When Does Shabbat End?
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The Source in the Gemara for Bein Hashemashot
- The Gemara [1] discusses what is considered to be "Bein Hashemashot" / בין השמשות, or literally, "between the suns"--i.e. the time period that is after sunset, but before nightfall. It is uncertain whether or not this time is day or night, so it is treated with the stringency of both days.
- R. Nechemya holds it is the time it takes to walk 1/2 of a "Mil", or 1,000 amos, while R. Yehuda holds it is the time to: -walk 2/3 of a "Mil" (1,334 Amos), according to Rav Yosef, or -3/4 of a "Mil" (1,500 Amos), according to Rav Yosef, after sunset. Rabbi Yose holds it is a few seconds (the time it takes to blink an eye softly) [2] after the end of R. Yehuda's time; before then, it is still day.
- The Gemara rules that, since it is doubtful who is correct, we treat all of R. Yehuda's period on Friday afternoon as Shabbos. Rashi [3] implies that following Shabbos, we treat R. Yose's period stringently.
- However, the Gemara rules on Shabbos 35b that when one star is visible, it is still day; when two stars are visible, it is Bein Hashemashos; when three stars are visible, it is night-time. These are only stars of medium size, neither so big as to only be visible during the day, nor too small to only be visible during the night.
- The Gemara rules that if one does a Melacha on Shabbos for the duration of Bein Hashemashos on Friday evening and Saturday evening, one has certainly violated Shabbos, and must bring a sin-offering [4]
- Therefore, one can do no Melacha during Bein Hashemashot [5].
Rabbeinu Tam
Sources
- ↑ Shabbat 34b
- ↑ Rashi Shabbos 34b ד"ה כהרף עין. Tosafos ד"ה רבי יוסי points out that R. Yose doesn't claim that he knows precisely when it is, but just that the period of time that is doubtful is much smaller than the other Tannaim think.
- ↑ 35a ד"ה בשלמא הלכה כר' יהודה לענין שבת לחומרא
- ↑ Shabbos 35b, Rambam Hil' Shabbos 5:4. This is because: if one treats Bein Hashemashot as day, one broke Shabbos on Saturday evening. If one treats Bein Hashemashot as night, one violated Shabbos on Friday evening.
- ↑ Mishnah Shabbos 34b
- ↑ Yalkut Yosef 293:3
- ↑ Yalkut Yosef 293:11