When Does Shabbat End?: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
no edit summary
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
This is in contrast to Rav Ovadia Yosef (Shu"t Yabia Omer 2:21) and the Orot HaChaim's opinion that Rabbeinu Tam and Shulchan Aruch are really stating the same position. The Orot HaChaim explains that the stars being mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch are ones that are closer to the western horizon where the sun sets, which apparently take longer to become visible. | This is in contrast to Rav Ovadia Yosef (Shu"t Yabia Omer 2:21) and the Orot HaChaim's opinion that Rabbeinu Tam and Shulchan Aruch are really stating the same position. The Orot HaChaim explains that the stars being mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch are ones that are closer to the western horizon where the sun sets, which apparently take longer to become visible. | ||
</ref>. This is the widely accepted definition of when Shabbat ends, though there are a variety of opinions as to when this phenomenon actually occurs in a halachically significant enough way to end Shabbat. Most of these opinions can be subcategorized in one of two major methods of calculation: an astronomical based method or a time based method. | </ref>. This is the widely accepted definition of when Shabbat ends, though there are a variety of opinions as to when this phenomenon actually occurs in a halachically significant enough way to end Shabbat. Most of these opinions can be subcategorized in one of two major methods of calculation: an astronomical based method or a time based method. | ||
== | |||
==Emergence of the Stars (Rav Tukachinsky)== | |||
* Tosfot Shabbat 35b s.v. elah’s asks why Shmuel needed to state that the halacha follows Rabbi Yosi with respect to the kohanim not being able to eat trumah if the only discrepancy between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi is minimal, the bat of an eye. Tosfot answers that in fact Rabbi Yosi’s Ben Hashemashot doesn’t begin immediately after Rabbi Yehuda’s, it only begins a little bit or much later. Gra OC 261:12 at the end argues that the Gemara Shabbat 35a is pretty clear that in fact Rabbi Yosi’s Ben Hashemashot starts immediately after that of Rabbi Yehuda’s. Rather the answer to Tosfot’s question is that kohanim can eat Trumah during Ben Hashemashot, however, since we follow Rabbi Yosi they can’t eat until after Rabbi Yehuda’s Ben Hashemashot. Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky in Sefer Ben Hashemashot 2:8 notes that the Gra’s opinion is against almost all the rishonim and our text of the Gemara, which the Gra needed to emend. Accordingly he rejects the conclusion of the Gra and sides with Tosfot and others that the Ben Hashemashot of Rabbi Yosi is not immediately after that of Rabbi Yehuda’s. In fact it starts a while later. Therefore, he holds that nighttime begins with the emergence of three stars and is irrelevant to the Ben Hashemashot of 3/4 mil elapsing. | |||
According to this position, anything that is stipulated in the Gemara (see below) about the amount of time between [[sunset]] and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is only applicable to Bavel (Babylonia) and Israel during the Tishrei and Nissan equinoxes, not for the rest of the world nor during any other time of the year. The astronomical method uses the time that it takes to see the three small stars in Israel and the position of the sun at this time to extrapolate a calculation for when Shabbat should end for the rest of the world. In Jerusalem, during the Tishrei and Nissan equinoxes, it takes approximately 32 minutes in the winter and 38 minutes in the summer (in the United States and Europe, 50-60 minutes<ref>Shu"t Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:62</ref>) after sunset to see these three stars in the sky. At this time, the sun has set 8.5 degrees below the horizon. Therefore, Shabbat ends when the sun has set 8.5 degrees below the horizon in every other location in the world at any other time during the year <ref>Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, Sefer