Bais HaVaad on the Parsha, Parshas Chayei Sarah

Timely Prayer

November 21, 2024

Excerpted and adapted from a shiur by Dayan Yehoshua Grunwald

And Yitzchak went out to pray in the field toward evening…

Bereishis 24:63

According to Chazal (Brachos 26b), this pasuk teaches that Yitzchak instituted the practice of davening Mincha. The Gemara records a machlokess about the latest time for this tfilah: R’ Yehudah holds that one must daven before plag hamincha—an hour and a quarter before sunset in sha’os zmaniyos (variable halachic hours)—while the Chachamim say one may daven until nightfall.

Although the Gemara rules that one may adopt either approach on a consistent basis, the practice of most people is to follow the Chachamim (except on Shabbos, which may be more lenient). But authorities differ about the definition of nightfall in this context. According to Rabeinu Yonah, it means shkiah (sunset); according to the Magein Avraham, it means tzeis hakochavim (when the stars emerge).

Later Acharonim differ about the practical halacha. The Gra (Ma’aseh Rav) and Aruch Hashulchan strongly argue that shkiah is the latest time for Mincha. The Divrei Yatziv (the Klausenberger Rebbe) says one may daven Mincha until tzeis hakochavim. The Mishnah Brurah rules that one should daven Mincha before shkiah, but bedi’eved, if shkiah has passed, he may still daven. He cites sources that recommend making a tnai (stipulation) that if it is too late for Mincha, the tfilah should count for Ma’ariv instead, and his Ma’ariv later will serve as tashlumin (compensatory tfilah). Rav Elyashiv is cited as ruling that such a tnai should be made even if one davens immediately after shkiah, while others do not require it even when davening long after shkiah.

Today, different communities’ minhagim vary widely, and one’s approach in this issue should depend upon the practice of his community and the ruling of his rav.