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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman רס״א · 4 Seifim (SA) + 7 Seifim (SHHaRav)
The exact moment of candle lighting — bein hashmashos, tosefet Shabbat, 18 min
סימן רס״א
זמן הדלקת נרות לשבת
🌱 Beginner Level · Basics
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Foundational siman of timing. When exactly do we light the candles to enter Shabbos? The central concept: תוספת שבת — the positive mitzvah of adding mundane time to sacred time. Time frame: בין השמשות (twilight, doubt), shiur = 3/4 mil. Modern application: 18 minutes before sunset in most communities; 22 min in Yerushalayim; 40 min among chassidim.
📑 Study Plan
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch — the 4 seifim
2. General context — the chronology of Shabbos entry
3. Key concept 1 — בין השמשות (twilight, doubt)
4. Key concept 2 — תוספת שבת (anticipating entry)
5. Key concept 3 — Verbal acceptance of Shabbos (Barchu / Mizmor)
6. Detail of the 4 seifim
7. Rema's position — plag haminchah, lighting by a non-Jew
8. Modern practical cases — 18/22/40 min, travel, calendar
9. Practical synthesis
10. Comprehension questions
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch
Seif Alef — בין השמשות: forbidden and permitted actions
זְמַן הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת לְשַׁבָּת. וּבוֹ ד' סְעִיפִים: סְפֵק חֲשֵׁיכָה וְהִיא בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת (הַיְנוּ כְּדֵי שִׁיעוּר הִלּוּךְ ג' רִבְעֵי מִיל אַחַר שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה — טור בסי' רצ״ג וכדלקמן ס״ס ב') [וְשִׁיעוּר מִיל הוּא שְׁלִישׁ שָׁעָה פָּחוֹת חֵלֶק ל'] — אֵין מְעַשְּׂרִים אֶת הַוַּדַּאי, וְאֵין מַטְבִּילִין אֶת הַכֵּלִים, וְאֵין מַדְלִיקִין אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת, וְאֵין מְעָרְבִין עֵירוּבִין תְּחוּמִין (וע״ל סי' תט״ו ס״ב). אֲבָל מְעַשְּׂרִין אֶת הַדְּמַאי, וְטוֹמְנִין אֶת הַחַמִּין, וּמְעָרְבִין עֵירוּבֵי חֲצֵרוֹת (וע״ל סי' שצ״ג). וּמוּתָּר לוֹמַר לְעַכּוּ״ם בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת לְהַדְלִיק נֵר לְצוֹרֶךְ שַׁבָּת, וְכֵן לוֹמַר לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מְלָאכָה שֶׁהִיא לְצוֹרֶךְ מִצְוָה, אוֹ שֶׁהוּא טָרוּד וְנֶחְפָּז עָלֶיהָ. הגה: וְכֵן מִי שֶׁקִּבֵּל עָלָיו שַׁבָּת שָׁעָה אוֹ ב' קוֹדֶם חֲשֵׁיכָה — יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לְהַדְלִיק הַנֵּר וּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ [מהרי״ו סי' קי״ו וע״ל סי' שמ״ב].
The time of lighting the Shabbos candles — 4 se'ifim. "Safek chasheicha" — i.e. bein hashemashos (the time it takes to walk three quarters of a mil after sunset [Tur siman 293]; a mil being a third of an hour less one thirtieth). בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת = "between the two suns," twilight = doubt of Shabbos (sfek chasheicha). During this time:
Permitted: to ask a non-Jew to light during bein hashmashos for a mitzvah or urgent need.
End of the Mechaber's text: and likewise one may tell the non-Jew to do any melakha that is for the need of a mitzva, or when one is troubled and pressed about it.
Rema's gloss: likewise, one who accepted Shabbos an hour or two before nightfall (קוֹדֶם חֲשֵׁיכָה) may tell a non-Jew to light the lamp and the other things he needs — because for him it is already Shabbos, but for the non-Jew it is still day [Mahari Weil (מהרי״ו) siman 116; see siman 342].
| Forbidden | Permitted |
|---|---|
| Separating definite ma'aser | Separating doubtful ma'aser (demai) |
| Immersing utensils in mikveh | Insulating hot foods (hatmanah) |
| Lighting candles (hadlakah) | Eruv chatzeros (shared courtyards) |
| Eruv techumin (boundaries) | — |
End of the Mechaber's text: and likewise one may tell the non-Jew to do any melakha that is for the need of a mitzva, or when one is troubled and pressed about it.
