Chapter 68:1-3
The Laws Pertaining to Traveling
1. When setting out on a journey, a person should recite Tefillas haderech
[the prayer for a safe journey]. This prayer should be recited while
journeying from one's own home, while traveling from another place where
one lodged at night, and when returning home.
This prayer should not be recited until one leaves the outskirts of the
city - i.e., [at least] 72 2/3 cubits from the last house in the city.
Preferably, it should be recited after one has journeyed a mil
[approximately a kilometer] from the outskirts of the city.
The prayer begins:
Y'hi rotzon milfonecho Ado-noi Elo-heinu, shetolicheinu l'sholom...
May it be Your will, G-d, our L-rd and L-rd of our fathers, to lead us...
We use the plural form of all pronouns except for v'sitneni l'cheyn (Grant
me grace).
When a person spends the night in a city in the midst of his journey [and
plans to set out again the next morning], he may recite this prayer in the
morning before he departs on his way.
2. Tefillas haderech should be recited only when one plans a journey of at
least a parsoh [approximately four kilometers]. At the outset, one should
recite this prayer within the first parsoh of one's journey. However, a
person who forgets may recite it as long as he continues on his journey,
provided he has not arrived within a parsoh of the city in which he desires
to spend the night.
3. Tefillas haderech should be recited directly after another blessing.
Therefore, a person who leaves early in the morning and recites the morning
blessings while on the journey should recite Tefillas haderech after the
blessing hagomel chasodim tovim l'amo Yisroel. Similarly, when a person
lodges overnight in a city in the midst of his journey (and thus may recite
Tefillas haderech even before he sets out on his way) and recites the
morning blessings before he departs, [he should recite Tefillas haderech
after these blessings].
A person who sets out on a journey from his home after reciting his morning
prayers [should recite Tefillas haderech in the midst of his journey, as
stated above. In order to recite Tefillas haderech in the midst of his
journey, as stated above. In order to recite the prayer directly after
another blessing, he should] eat some food on his journey. After reciting
the brochoh achronoh, he should recite Tefillas haderech. Alternatively,
after he urinates and recited the blessing asher yotzar, he may recite
Tefillas haderech.
