Welcome To My Kosher Home

Tefilat HaDerech

    Tefilat Haderech is the well known Jewish traveler’s prayer that is customarily recited whenever one undertakes any kind of significant journey. In it, we pray that our travel should be safe and free from any trouble. Since travel of any sort is fraught with all kinds of potential difficulties, this tefila is all inclusive in order to safeguard us from any untoward event. So, on what type of trip should Tefilat Haderech be said and when, exactly, do we say it?

    The Gemara tells us that Tefilat Haderech should be said on a trip that takes a person a parsah (about 2_ miles) out of the city. Because being on the road outside the city is where traveling becomes dangerous, a person should wait to recite it until they have left the city. Leaving the city is defined as going 70 amot (about 100-140 feet) past the last house or crossing a wide river or other geographical boundary. Thus when crossing a wide river such as the Hudson River in New York, one is required to recite Tefilat Haderech.

    When traveling today, many modern halachic authorities have ruled that when one takes a road trip where one leaves the city, Tefilat Haderech should be recited when getting on the first highway. Similarly, when traveling by air, Tefilat Haderech is to be recited when the plane is on the runway and starts to accelerate. The reason for this is that both the entrance ramp to the highway and the runway are the required 70 amot distance from the nearest house and both can be considered a gateway to leaving the city. This halacha of waiting until leaving the city is only on the first day of travel. On subsequent days, Tefilat Haderech is recited as soon as one starts to prepare to travel.

    As we mentioned, Tefilat Haderech is generally recited only when one is going to travel at least a parsah (about 2 and _ miles) out of the city. However, even if one is traveling inside the city but in a dangerous place, one would also recite Tefilat Haderech. Indeed, the Mishnah Berurah writes that even when one travels on a short train ride, Tefilat Haderech should be said. This was probably because in 1884 when he wrote this, train travel must still have been considered pretty risky.

    Besides the inherent lesson of always putting our trust in God in everything we do, Tefilat Haderech teaches us another important lesson regarding how tefila works. Namely, that when one prays in the plural, using the “we” or “us” to include all of his fellow Jews, his tefilot are more readily accepted. This idea is developed in the Gemara in Masechta Berachot where Tefilat Haderech has its source.

    The Gemara first quotes one opinion which sets out the basic wording of Tefilat Haderech in the singular, stating for instance, “return me in peace.” To this Abaye argues and states that a person should always attach himself to the congregation when he prays and hence, he changes the words to the plural so that it reads “return us in peace.” Rashi then comments on this and explains that when a person attaches himself to the congregation and prays in the plural, his tefillot are more readily listened to and accepted.

    As you can readily see, even a tefila as basic as praying for a safe journey can generate many questions regarding its implementation and has many halachic facets to it. As with all halachic questions, one should always consult their own rabbi to ascertain how they should personally conduct themselves.