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25 Comments Posted
The calendar, with its explanation of the Zmanim, is invaluable. I refer to it virtually every day.
If I had a wish it would be to find more about the Talmud on your site, and also more about some of the great luminaries such as Nachmanides or the Maharal of Prague. (I would like to find an "easier" daf yomi than the one on the OU site.)
I write as someone who, although born Jewish, had no Jewish education and didn't start to draw closer to Judaism until I was in my late 40s. (I'm now 53). My ability to read Hebrew is very limited.
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Thanks for clear definition of Alot HaShachar and the note specifying that this is when dawn fasts begin. Tzom Kal
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Schmuel:
It is _never_ too late. I am 70 years old. I am learning with the help of Rabbi Zirkind here in Fresno. My son is 21. His mother is not Jewish. (We are divorced.) He is studying so as to convert and become Bar-Mitzva'd.
I had little education after Cheder and my Bar Mitzva. Although I can read Hebrew, you are far advanced in other ways.
I encourage you to continue as you are doing!
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I have been asking and looking ALL OVER to find a description of the zmanim. This will help me to make sure my teffilot are completed on time. Todah robah!!
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This Zmanim page is an excellent short guide to zmanim. The information given here is of tremendous value not only to newcomers in observance, but also to veteran Chasidim. Unfortunately, too many people who are otherwise observant, don't know what time to daven shacharis or recite Shema. I wish there was a way to publicize this more.
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Thank you VERY much for this site! You are helping me to become more observant by making information like this so accessible.
Thank you, very, very much!
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Thank you for this definition list! Everything I find on here is invaluable, as are my teacher, my rabbi, and my friends.
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Shmuel,
G-d judges every Jew according to his or her effort. It doesn't matter where you are holding in level, if you do your best, you are doing better than someone who knows how to read Hebrew and how to learn but is doing everything out of habit, without extra effort.
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If Torah law states the day begins at dawn as you say: "According to Torah law, dawn marks the beginning of the day"
Then why does Shabbat begin at night?
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The calendar date begins at nightfall. The "daytime" segment of the calendar date begins at dawn.
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Hi!
this is really awesome! this made me realize i should schedule my times for davenning more appropriately. Thanks a lot! Keep up with the great work!
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thank you for yur clear and concise explanations! as a jewish adopted child to non jewish parents, at the age of 55 i am embracing my roots and want to be very orthodox! a thousand thanks for telling me what every child should be taught! mazel tov!
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Hi!
What does 'zman tefilah' mean? is that the lastest time one can recite Shachrit?
Thank You
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Zman Tefillah is described above in the entry titled "Latest Tefillah."
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The latest time for Shema or Tefillah: is that the lastest time you can start them or do you have be completed by then?
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You should have finished your prayers by that time.
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why 8 degrees to horizon angle is the end, and 18 min to sunset (8 degrees, too?)?
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Tefillah in the Gemarah is considered to be Shemone Esrei. As long as you're up to this by zman tefillah you are yotzei davening on time.
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I understand that the earth has curvature to it, and in addition there is bending of the light due to atmospheric variations. But my question is even simpler. When is sunrise and when is sunset? Is the 11 degrees from the "center" of the image of the sun as we see it, or from one edge or another?
I suppose that a sundial could be constructed to verify the angle of the sun's center with respect to the upward normal and the sun's angular spread could also be determined in that way. But I still cannot tell from which edge the 11 degrees is counted off. I appreciate your clarification.
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A Jewish astronaut, say on Mars, is this not a possibility? Or even in earth orbit, like the shuttle, how would he calculate the times and even the days?
And even here on earth, should a Jew be so foolish as to be on Antarctica in June, there would be no sunrise or set? Or in January, when there would be no sunset?
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An astronaut in low earth orbit would see sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes--oy vey, think of laying tfillin! --but those events don't mark the passage of days. Astronauts count days from their home base, such as Houston. So it is with those whose sunrises and sunsets are physically interfered with, like being in the high latitudes or even on the moon or Mars--they can count their days and times from those in Jerusalem, which was the rabbinic solution to this question. Also, consider the following:
R. Moshe Shternbuch (Moadim U'Zmanim, II, 155, fn. 1) discusses this issue, and mentions, without a conclusion, that k'riat sh'ma might not be affected by sunrise or sunset as the controlling terminology is not "day" and "night" but rather "lying down" and "rising."
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Thanks Kehillat wise answer. I would agree that Jerusalem time would be the standard. Now, say there are several cities on Mars on diffeent hemispheres such that sunset in Jerusalem is at sunrise in City One, and at noon at #2 and sunset at #3. At first glance, simple, just allow for a Martian local time, and the various Martian cities like earthly ones will have their own time for sunset. But which day would be the shabbot? Like earth there would have to be an intermartian day line, but how would that be decided? I think that IF our world survives the next decade without the chaotic Day of the Lord,then eventually these Martian questions might become relevent, and require perhaps a new Prophet?
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Martian days are something like 40 minutes longer than earth's and the year is about twice as long. The moons do not have a 29.5 day period (or even close). This means that astronomical events can't be used to determine the z'manim, let alone the day of the week--or even the number of months! Not only the day for Shabbat, but all the festivals would need to be refigured.
In the past, such questions were determined by rabbis through responsa. A similar, but much simpler problem arose in the Middle Ages when Jews realized that a round earth meant that there was a point on the earth where it was the "next day," and that new day didn't begin when the sun set at Jerusalem. This gave rise to a number of responsa concerning when Shabbat began, based upon the geographic realities they faced.
Colonists on Mars, or even the moon, would need to get a rabbinic responsa-it's much too complex a problem for NASA. Maybe work on the question should get started now, before an answer is really needed!
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I had not been to your website in the past few months. Every time I come here I find it to be better, and better! By far, your website is one of best Jewish websites , if not the best, around.
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