1) ''Small mincha'' is nine and half hours after sunrise. These hours are, however seasonal hours, which are not 60 minutes each, but rather one twelfth of the daytime period. Thus, the exact time fluctuates throughout the year. ''Small mincha'' ends up being approximately an hour (seasonal) and a quarter before sunset (Mishna Berurah 256:1). 2) One may even work for a wage as long as this is an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence and does not become a regular pattern (Mishna Berurah 251:4).This prohibition against regularly scheduled work only applies to someone doing work for himself, however, a hired worker can work up to just before sunset, as long he leaves himself time to make the minimal preparations for the Sabbath and to light Sabbath candles (See Mishna Berurah Siman 251:3).

1) These are not the standard 60 minute hours. Seasonal hours are calculated by dividing the length of the day (some say from sunrise to sunset; others, from daybreak to the appearance of 3 stars) into 12 equal parts; each part is referred to as one ''hour.'' For example, if daylight lasts 18 regular hours, each seasonal hour would be 90 minutes long. 2) On shorter Fridays, one should refrain from eating a meal even earlier, if it will spoil one's appetite (Mishna Berurah). 3) To show the importance of this mitzvah, the Talmud (Tractate Gittin 38b) relates the following: ''There were two families living in Jerusalem, one would regularly hold their meal on the Sabbath (while the Rabbi was giving his sermon in the study hall), the other would regularly have a meal on Friday (after the 9th hour); both families were destroyed.'' 4) For example, a ''Siyum,'' a meal celebrating the completion of a tractate of Talmud (Biur Halachah 249:2).

מתשע שעות זמניות ולמעלה מצוה למנוע מלקבוע סעודה אפילו מה שהוא רגיל בחול וסעודה שאינו רגיל בה בחול אפילו היא סעודת מצוה אם היה אפשר לעשותה ביום אחר אסור לעשותה בערב שבת כל היום אפילו בבוקר אך סעודת מצוה שזמנה קבוע היום כגון מילה ופדיון הבן וכדומה מותר ומכל מקום נכון להקדימה בבוקר ולא ירבה בה ומכל שכן שלא לאכול אכילה גסה כדי שיאכלו סעודת שבת לתיאבון

1) The Talmud in Tractate Berachot 8b relates: ''Anyone who coordinates his personal reading of the weekly Torah portion with the schedule of the public Torah readings of the community, will have his life lengthened.'' 2) Reading through any Torah-based, non-literal translation, and, even reading through Rashi's commentary, are both, according to many authorities, the equivalent of reading the Aramaic translation, and one may fulfill one's obligation by doing so. Those verses upon which Rashi did not expound should be read three times in the Hebrew. (Mishna Berurah 285:4). 3) The Shulchan Aruch (OH 285:4) writes that it is considered ''the most preferable mitzvah'' as long as one has completed one's reading before the lunchtime Shabbat meal. The Vilna Gaon would read a little each day of the week after morning prayers, finishing by the time Shabbat arrived. 4) The Midrash (brought by Rashi on Leviticus 1:1) informs us that when Hashem was teaching the Torah to Moshe on Mt. Sinai, Moshe was given a break between each new section, and even between each new idea within a section, to allow him to contemplate and absorb what he was being taught. These breaks are represented graphically in the Torah scroll; those between one whole section and the next, are represented by a graphical break through the end of the line, and are called ''open'' (petucha); those breaks between each new idea within a section consist of nine blank spaces in mid-line, and are called ''closed'' (stuma). 5) And read the translation.There are other Halachic authorities who hold that one should read each verse twice, followed by its translation. Some even read through the whole weekly portion in Hebrew twice, and only then read through the translation. One may choose whichever method one prefers. (Mishna Berurah 285:1). 6) Chumash - the 5 Books of Moses. From the Hebrew word for five - ''humash''. 7) Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, author of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, lived in Hungry during the 19th Century and the Jews there spoke Yiddish. Nowadays, we have translations and commentaries in many languages, each person should study in the language one best understands. 8) A Yiddish commentary of stories mainly for women, written by Rabbi Yacov ben Yitzhack Ashkenazi, 16th century. The name comes from the Song of Songs 3:11: ''Go forth, O daughters of Zion...''.