QUESTION

New England, USA

For many of my families, day light savings time means that Havdalah will be later than their kids bed time. On one hand doing it Sunday morning seems halakhically fine but experientially strange. Could one do Havdalah without a candle and without Sheim HaShem before bed time so kids feel like Shabbat is ending?

ANSWER

Yes. See Shulchan Arukh OC 293:3. One can make Havdalah (without candle) from Plag on, when necessary. You won’t be saying the borei meorei ha’eish brakhah, obviously, and all other berakhot will be said normally. I do this regularly, since I wait 72 minutes for Shabbat to be