Rema's gloss: likewise, one who accepted Shabbos an hour or two before nightfall (קוֹדֶם חֲשֵׁיכָה) may tell a non-Jew to light the lamp and the other things he needs — because for him it is already Shabbos, but for the non-Jew it is still day [Mahari Weil (מהרי״ו) siman 116; see siman 342].
Logic of the permitted/forbidden dichotomy:
- Forbidden: acts that fix a new halachic status (definite ma'aser, mikveh, lighting, distant eruv) — not in doubt
- Permitted: acts that resolve an existing doubt (demai) or do not create status (close local eruv)
Seif Beit — תוספת שבת: the mitzvah to add
יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהוֹסִיף מֵחוֹל עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וּזְמַן תּוֹסֶפֶת זֶה הוּא מִתְּחִלַּת הַשְּׁקִיעָה שֶׁאֵין הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נִרְאֵית עַל הָאָרֶץ עַד זְמַן בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. וְהַזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא ג' מִילִין וּרְבִיעַ — רָצָה לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ כֻּלּוֹ תּוֹסֶפֶת עוֹשֶׂה ; רָצָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ מִקְצָת עוֹשֶׂה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיּוֹסִיף אֵיזֶה זְמַן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וַדַּאי יוֹם מֵחוֹל עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וּשִׁעוּר זְמַן בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת — הוּא ג' רִבְעֵי מִיל, שֶׁהֵם מַהֲלַךְ אֶלֶף וְת״ק אַמּוֹת קוֹדֶם הַלַּיְלָה. הגה: וְאִם רוֹצֶה לְהַקְדִּים וּלְקַבֵּל עָלָיו הַשַּׁבָּת מִפְּלָג הַמִּנְחָה וְאֵילָךְ — הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדוֹ (טור ואגור בשם תוס' פ' תפלת השחר) [וע״ל סי' רס״ז].
Yesh Omrim: one must add mundane time to sacred time (tosefet Shabbat). Time frame: from the beginning of sunset (= sun no longer visible on earth) until bein hashmashos. Approximately 3 mil + 1/4. One may take all of it, or only part — provided that some clearly daytime moment is added to the sacred.
Duration of bein hashmashos: 3/4 mil (= 1500 amos before complete night).
Rema's gloss: and one who wishes to be early and accept Shabbos upon himself from plag haminchah onward (≈ 1h15 before sunset) — he has the right to do so [Tur and Agur in the name of Tosafos, perek Tefilas HaShachar; see siman 267].
Duration of bein hashmashos: 3/4 mil (= 1500 amos before complete night).
Rema's gloss: and one who wishes to be early and accept Shabbos upon himself from plag haminchah onward (≈ 1h15 before sunset) — he has the right to do so [Tur and Agur in the name of Tosafos, perek Tefilas HaShachar; see siman 267].
Seif Beit codifies the positive mitzvah of tosefet Shabbat:
- Minimum mitzvah: a bit of clearly mundane time added to the sacred
- Theoretical maximum: plag haminchah (Rema) — about 1h15 before sunset
- Standard practice: 18 min before sunset
Seif Gimel — Visual indicators of lighting (for those without a calendar)
וּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּקִי בְּשִׁעוּר זֶה — יַדְלִיק בְּעוֹד שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ הָאִילָנוֹת ; וְאִם הוּא יוֹם הַמְּעוּנָּן — יַדְלִיק כְּשֶׁהַתַּרְנְגוֹלִין יוֹשְׁבִים עַל הַקּוֹרָה מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם ; וְאִם הוּא בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵין שָׁם תַּרְנְגוֹלִין — יַדְלִיק כְּשֶׁהָעוֹרְבִים יוֹשְׁבִים מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם.
Natural indicators for one who does not know the precise duration:
- Clear day: light while the sun is still at the top of the trees
- Cloudy day: light when the chickens settle on their perch (= natural evening signal)
- Field without chickens: light when the ravens settle
Wisdom of Seif Gimel: before the mechanical clock, one observed nature to know when to light. The siman codifies these indicators as valid halachic markers. Today, we have precise Jewish calendars, but the spirit remains: never wait until the last minute.