Bein HaShemashot. Berur Halacha (Zilber) Tinyana Siman. | According to this position, anything that is stipulated in the Gemara (see below) about the amount of time between [[sunset]] and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is only applicable to Bavel (Babylonia) and Israel during the Tishrei and Nissan equinoxes, not for the rest of the world nor during any other time of the year. The astronomical method uses the time that it takes to see the three small stars in Israel and the position of the sun at this time to extrapolate a calculation for when Shabbat should end for the rest of the world. In Jerusalem, during the Tishrei and Nissan equinoxes, it takes approximately 32 minutes in the winter and 38 minutes in the summer (in the United States and Europe, 50-60 minutes<ref>Shu"t Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:62</ref>) after sunset to see these three stars in the sky. At this time, the sun has set 8.5 degrees below the horizon. Therefore, Shabbat ends when the sun has set 8.5 degrees below the horizon in every other location in the world at any other time during the year <ref>Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, Sefer Bein HaShemashot. Berur Halacha (Zilber) Tinyana Siman. | ||
| Line 14: | Line 17: | ||
The amount of time it will take for the sun to set 8.5 degrees varies by locale, and, therefore, the time between [[sunset]] and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is not uniform across different regions. | The amount of time it will take for the sun to set 8.5 degrees varies by locale, and, therefore, the time between [[sunset]] and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is not uniform across different regions. | ||
==The | ==Four Mil (Rabbeinu Tam)== | ||
===The Astronomical Method (As Degrees)=== | |||
Besides for the astronomical method mentioned above, there are many of the opinion that Shabbat ends at a uniform increment of time after sunset in every region of the world. | Besides for the astronomical method mentioned above, there are many of the opinion that Shabbat ends at a uniform increment of time after sunset in every region of the world. | ||
There are multiple Gemaras that comment on the time span between sunset and Tzeit HaKochavim. One of them states that it is the amount of time between sunset and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is the amount of time it takes to walk 4 milin<ref>Pesachim 94a</ref>, while the other states that it is the amount of time to walk 0.75 mil.<ref>Shabbat 34b</ref> Not only are the Gemarot contradictory, but it is also unclear how long a mil is in time. | There are multiple Gemaras that comment on the time span between sunset and Tzeit HaKochavim. One of them states that it is the amount of time between sunset and [[Tzeit HaKochavim]] is the amount of time it takes to walk 4 milin<ref>Pesachim 94a</ref>, while the other states that it is the amount of time to walk 0.75 mil.<ref>Shabbat 34b</ref> Not only are the Gemarot contradictory, but it is also unclear how long a mil is in time. | ||
| Line 42: | Line 45: | ||
24 mins/mil * 5 mil= 120 mins</ref> | 24 mins/mil * 5 mil= 120 mins</ref> | ||
=== | ===Shaot Zmaniyot=== | ||
===Fixed Minutes=== | |||
==Three Quarter Mil (Gra)== | |||
===The Time Based Method=== | |||
The other major position that sought to resolve the contradiction in Gemaras was that of the [[Geonim]] and the [[Vilna Gaon]] (Gr"a) who held that there is only one halachic sunset, which occurs at natural sunset. The 0.75 mil the Gemara was referring to is the time that it takes 3 medium sized stars to appear in the sky, which is nighttime on a Torah level. We are then required to wait longer until 3 small stars appear<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 293:3</ref> to appear to end Shabbat. When the Gemara was speaking about 4 mil, it is referring to when all the stars appear in the sky, which does not have halachic significance.