by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Shuls across the country are probably having the annual “Early Sefira” debates.  The Shul’s Rav cannot be everywhere, and, at times, people are unaware of his particular ruling for Sefiras HaOmer when Ma’ariv ends well before sunset. TO HELP A HACHNASAS KALLAH CASE CLICK HERE https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/weddingoftwobaaleiteshuva “Listen, Boychik, ven I vas much younger in da Bronx, the ruf of de shul of Bais Shraga allowed it. Dat’s gut enuf for me. If its gut enuf for Ma’ariv – it should be gut enuf for Sefiras HaOmer.” “The Mishnah Berurah says that when the mechaber says mib’od yom, it’s referring to after bein ha’shmashos.” “Look, the Vilna Gaon says it’s OK.” So what is the story with early Sefiras HaOmer? THE DEBATE IN THE RISHONIM The issue dates back to the times of the Rishonim. The Rosh in Pesachim (10:40) rules that one can still recite the blessing before the time of definite darkness. The Rashba in a responsum disagrees (Vol. I #154). The Maharil (siman #13) writes that one may not recite a blessing on Sefiras HaOmer while it is still day. RAV KARO’S RULING Even though there are various views among the Rishonim, the general rule is that we follow what is written in Shulchan Aruch by Rav Yosef Karo. In this case, however, the exact interpretation of the Shulchan Aruch’s words is a matter of much debate. The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 489:3) writes that one who davens with a congregation mi’b’od yom counts with them without a berachah. If he remembers at night, he makes a berachah and then counts. The debate centers around what the words “mi’b’od yom” mean in the Shulchan Aruch. Do they mean what they mean in contemporary usage—“while it is still day,” before the sun has set? Or perhaps they should be understood to mean bein ha’shemashos, twilight, which was considered still day during his own time? THE “TRUE DAYLIGHT” VIEW Some of the great Acharonim understood Rav Karo to be referring to daylight—that his case refers to when one had davened Ma’ariv and it was still before sunset. These Acharonim are the Levush, the Eliyahu Rabbah, the Chavos Yair, the Maamer Mordechai, and the Nehar Shalom. They understand the words mi’b’od yom as referring to any time after 10¾ hours of the day, Plag HaMinchah. THE “TWILIGHT VIEW” Others have explained that Rav Karo is referring to the time of twilight, when it is neither day nor night. This is the explanation of the Vilna Gaon and others. This is the view that the Mishnah Berurah accepts. HOW DOES EARLY SHABBOS ACTUALLY WORK? There is a wide debate whether Tosefes Shabbos, adding on to Shabbos, is a biblical concept. If it is biblical, then when one makes Shabbos early, it is actually Shabbos from a biblical perspective too. The Rosh (Pesachim 10:2) and the Ohr Zarua (Hilchos Erev Shabbos 14) hold that early Shabbos is biblical, while the Rambam (Shabbos 29:11) holds that it is only rabbinic. The Mordechai (Megillah 2:798) holds a middle-ground position that adding onto Shabbos before Shabbos is rabbinic but adding onto Shabbos after Shabbos is biblical. There is another approach, which we find in Tosfos, both in Berachos (27a “D’Rav”) and in Pesachim (99a “Ad”). The Tosfos write that one fulfills […]

The post The Early Sefirah Debates.. appeared first on The Yeshiva World.