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Hilchos Tefilla 110 (page 278)
מסעיף ז עד תחילת סימן קיא
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When to Recite Tefillas Haderech
Tefillas Haderech on Roads That Run Alongside Cities
Tefillas Haderech When Travelling Within the City
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When to recite tefillas haderech
According to most
poskim,
tefillas haderech is recited only after a traveler has set out on the road and covered a distance of more than seventy
amos from the city. Before that point there is concern that the traveler might change his mind and not go, in which case the
beracha would have been recited in vain. Ideally, the
beracha should be recited within the first
parsa (an ancient unit of measure) of the journey. Travelers by car or train should try to say
tefillas haderech soon after they set out to ensure that it is recited within the first
parsa. According to some
poskim, airplane travelers may recite the
tefilla while the plane is still on the runway, while other
poskim hold that it should be said after takeoff.
B'dieved, the
tefilla can be recited up to the point tha the traveler reaches last
parsa of his journey. Once he is within the final
parsa, it is recited without the conclusion [
Baruch atah Hashem shomea tefilla].
(
סעיף ז וס"ק כט-לא; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 36-37)
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Tefillas haderech
on roads that run alongside cities
Tefillas haderech is recited only for journeys of distances greater than a
parsa outside the city; shorter distances are not considered dangerous. Nonetheless, it is proper to recite the prayer without the conclusion [
Baruch atah Hashem shomea tefilla] on short journeys. The
parsa is measured from the last house connected to the city. The
poskim discuss whether a winding road that stretches more than a
parsa but never moves far from the cities it passes requires
tefillas haderech. It is questionable whether
tefillas haderech [with the conclusion] is required when one is traveling a long road that passes through many cities, with each one less than a
parsa from the one before it. The Arab villages that dot Eretz Yisrael are viewed as wild, unsettled areas when it comes to
tefillas haderech, since they are places of danger.
(
סעיף ז, ס"ק ל, וביה"ל ד"ה ואין; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 31, 34 ו־38)
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Tefillas haderech
when travelling within the city
Tefillas haderech [with the conclusion] is recited on trips shorter than a
parsa if the road is known to be dangerous. According to one opinion, short intercity trips are considered dangerous because of the persistent danger of car accidents. Although this danger exists within cities, too, the prayer is not recited because Chazal only mandated the
tefilla for intercity trips. The contemporary
poskim debate whether, according to this opinion,
tefillas haderech can be recited when travelling between two abutting cities. Some hold that since the cities are connected, they are considered one. Others hold that since danger exists, it is permissible [but not mandatory] to say the
beracha -- just as it can be said within any city that harbors a known danger. Other
poskim hold that Chazal mandated
tefillas haderech only for the dangers of bandits and wild animals, not car accidents.
(
ס"ק ל; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 34-35)
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- An intercity traveler should recite a special prayer called tefillas haderech - the wayfarer's prayer. Women are also obligated to recite this prayer. According to many contemporary poskim, a person who for some reason must travel on Shabbos should recite this prayer.
- Tefilla shaderech is recited only once a day (i.e. from alos to alos). According to the Mechaber, resting is not considered an interruption of the trip, and a new tefilla is not required upon resumption. Changing the mode of transportation is not considered an interruption either.
- According to ancient custom, any time one leaves his home he should place a hand on the mezuza and say, "May Hashem protect me when I leave and when I return, now and always."Some poskim advise travelers to accept coins that they will give to tzedaka at their destinations so as to turn their trips into mitzva missions.
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- Interrupting between go'al yisrael and Shemoneh Esrei
- Connecting geula to tefilla on Shabbos and Yom Tov
- Connecting geula to tefilla vs. tefilla b'tzibur
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PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.
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