SHABBAT: At what time does Shabbat end?

We have explained that Shabbat begins at sunset and that we are instructed to add some additional time at the beginning of Shabbat. Thus, we always receive Shabbat before sunset (see this).   

Now, at what time does Shabbat end?

We must bear in mind three time-references: sunset (sheqi'a); nightfall (ṣet hakokhabim) or "dusk", which Halakhically is determined by the visibility of three medium-size stars, and twilight (ben hashemashot) which is the lapse between sunset and nightfall. 

Technically speaking, Shabbat concludes at nightfall. And similar to what we do when Shabbat begins, we extend Shabbat, adding a few minutes after nightfall before we actually end Shabbat. 

Now, let me explain briefly why we cannot set a universal time for the end of Shabbat. The conclusion of Shabbat depends on the length of the twilight time-zone. And twilight varies depending on the year's season and especially on the latitude of the observer. In the Ecuador, for example, twilight would last approximately 10 -15 minutes, while in some cities of England, a couple of hours. Another point to bear in mind is that there are different criteria to establish what twilight is (for Rabenu Tam, for example, "sunset" takes place at a later, time!) even in the non Halakhic world. We find that there is "civil twilight", "naval twilight" and "astronomical twilight" (see this), depending on the angle of the sun below the horizon, which obviously affects the darkness of the sky and the visibility of the stars.   

In Israel twilight is calculated at 13 and a half minutes. In New York, for example, it is estimated by most Rabbis that twilight lasts for approximately 30 minutes (this is close to the "civil twilight" or "civil dusk"). Therefore, what is beyond debate is that in New York you cannot end Shabbat less than 30 minutes after sunset.  As a result, in some communities they would end Shabbat 35 minutes after sunset, extending Shabbat for just 5 additional minutes. In most communities they would end Shabbat 40 or 50 minutes after sunset, i.e., 10 or 20 minutes extension (tosefet).  The truth is that, since there is no minimum mandatory length of time that it should be added to Shabbat, the amount of time you add to Shabbat once twilight is over is a matter of conventionalism or Minhag (tradition, custom). 

Shabbat Shalom  

Candle lighting in NYC:   4:56 pm  (sunset is today 5:14 pm)

Shabbat ends in NYC:      5:54 pm  (30 minutes twilight + 10 minutes additional time, tosefet)

  

Interesting MIX Jewish voices of Lekha Dodi 

THE 13 Principles: #12: When will the Messiah come, according to Maimonides?

In the last chapter (Chapter 1000th) of his monumental book Mishne Tora, Maimonides conveys a very interesting idea about the Messianic times, which sheds light on the limits and credibility of Jewish oral tradition. 

First (MT, Melakhim 12:1) Maimonides asserts that nature will not change in Messianic times. He also says (12:2) that apparently, it will be a war between Gog and Magog and before that a Prophet will come to guide the Jewish people in the right path and to establish peace on earth. 

Then he explains: vekhol elu hadebarim.... "in all these matters [related to the messianic age] and similar to them [=events which will happen in the future], no man will be able to know how will they happen until they actually happen. Because although the Prophets wrote [metaphorically] about these matters, the meaningof what they said is unknown to us [debarim setumim] because our Rabbis do not have any tradition [kabbala = oral tradition] as to how these words should be understood. And that is why the Rabbis have different opinions on these matters.  In any case, the order in which these events will occur or their details, are not a foundation of our faith. [And since there is no tradition on these matters, and the Rabbis just speculated about the interpretation of the words of the Prophets] a person should therefore not involve himself in analyzing the Hagadot [=Rabbis parables] and Midrashim [=Rabbis interpretations] on these matters, because learning these subjects will not bring a person to love God or to fear God.  One should likewise refrain himself from calculatingwhen the Mashiaḥ will come. Our sages have warned us about this negative practice by saying: 'May the souls of those who calculate the coming of the  Mashiaḥ be rot'. One must hope and believe in general that the Mashiaḥ will come, as we have explained".

READ   

All about the Mashiaḥ by Aryeh Kaplan z"l,  from Aish.com

Rabbi Eliyahu Hazan and Secular Studies

Rabbi Eliyahu Hazan  (1846-1908) , son of Yosef Rafael Hazan, was born in Izmir, Turkey . His grandfather was Rabbi Hayim David Hazan, the author of nedib leb and the Chief Rabbi of Israel (Hakham Bashi and Rishon LeZion) in 1861. In 1856, when he was 10 years old and with the blessing of his parents, he was taken by his grandfather to Yerushalayim. There, he studied day and night for many years. At a very young age he was part of the Bet Din (rabbinical court) of Rabbi Abraham Ashkenazi. In 1866 his grandfather granted him his Rabbinical ordination.  

In 1872 when visiting Tripoli (Libya), he was offered to serve as the Chief Rabbi of Libya, a very important and numerous Jewish community on those days.  

The first task he took upon himself was to make some improvements in the area of education. In his most famous book,ta'alumot leb Rabbi Hazan describes the situation of the Libyan community in this area: "And I saw that the cause of their insufficient education in Tora and general studies (derekh ereṣ) is the lack of a proper Talmud Tora (a Jewish school), because the children attend some informal classes in the Synagogues... where there is only one teacher for 60 or 70 students at a time... and those parents who want to give a better education to their children are forced to send their children away to Europe or to the [private] Catholic schools in the area"  

  

Despite some opposition, Rabbi Hazan founded a Jewish day school in Tripoli, in which Jewish children were given instruction in religious topics, as well as in other subjects, like mathematics and the Italian language, which was the most essential tool to guarantee that the students will have a melakha (profession or commerce). He also required that all school instructors would be certified teachers.  

(To be continued...)

                                 Rabbi Eliyahu Bekhor Hazan

                                       

געגועי ירושלים

Upon leaving Yerushalayim to establish himself in Libya he writes: "My family and I left with a broken spirit the Holy city, the city of my ancestors' graves... ". In honor of Yerushalayim Rabbi Hazan wrote this beautiful poem "ochil yom", where he expressed his deep longing for the Holiest city.  This piyut is very popular among Jews from North Africa.