Halachic Times for Jerusalem

Z'MANIM - HALACHIC TIMES - Correct for TT #642
Ranges are THU-THU 27 Cheshvan - 5 Kislev (Nov. 11-18)
Earliest Shacharit - 5:12-5:18am
Sunrise - 6:04-6:10am
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 8:43-8:47am (7:57-8:00am)
Sof Z'man T'fila - 9:36-9:39am (9:06-9:08am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 11:23-11:24am
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 11:54-11:55am
Plag Mincha - 3:36-3:33pm
Sunset - 4:47-4:43pm (4:42-4:38pm)

Candle Lighting & Havdala Times (Standard Winter time)
Correct for TT 642 • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) - 5:56pm
4:06pm Jerusalem 5:19pm
4:25pm Gush Katif 5:24pm
4:22pm Raanana 5:20pm
4:22pm Beit Shemesh 5:20pm
4:21pm Netanya 5:20pm
4:22pm Rehovot 5:21pm
4:02pm Petach Tikva 5:20pm
4:22pm Modi'in 5:20pm
4:24pm Be'er Sheva 5:22pm
4:21pm Gush Etzion 5:19pm
4:21pm Ginot Shomron 5:19pm
4:06pm Maale Adumim 5:19pm
4:13pm Tzfat 5:17pm
4:22pm K4 & Hevron 5:20pm

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.