HALACHIC TIMES
Ranges are THU-TUE 25 Elul - 8 Tishrei (Sep29-Oct11) 13-day range Subt. 1 hr from Oct.9
Earliest Talit & T'filin - 5:42-5:50am
Sunrise - 6:31½-6:39½am
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 9:30-9:32am (8:45-8:48am)
Sof Z'man T'fila - 10:29-10:30am (10:00-10:00am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 12:29½-12:26pm
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 1:03-12:56pm
Plag Mincha - 5:13-5:00pm
Sunset - 6:31½-6:16½pm (6:27-6:12pm)

*Concerning "Earliest Shacharit", the time is actually the earliest time for Tallit & T'fillin. In extenuating circumstances, one may daven earlier than T&T time, but will have to do so without T&T, until their later time. A fast begins earlier than T&T time, namely Olot HaShachar.

Candle lighting (regular and earliest) and Havdala times - Israel Summer Time (DST) -
Nitzavim Rosh HaShana Vayeilech
FRI Motz"sh MON TUE WED FRI Motzs"h
Jerusalem 5:50pm 7:01pm 5:46pm 6:57pm 6:56pm 5:41pm 6:52pm
Raanana 6:06pm 7:02pm 6:03pm 6:58pm 6:57pm 5:57pm 6:53pm
Beit Shemesh 6:06pm 7:02pm 6:02pm 6:58pm 6:57pm 5:57pm 6:53pm
Netanya 6:06pm 7:02pm 6:02pm 6:58pm 6:57pm 5:57pm 6:53pm
Rehovot 6:07pm 7:02pm 6:03pm 6:59pm 6:57pm 5:58pm 6:54pm
Petach Tikva 5:46pm 7:02pm 5:42pm 6:58pm 6:57pm 5:37pm 6:53pm
Modi'in 6:06pm 7:02pm 6:02pm 6:58pm 6:57pm 5:57pm 6:53pm
Be'er Sheva 6:07pm 7:02pm 6:03pm 6:59pm 6:56pm 5:58pm 6:54pm
Gush Etzion 6:05pm 7:01pm 6:01pm 6:57pm 6:56pm 5:56pm 6:52pm
Ginot Shomron 6:05pm 7:01pm 6:02pm 6:57pm 6:56pm 5:56pm 6:52pm
Maale Adumim 5:50pm 7:00pm 5:46pm 6:57pm 6:55pm 5:41pm 6:52pm
K4 & Hevron 6:06pm 7:01pm 6:02pm 6:57pm 6:56pm 5:57pm 6:53pm
Tzfat 5:59pm 7:00pm 5:55pm 6:56pm 6:55pm 5:49pm 6:51pm

Notes: All times in the chart above are Israel Summer Time. We will turn the clock back one hour on Motza'ei Shabbat Parshat Vayeilech (really, early Sunday morning, October 9th) at 2:00am. But the times for the range of dates for this Torah Tidbits #687 are all still in Summer time.

For the Fridays and Motza'ei Shabbatot, procedures for candle lighting and havdala are as usual.

On Monday, October 3rd, Erev Rosh HaShana, it is recommended to light a 24-hour candle before Yom Tov candles, so that a flame will readily be available for candle lighting on the second night of Rosh HaShana, when striking a match is forbidden.

The brachot for Yom Tov candles should preferably be said immediately before lighting the candles (not after lighting, as is standard Shabbat candles procedure). Covering the eyes is not necessary for Yom Tov candles, if the brachot are said first.

A woman who wants to light Rosh HaShana candles the same way she lights Shabbat candles, may do so (including covering her eyes).

For the second night, wait until dark (see times above), light from a pre-existing flame only, brachot first, then light. Many follow the custom of having a SHE'HE'CHE'YANU fruit or garment in mind when lighting on the second night.

Havdala on Wednesday night, Motza'ei Rosh HaShana, is wine (Borei Pri HaGafen) and havdala (HaMavdil Bein Kodesh L'Chol) only. No introductory p'sukim (Hinei Keil...). No B'samim. No candle.

Jerusalem lights candles 40 minutes before sunset. (Except for those who don’t follow that custom.) Which sunset? Important question. The standard practice is to count 40 minutes before “sunset of elevation”. Jerusalem is a little over 800m above sea level. If one could see the sun set over a horizon at sea level (which can be done from some parts of J’lem), it would set about 5 minutes later than someone watching from sea level, or seeing the sun set beyond mountains that are approx. the same height as Jerusalem is. Since the sunset on the same plane is 5 minutes earlier, and for Shabbat purposes is the sunset we would have to consider because of the strictness of Shabbat, then J’lem candle lighting time is really only 35 minutes before “the other” sunset. All other places at some height above sea level have similar problems. Tzfat lights candles 30 minutes before sunset. Official candle lighting for Petach Tikva is 40 minutes before sunset, just like Jerusalem. Not everybody holds by that timing. Some communities calculate Shabbat out at 33 minutes after sunset. Some use the angle of the sun below the horizon to “end Shabbat” (8.5 deg). Bottom line for now: until we get the chart running smoothly, don’t rely on it exclusively. Cross-check times with calendars and charts. Please report discrepancies to us, so that we can improve our time table. Also realize that Sfardim and Ashkenazim often has differences in minhag.

Explanation of the Z'manim
Sunrise for Jerusalem does not take into account elevation, since the eastern horizon (where the sun rises) consists of the Hills of Moav across the Jordan River, which are approx. at the same elevation as Jerusalem

Sunset, on the other hand, is given for an elevation of 825m and, in parentheses, as if at sea level. There are different opinions as to which sunset time should be used for halachic purposes. We present both times.

The deadlines for the SH'MA and the Shacharit Amida can be calculated in two ways. Either considering the day to be from sunrise to sunset or from dawn to stars out. The first way of reckoning is known as the opinion of the GR"A, and is the first time given in each case. The second method is known as the Magen Avraham, and is presented in parentheses.

Aside from candle lighting and havdala, the times are presented as a range, from the current Thursday of the issue of Torah Tidbits until the coming Thursday, a span of 8 days. Days between the two Thursdays can be determined by interpolation (which means: a method by which to estimate a value of between two known values-this is something that people above a certain age might remember from high school trigonometry and logarithms, but younger people who went to school during the calculator era might not be familiar with).

It is usually wise to "pad" the times with a minute or two in the "play it safe" direction. E.g. Plag Mincha. Better to finish Mincha a minute or two before the given time. But, better to not light candles until a minute or two after the given time.