Seif Daled — Acceptance through Barchu (man) and Mizmor (woman)
אַחַר עֲנִיַּת בָּרְכוּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲדַיִן יוֹם הוּא — אֵין מְעָרְבִין וְאֵין טוֹמְנִין, מִשּׁוּם דְּהָא קִבְּלוּ לְשַׁבָּת עֲלֵיהֶן. וְלְדִידָן הָוֵי אֲמִירַת מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת כַּעֲנִיַּת בָּרְכוּ לְדִידְהוּ.
After responding to בָּרְכוּ (in maariv, kabbalas Shabbos) — even though it is still day — one no longer makes an eruv, no longer insulates, because Shabbos has been accepted.
For us (= today): the recitation of "מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת" (Tehillim 92, in kabbalas Shabbos) is equivalent to responding to Barchu for them (= act of accepting Shabbos).
For us (= today): the recitation of "מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת" (Tehillim 92, in kabbalas Shabbos) is equivalent to responding to Barchu for them (= act of accepting Shabbos).
Social application:
2. General context
What does this siman discuss?
Siman רס״א codifies the precise chronology of Shabbos entry. It is a foundational siman of all Shabbos practice — without knowing this timing, one can neither light correctly nor observe the prohibitions.
| Phase | Approximate duration | Halachic status |
|---|---|---|
| Before plag haminchah | All day | Fully mundane |
| Plag haminchah → visible sunset (שקיעה הנראית) | ≈ 1h15 | Tosefet Shabbat — one adds mundane time to Shabbos, before שקיעה |
| From halachic sunset (שקיעה האמיתית) → צאת הכוכבים | Variable (place, season) | Bein hashmashos — doubt between day and night (sfek chasheicha) |
| צאת הכוכבים (stars visible) | — | Certain night — Shabbos has fully entered |
Definitions — the two shekiot: the שקיעה הנראית ("visible sunset") is the moment the sun's disk disappears at the horizon; the שקיעה האמיתית ("true sunset", the halachic one) occurs a few minutes later — bein hashemashos begins from it, and the short period between the two is already included in tosefes Shabbos according to the Alter Rebbe's Siddur (see the Level 4 table).
The foundational Talmudic sugya — Shabbos 34a: "בין השמשות ספק מן היום ספק מן הלילה" (twilight is in doubt — part of the day or of the night?). The Gemara details the forbidden/permitted actions during this time. Shabbos 35b: Yossef ben Padda and Rabba define the duration of bein hashmashos (3/4 mil). Yoma 81b: "וכל המוסיף מן החול על הקודש — מוסיפים לו ימי שני חיים" (one who adds from the mundane to the sacred — is granted additional days and years of life).
Connection with neighboring simanim
| Siman | Subject | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| ר״ס | Personal preparations | Preliminary |
| רס״א | Timing of lighting | — |
| רס״ב | Table preparations | Final preparation |
| רס״ג | Hadlakas ner Shabbos | Detail of the mitzvah (who lights, bracha) |
| רס״ד | Wicks and oils | Technical detail |
| רס״ה | Lamp as a sign (other practices) | Ancillary cases |
3. Key concept 1 — בין השמשות
בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת = "between the two suns." Period between sunset (shekiah) and the appearance of the stars (tzeis hakochavim). Halachic status: sfek chasheicha — doubt whether it is still day or already night. Therefore one treats the Shabbos prohibitions strictly (= as Shabbos) and one does not perform positive acts (lighting, eruv) that require clear status.
| Question | Duration | According to |
|---|---|---|
| When does it begin? | Sunset (shekiah) | Geonim (Vilna Gaon) |
| When does it begin? | Appearance of dusk | Rabbeinu Tam (≈ 50-72 min after visible sunset) |
| How long? | 3/4 mil (≈ 13.5 min) | Mechaber (Seif Beit) |
| How long? | 1500 amos (= 3/4 mil) | Distance calculation |
4. Key concept 2 — תוספת שבת
תּוֹסֶפֶת שַׁבָּת = "addition of Shabbos." Positive mitzvah of anticipating the entry of Shabbos by adding mundane time to sacred time. Torah source (according to several Rishonim): "וענית את נפשותיכם בתשעה לחודש" (Vayikra 23:32) — for Yom Kippur, applicable by extension to Shabbos.
| Framework | Anticipation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum (Mechaber) | A few minutes before sunset (before bein hashemashos) | "איזה זמן שיהיה ודאי יום" |
| Standard (common minhag) | 18 minutes before sunset | Universal Jewish calendar |
| Yerushalayim | 22-40 minutes before sunset | Local custom |
| Chassidim (Chabad, Belz, etc.) | 40 minutes before sunset | Additional honor |
| Maximum (Rema) | Plag haminchah (≈ 1h15) | Not commonly practiced |
Why 18 minutes? Beware of conflating two distinct "18 minutes": (1) according to the shitas Geonim, night falls about 18 min after sunset (the span of bein hashmashos ≈ 3/4 mil); (2) the custom of lighting 18 minutes before sunset is an independent convention — it guarantees lighting in certain daylight and fulfillment of tosefes Shabbos.
