Ma'ariv Erev Shabbos

QUESTION: Why is it acceptable to daven Ma’ariv before shkia (sunset) on erev Shabbos?

ANSWER: In the last Halacha Yomis, we quoted the dispute of Rebbi Yehuda and Rabbanan. Rebbi Yehuda maintains that one can daven Mincha only until plag ha’Mincha, and one can daven Ma’ariv immediately after plag, while the Rabbanan disagree and hold that one may daven Mincha until nightfall, and Ma’ariv may be recited only after nightfall. While the Gemara allows each individual to follow either opinion, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 233:1) writes that one must always be consistent. Since common practice nowadays is to daven Mincha until shkia (in accordance with Rabbanan), one should not daven Ma’ariv before the evening.

Nonetheless, with respect to Shabbos, Shulchan Aruch (OC 267:2) writes that one should daven Ma’ariv on erev Shabbos earlier than during the week, and one may daven Ma’ariv beginning from plag ha’Mincha. The obvious question is: Why does the Shulchan Aruch allow davening Ma’ariv before shkia on Friday night but not during the week?

The Magen Avrohom suggests that the Shulchan Aruch allows reciting Ma’ariv before shkia on Friday afternoon because Ma’ariv was instituted to correspond to burning of the fats from the korbanos on the altar in the Beis Hamikdash, which typically took place at night. However, on Friday night (Shabbos), it is forbidden to burn the fats that remained from weekday korbanos. Therefore, this service was performed earlier in the day, before shkia. Appropriately, one may therefore daven Ma’ariv before shkia on Friday. 

The Magen Avrohom (267:1) offers a second explanation. Most poskim hold that one must consistently follow either Rebbi Yehuda or Rabbanan throughout one’s lifetime, and this is the primary halacha. However, the Mordechai, a 13th-century German posek, allowed switching between the opinions of the Rabbanan and Rebbi Yehuda from one day to the next, so long as on any given day there is consistency. On Friday afternoon, we follow the lenient opinion of the Mordechai for the sake of increasing kedushas Shabbos.  

The Magen Avrohom concludes that one who davens Ma’ariv before shkia on Friday afternoon must daven Mincha before plag to avoid a possible contradiction. It is interesting to note that one who davened Ma’ariv after plag (in accordance with Rebbi Yehuda) on Friday afternoon may daven Mincha on Shabbos day after plag (in accordance with the Rabbanan). This is not viewed as a contradiction, even though both tefilos are said on Shabbos, since they are recited on two separate days.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.