Wednesday, February 20, 2008

3 stars

Is anyone out there Jewish? A friend asked me why the Sabbath ends on Saturday when you can see 3 stars in the sky. After pouring through most of the Jewish reference books on my shelves, and a couple of hours of internet searching, I have come up empty. If there is someone out there who knows the answer and can point me to a reference/resource, I will be oh, so, grateful. Until then, I will put on another pot of tea and return to the books.

1 comment:

Faith said...

Technically speaking, the arrival of the end of the Shabbat is defined by the ability to recognize three stars, as stated in Mishnah Brachot 1:1.

Ohr Somayach has an interesting answer for those living where the sun shines 24 hours a day in the summer. But hopefully that answers your question. Let me know if it doesn't.

b'shalom
:)Faith