5. Key concept 3 — Verbal acceptance (Barchu / Mizmor)
The entry of Shabbos is fixed by verbal declaration. Even if the time has not yet come, once one has verbally accepted Shabbos, one is bound by all the laws.
| Context | Act of acceptance |
|---|---|
| Shul (man) | Response to בָּרְכוּ of maariv |
| Home (woman) | Candle lighting + reciting "מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת" (Tehillim 92) |
| Travel / alone | Explicit declaration: "הריני מקבל עלי שבת" (I accept Shabbos upon myself) |
Practical consequence: from the moment of verbal acceptance, one loses the ability to perform mundane acts (lighting, driving, etc.). But one may ask a non-Jew to perform certain actions, because for him it is still objectively day (Rema's gloss on Seif Alef).
6. Detail of the 4 seifim
Seif Alef — בין השמשות, permitted/forbidden dichotomy + non-Jew
3 axes:
- New acts with halachic status → forbidden
- Acts resolving existing doubt → permitted
- Act by non-Jew → permitted for mitzvah or urgent need (and for one who accepted Shabbos early — Rema's gloss)
Seif Beit — תוספת שבת + פלג המנחה
| Step | Status |
|---|---|
| Plag haminchah | Earliest point at which one may voluntarily accept Shabbos |
| Before visible sunset (שקיעה הנראית) | Certain day; one must take on tosefet Shabbat |
| From visible sunset to halachic sunset (שקיעה האמיתית) | This short span is already included in tosefet Shabbat per the Siddur |
| From halachic sunset (שקיעה האמיתית) | Bein hashmashos: doubt between day and night |
| צאת הכוכבים (stars visible) | Certain night — Shabbos has fully entered |
Seif Gimel — Natural indicators (without calendar)
3 indicators: (1) clear day → sun at the top of the trees; (2) cloudy → chickens on the perch; (3) field → ravens settled. These indicators remain valid today in cases of isolation (camping, breakdown, etc.).
Seif Daled — Barchu / Mizmor: verbal acceptance
The verbal declaration fixes the entry. Even if the clock says it is still day, the acceptance is final. Application: if a woman says "Shabbos shalom" and lights the candles at 5:00 PM, she is in Shabbos from 5:00 PM, even if sunset is at 5:45 PM.
7. Rema's position
| Subject | Rema's position |
|---|---|
| Lighting by non-Jew (Seif Alef) | + permitted if Shabbos was accepted 1-2h before sunset |
| Plag haminchah (Seif Beit) | Permitted to accept Shabbos from plag haminchah (Tur, Tosafos) |
| Natural indicators (Seif Gimel) | No gloss |
| Mizmor for women (Seif Daled) | No gloss — implicit practice |
Rema's major chidush: plag haminchah. One can accept Shabbos very early — from plag haminchah (≈ 1h15 before sunset). This provides great flexibility, especially for northern countries in summer where sunset is late.
8. Modern practical cases
Case 1 — Standard lighting (18 minutes)
Case: average European city, erev Shabbos.
Conduct in practice:
Conduct in practice:
- Check sunset time (Jewish calendar)
- Light 18 minutes before
- Recite "Mizmor shir leyom haShabbos" + lighting bracha
- From that moment: Shabbos for the woman (verbal acceptance)
Case 2 — Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak (40 min)
Case: Yerushalayim or Bnei Brak.
Conduct in practice:
Conduct in practice:
- Local custom: 40 min before sunset
- Municipal siren announces this moment
- More generous in tosefet Shabbat — Mechaber's ideal upheld with margin
Case 3 — Travel / flight arriving close to Shabbos
Case: the calendar sets Shabbos entry (candle lighting) at 5:45 PM — i.e. 18 min before שקיעה (actual sunset ≈ 6:03 PM); one arrives home at 5:30 PM.
