Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Orach Chaim/233

by Yosef Karo

233: Time of Minchah Prayer. Contains Two Sections.

1 One who prayed the prayer of minchah after six and a half hours and later – fulfilled his responsibility. And its primary period is from 9 and a half hours and later until the night per Rabbonon; and, per Rabbi Jehudah, until plag haminchah, which is until one quarter hour before the end of eleven hours.

Gloss: And we calculate these hours according to the situation of the day, dividing the day into 12 "hours" even if the day is long. And these are called "proportional hours". And so too, anywhere the sages measured by "hours," we measure by these "hours" (Maimonides in Commentary on the Mishnah in first chapter of Brachos).

And the conclusion is that each person can choose the authority he wishes to follow, and that is so long as one consistently follows one of them. That if one acts according to Rabbonon, and prays minchah until the night, he is no longer able to pray ma'ariv from plag haminchah and later. And if one acts according to Rabbi Jehudah, and prays ma'ariv from plag haminchah and later, he needs to be careful not to pray minchah at that time. And currently, that the custom is to pray the prayer of minchah until the night, one should not pray the prayer of ma'ariv before sundown. And if one did pray the prayer of ma'ariv from plag haminchah and later, he satisfied the obligation. And at a time of emergency, he can pray the prayer of ma'ariv from plag haminchah and later.

Gloss: And for us, in these states, that we have the custom to pray ma'ariv from plag haminchah, one should not pray minchah after that. And if one did so, or at a time of emergency, he satisfied his obligation, if he prays minchah until the night, which is the "coming of the stars. (Beth Joseph, in the name of Ohel Moed and Rashba).

2 If one has water, he needs to wash his hands in order to pray, even though he does not know that they had become dirty. And he should not make a blessing.
(And see above, Chapter 92, Section 5). Gloss: And even one who gets up from his study should wash his hands for prayer (Customs). And if he does not have water prepared, he need not wash.