<ref>Bei'ur HaGra and Bei'ur Halacha, Orach Chaim 261:2 and Mishna Berurah 293:3</ref> This position maintains that Tzeit HaKochavim occurs at a time before the 4 mil presented by Rabbeinu Tam. Many [[Rishonim]] and [[Geonim]] agree with the opinion of the Vilna Goan including the Ri<ref>Mayim Chaim of the Pri Chadash (5704 edition p. 116 s.v. ubemet) writes that Tosfot Pesachim 2a s.v. veha citing the Ri holds like the Geonim and Gra. Be'er Avraham (Pesachim 2a) agrees and asks why the earlier Poskim didn’t quote this Tosfot as a proof. Derech Yeshara Ben Hashemashot p. 124 and Ish Matzliach (MB v. 3 Kuntres Ben Hashemashot p. 91) also bring this proof. The First Lubevitcher Rebbe (the Alter Rebbe / Baal HaTanya) in Piskei HaSiddur (cited by Hazmanim Bhalacha 2:41:9) also says Tosfot Pesachim 2a holds like Geonim. The Hazmanim Bhalacha tries to avoid this reading in Tosfot but is confronted with a challenged by the text of the Tosfot Rash Mshantz and leaves it unresolved.</ref> and [[Rambam]].<ref>The Maharam Alshaker 96 proves that the Rambam agrees with the Geonim that Ben Hashemashot is all of 0.75 mil and begins immediately after shekiya. One of his proofs is from Rav Avraham Ben Harambam's work "Alkafiya." Yabia Omer OC 2:21:4 disagrees and tries to show that the Rambam Pirush Mishnayot (Shabbat 2:6) holds like Rabbenu Tam. Ish Matzliach (Kuntres Ben Hashemashot MB v. 3) thoroughly tries to disprove Yabia Omer's contention and show that the Rambam thinks like the Geonim. Or Letzion 1 YD 10 also explains that the Rambam follows the Geonim.</ref> | The other major position that sought to resolve the contradiction in Gemaras was that of the [[Geonim]] and the [[Vilna Gaon]] (Gr"a) who held that there is only one halachic sunset, which occurs at natural sunset. The 0.75 mil the Gemara was referring to is the time that it takes 3 medium sized stars to appear in the sky, which is nighttime on a Torah level. We are then required to wait longer until 3 small stars appear<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 293:3</ref> to appear to end Shabbat. When the Gemara was speaking about 4 mil, it is referring to when all the stars appear in the sky, which does not have halachic significance.<ref>Bei'ur HaGra and Bei'ur Halacha, Orach Chaim 261:2 and Mishna Berurah 293:3</ref> This position maintains that Tzeit HaKochavim occurs at a time before the 4 mil presented by Rabbeinu Tam. Many [[Rishonim]] and [[Geonim]] agree with the opinion of the Vilna Goan including the Ri<ref>Mayim Chaim of the Pri Chadash (5704 edition p. 116 s.v. ubemet) writes that Tosfot Pesachim 2a s.v. veha citing the Ri holds like the Geonim and Gra. Be'er Avraham (Pesachim 2a) agrees and asks why the earlier Poskim didn’t quote this Tosfot as a proof. Derech Yeshara Ben Hashemashot p. 124 and Ish Matzliach (MB v. 3 Kuntres Ben Hashemashot p. 91) also bring this proof. The First Lubevitcher Rebbe (the Alter Rebbe / Baal HaTanya) in Piskei HaSiddur (cited by Hazmanim Bhalacha 2:41:9) also says Tosfot Pesachim 2a holds like Geonim. The Hazmanim Bhalacha tries to avoid this reading in Tosfot but is confronted with a challenged by the text of the Tosfot Rash Mshantz and leaves it unresolved.</ref> and [[Rambam]].<ref>The Maharam Alshaker 96 proves that the Rambam agrees with the Geonim that Ben Hashemashot is all of 0.75 mil and begins immediately after shekiya. One of his proofs is from Rav Avraham Ben Harambam's work "Alkafiya." Yabia Omer OC 2:21:4 disagrees and tries to show that the Rambam Pirush Mishnayot (Shabbat 2:6) holds like Rabbenu Tam. Ish Matzliach (Kuntres Ben Hashemashot MB v. 3) thoroughly tries to disprove Yabia Omer's contention and show that the Rambam thinks like the Geonim. Or Letzion 1 YD 10 also explains that the Rambam follows the Geonim.</ref> | ||
==Halacha== | |||
*Many shuls have the custom to wait 40-42 minutes after sunset to end Shabbat.<ref>This might be an American replication of the custom in Israel to wait 30 minutes, per the minhag of the Gr"a. A few minutes are added for Tosefet at the end of Shabbat. | *Many shuls have the custom to wait 40-42 minutes after sunset to end Shabbat.<ref>This might be an American replication of the custom in Israel to wait 30 minutes, per the minhag of the Gr"a. A few minutes are added for Tosefet at the end of Shabbat. | ||
