Time For Mussaf

The Gemorah in Temurah (14b) has a derash that one can offer the korban mussaf the entire day.  The Briskor Rav asks why do we need a possuk, why would assume it’s not allowed to be offered all day?  (See much discussion about the question in the Mishmar Halevi.)

We can suggest without a possuk one would have thought that the mussaf has to be offered in the morning for it is connected to the korban tammid. (It would explain why the parsha of mussafin opens with the korban tammid and why its mentioned in conjunction with the mussafin of the holidays על עולת התמיד.)  Sources for this idea can be found in Malbim (28:10) ומ"ש על עולת התמיד היינו שיקריב אחר תמיד של שחר ונסכיו וכר"ש בזבחים (דף פ"ט) דהא אמר עולת בלשון יחיד שקאי על עולת השחר:  The Malbim learns the possuk tells us the mussaf must be offered after the tammid, but we see he assumes it should be offered early.  The source of this can be found in the Midrash Hagodol.  In the Mahara M’pano responsa 14 he refers to mussaf as being part of shacharis as well (Or Avrohom on Sefer Hamitzvot #41.)

However, the Tosfos Rashba in Pesachim (58a) and the same vein is approached by Tosfos Yeshanim in Yoma (35a) assume that the time to offer the korban mussaf is in the midday hour.  The Tosfos Rashba has a derash on the words (Vayikra 23:37) דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ that it indicates midday.  They seem to assume this is the time of the mussaf and not that it would have been offered only in the time of the tammid.  We could suggest still in the same vein that I would have thought the mussaf would only be valid if offered in the sixth hour of the day; hence, the Gemorah in Temurah has a derash to tell us its valid even if offered later, ועדיין צ"ע.

It noteworthy that this approach of assuming the optimal time is midday is followed by the Rambam regarding the laws of the mussaf prayer as well.  He says in Tefillah (3:5): תפלת המוספין זמנה אחר תפלת השחר עד שבע שעות ביום והמתפלל אותה אחר שבע שעות אף ע"פ שפשע יצא ידי חובתו מפני שזמנה כל היום.  He assumes that optimally one should pray mussaf before 7 hours into the day.  This is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch (286:1) as well.