Q&A: Early Friday Night Meal
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Early Friday Night Meal
Question
I’m staying with my girlfriend on the Sabbath, and her mother is hosting a guest who needs to eat really early, so she moved the Friday night meal up to seven in the evening, and the Sabbath begins at that time. She wants me to be at the meal, and I want to be respectful. What can be done about this?
Answer
You can pray the evening service from plag hamincha onward. Preferably, one should pray the afternoon service before plag hamincha, but in pressing circumstances there is room to be lenient. Just don’t forget to recite the Shema after nightfall.
See, for example, here:
https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/99967
As for the time of plag hamincha on any given date, search online. For example, here:
http://etzion.gush.net/dk/luz.htm
And also the counting of the Omer only after nightfall