Q. Hi. My minhag is to keep shabbos until 72 minutes after shkia. However often I go to places for Shabbos where there are at least 3 stars visible by 45 minutes after shkia. Can I start doing melacha immediately upon seeing 3 stars even though its before 72 minutes after shkia or do I have to wait until 72 after shkia to do melacha? Thank you.

A. Keeping 72 minutes after sunset applies as is to locations where three stars can be seen earlier. This Halacha opinion does not regard the three stars as the time when Shabbos ends, so you must keep your minhag of 72 minutes.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a