Conduct in practice:
Conduct in practice:
- If arriving before 5:45 PM (the usual lighting time): light upon arrival and accept verbally
- If that time has passed but שקיעה has not yet arrived: one may and must light immediately, until שקיעה
- From שקיעה (bein hashmashos): a Jew may no longer light himself (Shulchan Aruch OC רס״א:1: "ספק חשיכה… one does not light the candles"); he may only ask a non-Jew to light for the mitzvah. After nightfall (צאת הכוכבים): forbidden for all — the mitzvah is lost for that week
Case 4 — Northern summer (very long days)
Case: Stockholm in summer, sunset at 10:00 PM, late Shabbos.
Conduct in practice:
Conduct in practice:
- If one must accept Shabbos earlier (children, meal) — use the Rema's chidush: accept from plag haminchah (≈ 1h15 before sunset)
- Light from plag, declare "הריני מקבל עלי שבת"
- No issue of "too early" — it is within halachic range
Case 5 — Woman who says "5 more minutes" after lighting
Case: she has lit, but has one last mundane act to do.
Conduct in practice:
Conduct in practice:
- Forbidden — lighting = acceptance. She is in Shabbos from the moment of lighting
- Solution: condition the acceptance before lighting. Say mentally: "I do not yet accept Shabbos"; light; do the mundane act; then say "Mizmor shir"
- This technique (amirah tena'is) is permissible but discouraged for regular practice
9. Practical synthesis of the Siman
The 5 lessons of Siman רס״א:
- Bein hashmashos = doubt — mundane acts risky, positive acts forbidden
- Tosefet Shabbat — positive mitzvah to anticipate entry (min = 18 min, max = plag haminchah)
- Verbal acceptance = decisive criterion — Barchu (man) or Mizmor (woman)
- Non-Jew permitted during bein hashmashos for mitzvah or urgent need
- Natural indicators (Seif Gimel) = backup if no calendar
Practical decision table
| Situation | Conduct |
|---|---|
| Standard lighting | 18 min before sunset (Jewish calendar) |
| Yerushalayim / chassidim | 22-40 min before sunset |
| Lighting during bein hashmashos (Jew) | Forbidden — except bediavad by non-Jew for mitzvah |
| Early acceptance (northern summer) | From plag haminchah — Rema permits |
| Woman wishing to continue after lighting | Forbidden — acceptance is final |
| Travel arriving just before Shabbos | Light upon arrival, until שקיעה at the latest; after שקיעה: lost (except a non-Jew for a mitzvah) |
| Without calendar (camping) | Sun at top of trees / chickens / ravens |
| Asking non-Jew to light on Shabbos | Forbidden after acceptance (except bein hashmashos for mitzvah) |
The 5 practical directives of Siman רס״א
- Know the exact time of sunset in your city (reliable Jewish calendar)
- Light 18 min before at the latest — fulfill tosefet Shabbat
- Verbal acceptance is decisive — Mizmor for woman, Barchu for man at shul
- Bein hashmashos = zone of uncertainty — if you did not light in time, no longer light yourself (ask non-Jew if urgent mitzvah)
- Plag haminchah = acceptable anticipation (Rema) — useful in northern summer or for family needs
10. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What does bein hashmashos mean? What is its duration according to the Mechaber?
- Which acts are forbidden during bein hashmashos? Which are permitted?
- What does tosefet Shabbat mean? What is its source?
- What is the minimum of the tosefet according to the Mechaber? And the maximum according to the Rema?
- Why is 18 minutes the standard modern practice?
- How do "Mizmor shir" for women and "Barchu" for men articulate?
- In Seif Gimel, what are the 3 natural lighting indicators?
- If a woman lights and then wishes to do a mundane act — what is the status?
- What to do if one arrives home during bein hashmashos?
- How to connect siman 261 with siman 263 (mitzvah of candles)?
To deepen this siman:
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: sugya Shabbos 34a-35b, Yoma 81b, chakirah on the nature of tosefet Shabbat (mitzvah or heter), shitos Geonim vs Rabbeinu Tam on bein hashmashos, Talmudic derivation of plag haminchah
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: axiom, mnemonic, decision tree
- 📜 Level 4 — Daat HaRav: the shitah of the Alter Rebbe on the 7 seifim and 3 entries of Kuntres Acharon
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid chacham · Lecturer in halacha and chassidus
Siman רס״א · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT
📖Join the chavrusa
DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid chacham · Lecturer in halacha and chassidus
Siman רס״א · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT