Davening the Friday night before plag

Hi, Granted that authorities have permitted certain communities to daven before plag on Friday evening in certain circumstances, this is not halachically correct. However, one should not protest their practice. (Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:15) Have a great day, Mordechai

Davening maariv before the stars emerge

Hi,

It is better to daven Maariv with a minyan right after sunset, rather than wait until after the stars emerge and daven privately.

However, if the minyan davens maariv at the same time as minchah, then it would be better to daven maariv after the stars emerge, in private. [I believe Rav Moshe means to include cases in which the community davens both minchah and maariv before plag, and where they daven both minchah and maariv after plag and before sunset.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:60)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The earliest time for candle-lighting

Hi,

One may not accept Shabbat at just any time on Friday - it must be relatively close to evening, since Shabbat is supposed to be the 7th day of the week. The earliest time one may accept Shabbat is a time called "Plag haMinchah."

We calculate Plag haMinchah this way:
1. Take the time between sunrise and sunset and divide it by 12. Each 1/12 unit is called an "hour."
2. Subtract 1.25 of these hours from sunset. The resulting time is Plag haMinchah.

For example: One day there were 9 hours and 37 minutes between sunrise and sunset, so each "hour" was 48.08 minutes. 1.25 "hours" were then 60.1 minutes. Sunset was 5 PM, so Plag haMinchah was 4 PM.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 263:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The earliest time for Shabbat candles

Hi,

We have been learning about lighting Shabbat candles.

We have said that one must light before sunset, adding from mundane time to the sacred time of Shabbat. Nonetheless, one may not light too early, before the time we call "Plag haMinchah," "The midpoint of Minchah." This is because Plag haMinchah is the earliest time recognized within Jewish law as nightfall.

One may calculate this Plag haMinchah time by the following methods-

A. For followers of the Vilna Gaon's practices:
1) Take the number of minutes between sunrise and sunset, and divide it into twelve units.
2) Multiply one of those units by 1.25.
3) Subtract that period of time from sunset, and you will have found Plag haMinchah.

B. For followers of the Magen Avraham's practices:
1) Take the number of minutes between first light and when the stars emerge, and divide it into twelve units.
2) Multiply one of those units by 1.25.
3) Subtract that period of time from when the stars emerge, and you will have found Plag haMinchah.

For example: If the stars emerge at 4:48 AM and sunrise is 6 AM, and sunset is 6 PM and the stars emerge at 7:12 PM, then the Vilna Gaon will mark Plag haMinchah at 4:45 PM, and the Magen Avraham will mark Plag haMinchah at 5:42 PM.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 263:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai