Question:
What’s the difference between mincha gedola and mincha ketana? Thank you.
Answer:
The time to daven mincha is from a half hour after chatzos (halachic midday) and sunset, which is five and a half hours, this is called mincha gedola- the large mincha time. Mincha ketana (the small mincha) is the last 2 1/2 hours of the day, before sunset. There is an opinion that it is better to daven after mincha ketana and plag hamincha ( half of the small mincha) which would be between 2/12 hours until 1/14 hours before sunset. However most people are not careful about this and many people daven earlier in order to make sure they don’t forget to daven, while other specifically want to daven later. therefore in your position I would not be particular about this, and just be careful to actually daven mincha between 1/2 hour after midday, and sunset.
It is important to note, that since the davening times depend on the position of the sun in the sky, all hours mentioned here are “daylight hours, and not clock hours, meaning that each hour is a 1/12th of the day, and their length will vary depending on the season. For example if the day starts at 6 am and ends at 6 pm then each s=daylight hour is 60 minutes, however in the winter when the day can start at 7 am and end at 5 pm, which is only 10 hours 600 minutes divided by 12 is 50 minutes, and in the summertime when the day can start at 5 am and go until 8 pm, the day then is 15 hours = 900 minutes divided by 12 =75 minutes. Therefore it is best not to try to calculate this on your own, but to look in a Jewish calendar that has the various times of the day written out.
Best wishes
Sources:
Shulchan Aruch 231-1, M:B 231-1.
