[Avodah] zman hadloko erev Shabbos and motzoei Shabbos

[Marty Bluke]

R' A & C Walters wrote:
<Royv hold that there is no difference in the oyfek.

I am not so sure that this is true. There are a number of important
acharonim who hold that ofek does count.

The truth is that it is an absolute peleh to say that ofek doesn't count.
The Gemara in shabbos gives a number of astronomical simanim of when tzeis
hakochavim is including visible stars, hichsif haleyon v'hichsif hatchton,
etc. From these simanim it is patently clear that tzeis hakochavim is based
on astronomical reality and therefore I don't see how you can ignore
differences in location and times of year when these do change the
astronomical reality.

The Briskers hold that tzeis is 1/8 of the day after shkia because a person
can walk 32 mil in a day and from shkia to tzeis is 4 mil so it is 1/8. This
also contradicts reality. In a place like Brisk in the summer the day is
about 16 hours long meaning 1/8 of the day is 2 hours. In the winter the day
is about 8 hours long meaning 1/8 of the day is only 1 hour. In reality, it
does not take twice as long for the sun to set and become dark in the summer
then in the winter. How do the Briskers figure out the 1/8 of a day?

R' Tam's shita has always really bothered me. The Gra's question of החוש
מכחיש is so powerful and obvious I don't understand how the Rishonim could
have said what they said. Did they never go outside an hour after sunset and
see that it was pitch black and you could see hundreds of stars?
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