We previously discussed that there is a Scriptural mitzvah to add on to every Shabbos and Yom Tov, both at the beginning, as well as at the end, known as Tosfos Shabbos and Tosfos Yom Tov. This means that one must stop doing melachah a few minutes before shkia. In addition, after Shabbos one must still refrain from melachah for a few minutes, even after the time of nightfall.
The Shulchan Aruch writes that one must add on some amount of time, but does not spell out how much time to add. The language – “some amount of time” sound like any small amount of time would suffice. However, the Mishna Berura (261:22) writes that it must be more than a minimal amount. He adds that – together with bein hashmashos, which is about 15 minutes – it will be about a half hour, meaning that the amount one must add is approximately 10 or 15 minutes.
However, many poskim seem to work with a much smaller amount. In a fascinating teshuva in Igros Moshe, Rav Moshe Feinstein responded to someone who wrote to the gadol hador words of rebuke! The man writes that he was astonished to see that Rav Moshe was being driven to shul after the time of candle lighting and very close to the onset of Shabbos. He claimed that seeing this would cause people to be mechalel Shabbos.
Rav Moshe responds that while he appreciates the person’s concerns, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he did. He was driven in a car for a few blocks at 13 minutes before shkia, leaving him with plenty of time to drive to his destination – or even a place 5 times the distance. He writes that there were still 11 minutes that melachah was allowed, and a few minutes to fulfill the mitzvah of tosfos Shabbos. It is clear from Rav Moshe’s mathematics, that he deemed 2 minutes before shkia to be a sufficient amount to be able fulfill the mitzvah of tosfos Shabbos.
He then adds – in his great humility – that if the writer claims that his actions could somehow cause chilul Shabbos, he will refrain from being driven at that time, although there is absolutely no concern at all.
Similarly, the sefer Shvus Yitzchok, (page 215) quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Elyashiv, who ruled that one must stop 2 minutes before shkia. However, they add that there are various uncertainties in knowing the exact time of shkia, and one cannot be certain that the sunset printed on the calendars is so exact. Additionally, the times listed in each town are not always exact for each part of the town (especially when there is varying altitude and mountains causing the sun to appear to set earlier). They therefore rule that we must refrain from melacha 3 minutes before shkia, and an additional 2 minutes required for tosfos Shabbos. Thus, one must stop melacha at least 5 minutes before shkia.
The Shevet Halevi adds that the clocks are not so accurate and one must consider the last 3 minutes before shkia like the day has ended. In fact, these poskim assert that if a baby is born within 3 minutes of shkia, the bris should be pushed off until the next day of the following week.
The Chut Shani writes that one should refrain from melacha, starting at 10 minutes before shkia, and in extenuating circumstances, one can do melacha until 5 minutes before shkia, but not later. This is similar to the aforementioned opinion of the poskim that one must stop 5 minutes before shkia, to be sure it is still day with the 2 minutes required for tosfos Shabbos.
There are other opinions in the poskim. The Derech Hachaim writes one must add a minute and a half, and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (in the Siddur) writes that one must add 4 minutes.
In Conclusion
There are different opinions as to the exact amount one must add. But all agree that one must refrain from melachah a few minutes before shkia and a few minutes after nightfall.
Some questions to ponder:
- Does a person need to be “mekabeil Shabbos – accept the Shabbos,” or does it happen automatically?
- Can a person daven mincha on Friday evening right before Shkiah, or even after sunset? Is that a contradiction to turning Friday afternoon into Shabbos?
These are some of the topics that will be discussed, b’ezras Hashem, in a future article.
Rabbi Scheiner
