the concept apply to other uses of time? Is that a general rule expressed anywhere?
    – rosends
    Apr 17, 2019 at 10:52
  • Your first link explains Shaot Zmaniot very clearly but doesn't explain walking times - a period of time - well.
    – Al Berko
    Apr 17, 2019 at 13:42
  • I recall that you asked a question regarding the 6 hour wait, so I'm curious if you got a satisfactory answer on that. Re candle lighting - note that this is based mainly on the definition of ben hashmashot (twilight) which is based either on visual cues (which would define the timespean seasonally) or the distance that it takes someone to walk 1 mil (which is a fixed timespan.)
    – DanF
    Apr 17, 2019 at 19:06

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