The Handy Torah Tidbits Guide to Early Shabbat

It's that time of year again. [If this page is stapled with the rest of TT, try to remove it carefully; it will be more useful that way.] This TT Pull-Out contains practical information, detailed explanations, and helpful, handy texts for enjoying your Early Shabbat.

In many communities, people "take Shabbat early" during the summer months when nightfall is relatively late and they would prefer to eat their Friday night meal at a more civilized hour, and to have a bit more time after supper to learn, go over the sedra, read, go for a walk, play with the children, etc. There are some halachic points to clarify about "taking Shabbat early".

BACKGROUND The first mishna in chapter 4 of Brachot contains a dispute between the Tana Kama (the first unnamed opinion in a Mishna-dispute) and R’ Yehuda as to when the deadline for Mincha is. The T”K says that one may daven Mincha until sunset. R’ Yehuda says that one may daven Mincha only until Plag Mincha. [PLAG is 1¼ "halachic" hours before sunset. A halachic hour is a twelfth part of the day, calculated from sunrise to sunset. (There is another way of reckoning the day - namely, dawn to stars out; we will stick to the sunrise-to-sunset day.) By extension, the Talmud teaches that the deadline for Mincha for each opinion is also the earliest time for Maariv, and some other nighttime mitzvot. In other words, the T”K says that the day ends and night begins at sunset (or stars-out) and R’ Yehuda say PLAG begins evening, even though the sun is still shining. The Gemara presents us with an atypical resolution of this dispute - D'AVAD K'MAR AVAD, U'D'AVAD K'MAR AVAD - he who acts according to the one opinion, acts correctly, and he who acts according to the other opinion, acts correctly. It’s ALMOST take-your-pick. 

The dispute notwithstanding, all agree that one may not "take Shababat" before PLAG MINCHA. One may not light Shabbat candles (or Chanuka candles) before PLAG, nor say Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv, nor make Kiddush.

SHMA Although one may daven Maariv from PLAG (according to R’ Yehuda), most authorities say that one does not fulfill his obligation to say the nighttime Sh'ma if it is said before sunset. (Stars-out is the proper beginning time for Shma.) Therefore, those who daven early must repeat the Sh'ma (all three passages) after stars-out. In other words, when one davens Maariv before dark (after Plag, of course), he says the full Sh'ma and its brachot as part of the davening, but not in fulfillment of the mitzva of reciting the Sh'ma at night.

Some object to taking Shabbat early because Sh'ma in its Maariv setting is not said at its proper time. Although one will repeat it later, this is not ideal. Furthermore, it becomes too easy to forget to repeat the Sh'ma after dark.

This pull-out and announcements at the end of "early minyan" are your reminders to say the Shma (and count the Omer) at the proper time. Try to remind each other in your family so that no one will forget these important mitzvot. Taking Shabbat early can be a positive experience, but not if it results in neglect of a Torah mitzva or two.

Another Problem Since davening Mincha after Plag is fine according to T”K but NOT according to R’ Yehuda, and davening Maariv before sunset is okay according to R’ Yehuda but not according to T”K, it is not proper to daven both Mincha & Maariv between Plag and sunset.

It is best to schedule an early minyan to begin Mincha about 15 minutes before PLAG. This way, Mincha can be said before PLAG followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv, after PLAG. This would be consistent with R’ Yehuda's opinion.

CANDLES Women must be reminded to light after PLAG, never before. Women should daven Mincha on their own (this is preferable year-round), light after PLAG, then go to shul (if they do) for Kabbalat Shabbat.

KIDDUSH Shuls that schedule their early minyan's Mincha after PLAG, not only enter into the contradictory situation mentioned above ("satisfying" neither the T”K nor R’ Yehuda), but also can run into another problem (depending upon timing). Once it gets "close" to dark, one should not begin a meal (nor say Kiddush) before saying Shma. In other words, if one has not made Kiddush by sunset (maybe even 5-10 minutes before that), then he must (should?) wait until dark, say the Sh'ma, and THEN make Kiddush (thereby defeating the purpose of "taking Shabbat early"). The idea is to say Kiddush well enough before sunset so that one does not even enter the time-range of Sh'ma. If people are "sloppy" about this issue, they make taking Shabbat early more problematical.

A minyan that starts Mincha a half hour before Jerusalem candle lighting time will get people home for a "problem-free" Kiddush, if the people don't linger too much after shul. (They still have the Mincha-Maariv after Plag problem.)

Technically, if one begins his meal "with halachic permission", he need not stop for Sh'ma or the Omer (they can be be said/counted after the meal). However, it is highly desirable and recommended that when the proper time arrives, families should interrupt their meals for Sh'ma and the Omer. This helps prevent forgetting later on, and also has a positive educational value for family and guests.

