The Jewish Calendar

Allied to the study of Jewish timekeeping is the subject of the Jewish calendar -- its history, its astronomical basis, its religious construction and its calculation. Students of the field of Z'manim often have a keen interest in this subject as well.

The first thing that is relevant in the present context is that Shabbat commences on Friday evening and terminates on Saturday evening. The reason for this is that for dating purposes the Jewish calendar counts nights as belonging entirely to the following daylight period. The calendar day thus begins with the previous evening.

For dating purposes and calendar computations, the day commences and ends at 6.00p.m. For purposes of religious observances associated with a particular date or weekday and for observances tied to daytime or nighttime, the day is deemed to commence at sunset.

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