erev

Erev is a Hebrew term that means “evening” or “the eve.” In both everyday and religious usage, it denotes the later part of the day, from late afternoon toward night, and it is also used to refer to the eve of a holiday or event. In modern Hebrew it appears in phrases such as ba-erev, meaning “in the evening,” and in greetings like Erev tov, “good evening.”

In Jewish practice, the concept of the day beginning at sunset makes erev a central temporal unit. The term is regularly used to designate the eve of holy days, such as erev Shabbat (the evening before the Sabbath) and erev Pesach (the day before Passover). Many preparations and rituals occur during the erev hours, including candle lighting on Friday evening and the onset of festival observances at sunset. Other holidays likewise have erev designations, reflecting the transition from ordinary to sacred time.

Etymology and meaning: the word derives from the Hebrew root ע-ר-ב, associated with evening and twilight, conveying the sense of the time when day blends into night. It appears across Biblical, Rabbinic, and modern Hebrew contexts, retaining its core meaning while adapting to contemporary usage.

Overall, erev functions as both a concrete time descriptor and a cultural concept tied to Jewish calendrical practice, signaling the approach of a new day or a forthcoming observance.