Some say that when people say Kiddush and begin their first Shabbat meal early, they should make sure that some challah is eaten after dark too.

More Problems Some object to splitting a community by having two minyanim on Friday night. Others point out potential problems if a whole community takes Shabbat early and some individual members don't, specifically, lighting candles and doing other "melachot" after the community accepted Shabbat. Ask your Rav.

Early Shabbat should be an enhancement of Shabbat and a fulfillment of Tos'fot Shabbat - but without being careless about Shma and davening.

This handy pull-out will hopefully make things easier for you. Bring it to your Shabbat table and use it for the Sh'ma and then for counting the Omer (during Omer season, that is). Remain sitting for the Sh'ma; stand for counting the Omer.

POINT in FAVOR Aruch HaShulchan (R’ Yechiel Michel HaLevi Epstein) introduces another factor into the equation which adds an additional positive spin to taking Shabbat early. He points out that we daven Maariv corresponding to the HECTEIR CHALAVIM V'EIVARIM, the slow burning of fats and certain parts of the day's korbanot on the Mizbei'ach all night. That's why we may daven Maariv all night long. But on Friday, the burning had to be done before Shabbat, i.e. earlier than the rest of the week. By davening Maariv earlier on Friday evening, we nicely match the corresponding service of the Beit HaMikdash. (It's not a perfect match because we're beginning Shabbat at that point, and the Hecteir Chalavim v'Eivarim was specifically before Shabbat. Also, to be consistent, we'd have to daven Maariv early on Friday throughout the year, which we don't. But it's a nice point anyway.)

FRIDAY TIMES

The following chart covers the period from the Shabbat after Pesach until the Shabbat before Rosh HaShana. Although we will go back to Winter Time on the night between October 6-7, it is unlikely that shuls will continue early minyan after R.H.

PLAG - Mincha before this time, if at all possible. Candle lighting, etc. MUST be after this time. (It's a good idea to "pad" this time with 2-3 minutes on either side.)

REG - Regular candle lighting time (Jerusalem).

NST - Near Sh'ma Time. Kiddush should (prefer- ably) be said before this time.

SH - Recommended to repeat the Shma at this time or soon thereafter. (Then count the Omer.)



Friday of PLAG REG NST SH

Sh’mini o 5:42 6:26 6:56 7:31

Tazri’a-M’tzora o5:46 6:31 7:01 7:36

Acharei-K’doshim o 5:49 6:36 7:06 7:41

Emor o 5:53 6:40 7:10 7:45

B’har-B’chukotai o 5:56 6:45 7:15 7:50

Bamidbar 6:00 6:50 7:20 7:55

Naso follows Shavuot - unlikely to have early Shabbat

B’ha’a’lo’t’cha 6:08 7:00 7:30 8:05

Sh’lach 6:11 7:04 7:34 8:09

Korach 6:14 7:08 7:38 8:13

Chukat 6:17 7:11 7:41 8:16

Balak 6:19 7:13 7:43 8:18

Pinchas 6:20 7:14 7:44 8:19

Matot-Mas’ei 6:20 7:14 7:44 8:19

D’varim 6:19 7:12 7:42 8:17

Va’etchanan 6:17 7:09 7:39 8:14

Eikev 6:14 7:05 7:35 8:10

R’ei 6:10 7:00 7:30 8:05

Sho’f’tim 6:05 6:54 7:24 7:59

Ki Teitzei 5:59 6:47 7:17 7:52

Ki Tavo 5:53 6:39 7:09 7:44

Nitzvim-Vayeilech 5:46 6:31 7:01 7:36

When the proper time arrives, say the Sh'ma (next page) with KAVANA to fulfill the mitzva of KRI'AT SHMA BIZMANA (at its proper time). Also, KAVANA to accept upon yourself the “Yoke of Heaven” and the “Yoke of Mitzvot” (second passage). For the last pasuk, have KAVANA to remember Y’tzi’at Mitzrayim (the Exodus) “all the days of your life”.

Then count the Omer with KAVANA, standing, according to the following mini-calendar. 

BEFORE the bracha, know the count

(Count even if you are no longer saying a bracha)

For the other post-counting passages, use yourTT Omer Chart (TT512) or your favorite Suddur.

The saying of SHMA is a mitzva from the Torah and we should seize the first opportunity after dark to say

it, even during our Shabbat meal. Since it is not now being said in the davening, [1] there is no need to say KEL MELECH N'EEMAN at the beginning, nor to attach ,EMET to the end; and [2] we can (should?) say ,L'SHEM MITZVAT KRIAT SHMA B'ZMANA (for the sake of saying Sh’ma on time) before we begin. The Sh’ma is presented in

Torah font and with TROP for those who prefer reading it that way. Even if you don’t read the Sh’ma with TROP, the TROP helps by indicating which syllable gets accented.