The Maariv Service
When nighttime arrives, it is time to recite the third and final prayer service of the day: the Maariv service. Even though one can technically recite this prayer service at any hour of the night, one should do so at the beginning of the night in order to be certain that it is not forgotten by mistake later on.
- In principle, one should not eat a full meal or engage in any work once the time for the Maariv service has arrived, until after it has been recited. If a person asks someone else to remind him later not to forget Maariv, he may eat or work as usual, since he can rely on the other person to ensure that he will not forget it.
For a full discussion see The Maariv service — The Synagogue and Prayers.
Torah Study
As we have already discussed at length in this volume, one should designate a set period of time for Torah study at night, as well as during the day.
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- It is important to make sure that whatever must be done at night does not come at the expense of one’s daily Torah study. The later the hour, the less chance there is that one will have an opportunity to sit down for a Torah study session. It is therefore recommended to set aside a small period of time for Torah study at the very beginning of the night.
- At night, after a long day of work, many people find that their minds are not as clear as during the day. At this hour, one can study easier subjects that do not require intense concentration and effort to understand, such as mishnayot, halachah, and the like.
