How to Say Tefilas Haderech

1. It is preferable for one to pause from his travels while saying Tefilas Haderech1.

2. If it is not possible to stop, for instance if he is traveling on a bus or train, or if there is no place on the highway to stop, he may say Tefilas Haderech while traveling2.

3. If it is possible without too much inconvenience to stand while saying Tefilas Haderech, one should do so. This applies to traveling on an airplane, train, ship and the like where it is easy to say Tefilas Haderech standing3.

4. When it is possible to stop the vehicle or animal upon which one is riding, it is nevertheless not necessary to leave the vehicle or get off the animal in order to say Tefilas Haderech4.

5. Since Tefilas Haderech does not start with a berachah, it is appropriate to link it to another berachah5.

6. If one will be davening shacharis on the trip, then he can say it in the morning berachos right after the berachah of “hagomeil chassadim tovim6.” The reason for attaching Tefilas Haderech to this berachah in particular is that it includes praises to G-d for the many acts of benevolence that He performs for us. Having a safe and successful journey is one of these kindnesses7.

7. If one is traveling during the day — after he has already davened — he should first either eat or drink enough to say a concluding berachah, say the berachah, and then say Tefilas Haderech. If he does not want or does not have anything to eat or drink, he can use the lavatory and recite Tefilas Haderech after saying the berachah of asher yotzar8.

8. If by following the above suggestion he will delay the saying of Tefilas Haderech beyond the first parsah, it is better that he say it within the first parsah and thus forego connecting it to another berachah9.

9. The Chasam Sofer related that his Rebbi, Rabbi Noson Adler, would say Tefilas Haderech after saying a berachah over fragrant spices and smelling them10.

However, since the poskim ignored this suggestion, it would appear that they considered the smelling of the spices between the berachah and Tefilas Haderech as an interruption that prevents Tefilas Haderech from being juxtaposed to another berachah11.

10. When one is traveling during Chol Hamo’eid Sukkos, linking Tefilas Haderech to another berachah is not an excuse for eating mezonos foods outside the sukkah, or even taking a drink of water ( for those who are meticulous about not drinking water outside a sukkah)12.

The importance of escorting a traveler can be seen from an explanation of the Da’as Zekeinim Leba’alei Tosafos on the verse “Therefore the children of Israel are not to eat of the gid hanasheh (sciatic nerve)13.” “Therefore,” — since the children of Yaakov acted improperly by allowing him to go alone without an escort, thus causing him to be injured in the thigh, G-d prohibited the eating of the gid hanasheh, This will serve as a reminder in the future that travelers are to be provided with an escort.