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Adapted from a Shiur by Rabbi Ari Stauber
When the lonely road gets crowded.
Hachamim instituted a prayer, Tefillat HaDerech, to be recited by travelers for protection from the dangerous conditions inherent in travel.
To say it, one must first be a traveler. A traveler is one who has departed his city. A person traveling within his city never says Tefillat HaDerech.
Even if he is leaving the city and thus qualifies as a traveler, only one who is exposed to the dangers of the road says Tefillat HaDerech. The twin dangers to which Hachamim addressed the Tefilla are bandits and wild animals. Because both types of creatures fear large groupings of people, they tend to avoid population centers. The Rosh explains that Hachamim identified the distance from cities at which Listim – robbers, and Hayot Ra’ot – dangerous animals, become an issue as one “Parsa”, which Rav Moshe Feinstein converts to 2.7 miles.
Because the Parsa is only a measure of danger, a place that is Muhzak B’Sakana – assumed to be dangerous – has no distance requirement. For example, soldiers on patrol outside city gates in wartime are vulnerable travelers the moment they step outside the gates, and they must say Tefillat HaDerech. Traveling in a heavy snowstorm qualifies as well.
The Bi’ur Halacha considers the question of one who is traveling the requisite Parsa from his city, but the road to his destination is dotted with other settlements. Because the entire stretch of road is within a Parsa of one town or another, none of it is suitable for Listim or Hayot Ra’ot infestation, so there is no danger that would mandate the Tefilla. But perhaps we ought to apply a “Lo Ploug” – the general principle that Hachamim don’t differentiate in the application of their enactments among situations, even where the underlying reason doesn’t pertain.
The picture the Bi’ur Halacha paints is representative of most metropolitan areas today. In the New York suburbs, one would be hard-pressed to find a spot that isn’t within a 2.7-mile radius of any settled area, so a jaunt from Monsey or Brooklyn to Lakewood, for example, would be subject to the Bi’ur Halacha’s dilemma. So why do people say Tefillat HaDerech on these trips? Given that Safek Berachot L’Hakel, shouldn’t we refrain?
Hacham Ovadia Yosef is of the opinion that as long as one rides for the duration of a Parsa (72 minutes) between two cities, even if the road is dotted with settlements and towns, one should recite a complete Tefillat HaDerech with Hashem’s name. If, however, one rides between two cities for less than that amount, then one should recite Tefillat HaDerech without Hashem’s name.
However, according to Hacham Ben Tziyon Abba Shaul, this is only if it is a remote road when cars often drive alone or are poorly lit, in which there is a greater danger, then Hashem’s name is recited.
It is interesting to note that Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky distinguishes between the Berachot of Tefilla and other Berachot.
In Tefilla, it is preferable that one pray by himself rather than listen to the Hazzan and employ Shomea’ K’Oneh (hearing the Beracha is like reciting it yourself). If one has the ability, one doesn’t even have a choice: Hazarat HaShatz was established only for people unable to pray on their own, because everyone should develop a personal relationship with his Creator. Not so with other Berachot, which anyone can hear from another.
Therefore, in the case of a Tefilla we don’t say Safek Berachot L’Hakel. One who is unsure if he said Ya’aleh V’Yavo in his Yom Tov prayers, must pray again, as Ribbi Yohanan says (Berachot 21a): “If only a man would pray all day long…”
Accordingly, just like with the Shemone Esre, if one knows how to recite Tefillat HaDerech, he shouldn’t rely with someone else’s recitation, and there would be no problem of reciting it out of doubt.
The Hazon Ish maintains that this is not an issue regardless: The Parsa distance doesn’t apply at all to automobile travel, because riding in a vehicle is inherently dangerous due to the risk of collision. In his opinion, as long as one is driving outside the city, he must say Tefillat HaDerech. He is challenged by the Brisker Rav and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who argue that only dangers that existed in the times of Hachamim can create an obligation to recite Tefillat HaDerech.
May we always reach our destinations L’Hayim, L’Simha, Ul’Shalom!