Late to Shul on Friday night

Question: If one comes late to shul on Friday night, can they still daven Mincha?
Answer: The Mishna (Berachos 26a) writes that one can daven Mincha until evening. There is a machlokes among the rishonim as to when this is. While Mincha corresponds to the afternoon korban tamid, there is a machlokes as to whether its blood had to be offered up by shekia, sunset, or tzeit hakochavim, nightfall.
Chassidim (and many sefardim) typically follow the Rema (OC 233:1) who writes that one can daven Mincha until tzeit (See Shaagas Aryeh 17; Yechave Daas 5:22). Others, however, typically follow the Gra (OC 261:2), Aruch Hashulchan (OC 223:9), Mishna Berura (233:14) and R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 1:24) who write that one must daven before shekia and it would be better to daven alone before shekia rather than daven with a minyan after shekia.
Rabbenu Yona (Berachos 18b) writes that one must be consistent and follow one opinion rather than change whenever one wants.
The Mishna Berura (233:14; Shaar Hatziyun) writes that if one who usually davens Mincha before shekia hadn’t yet davened, they may daven up until about 15 minutes before tzeit.
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 263:15) writes that if one had already been mekabel Shabbos, it is too late to daven Mincha, and one would have to repeat the Maariv amida (tashlumin). The Mishna Berura (263:63) writes that if one came late to a shul which had already been mekabel Shabbos, they should leave the shul to daven Mincha providing it isn’t too late.
R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 46:5) stresses the importance of davening Mincha before shekia before Shabbos so that they can properly be mekabel Shabbos in good time.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Beracha on Tasting Food

Wait Until Nacht to Count the Omer

Omitting Tachanun on a Yahrzeit