עברית
Prayer and Blessings
What is Plag Haminchah?
Question
Hello and blessings,
Can you please explain the division of the day in Judaism?
Specifically, what do noon, Plag, and the times for Minchah G'dolah and Minchah K'tanah mean?
Shabbat Shalom
Answer
Hello and blessings
Noon occurs when the sun is exactly at 180 degrees.
Noon is relevant for Shacharit prayer, as one is not allowed to pray after noon and may not pray Minchah until at least half an hour after noon.
Minchah G'dolah is the beginning time for Minchah - half an hour after noon. Minchah K'tanah is two and a half variable hours before sunset. Plag Haminchah is a quarter of an hour before sunset.
Rambam, Laws of Prayer and Raising Hands, Chapter 3
Law 2
It has already been said that the time of the Minchah prayer is fixed corresponding to the daily Tamid offering, which was brought between the evenings, and since the Tamid was offered every day at nine and a half hours, they fixed its time at nine and a half hours, which is called Minchah K'tanah. And since on the eve of Passover, which fell on the eve of Shabbat, they would slaughter the Tamid at six and a half hours, the sages said that anyone praying after six and a half hours has fulfilled their obligation, and once this time arrives, the obligation begins, and this is called Minchah G'dolah.
Law 4
From this you learn that the time for Minchah G'dolah is from six and a half hours until nine and a half hours, and the time for Minchah K'tanah is from nine and a half hours.
Plag Haminchah is half the time of the *Minchah* K'tanah prayer, and from that time onward, one may pray Arvit under certain conditions and may already accept Shabbat.
Best of luck,
Benjamin Shmuali
