If a husband or wife accepts Shabbat before the required time, is the other spouse bound by that acceptance? For example, if a woman has in mind when lighting the Shabbat candles that she accepts Shabbat, is the husband now bound by the prohibitions of Shabbat? This question also affects the reverse situation, when a husband attends an early Minyan on Friday evening, where he recites Minha and Arbit and accepts Shabbat. Must his wife accept Shabbat at the same time, or may she continue making Shabbat preparations until the final time for accepting Shabbat?
Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Hazon Ovadia (p. 288; listen to audio recording for precise citation), rules that a husband or wife’s acceptance of Shabbat does not affect the other spouse. Based on the writings of several earlier authorities, including Rav Sherira Gaon and Rabbenu Peretz, Hacham Ovadia writes that a person may continue performing Melacha (activity forbidden on Shabbat) until he or she personally accepts Shabbat, regardless of whether the other spouse accepted Shabbat. Thus, it is Halachically acceptable for a husband to attend the early Friday evening service and return home to find his wife still cooking and making other Shabbat preparations, as she is not bound by his acceptance of Shabbat. Similarly, even after a woman accepts Shabbat while lighting candles, the husband can still recite the weekday Minha and perform Melacha until he accepts Shabbat.
Summary: If a husband or wife accepts Shabbat early on Friday afternoon, the other may still perform Melacha until the final time for accepting Shabbat.
