Halocho #694 - Traveler's guide to Chanukah

If one is in one's hometown, one needs to go home to light the Chanukah Menorah.

If one is traveling, and one's wife is lighting the Chanukah Menorah at home, then one should light without the Brachot. If possible, one should try hear the Brachot from somebody else.

If one comes home past the time for lighting candles, one should light as soon as possible. As long as some other member of the household is still awake, one lights with a Bracha. If nobody else is awake anymore, one lights without a Bracha.

Bachelors and others living away from home, who don't have a spouse lighting for them at home, preferably should light for themselves with the Brachot. Alternately they can chip in with somebody else's Menorah lighting, by giving him a Peruta (a few pennies).

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 139:19

- Danny
Sunday, 14 Kislev 5771

Halocho#495 - Eating bread without water

Even when travelling, one needs to wash both hands with a cup of water before eating bread.

If there's water within 4 Km in the direction one is travelling, or 1Km behind one, then one has to go wash one's hands properly.

If one is scared to leave one's travelling companions, or if one cannot find water to wash before eating bread, one can cover one's hands or wear gloves.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 40:14

- Danny
Monday, 3 Shvat 5770

Halocho#494 - Seeing somebody off

It's appropriate to accompany somebody who is leaving on a trip - even if only for a few steps.

One should then wait until the person leaving is out of sight before returning home.

The farewell greeting is "לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם" and not "לך בשלום"

We learn this from Yithro who said to Moshe "לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם"" and he succeeded, whereas King David said to Avshalom "לך בשלום" and he got killed.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:6

- Danny
Sunday, 2 Shvat 5770

Halocho # 492 - Travel preparations

Before leaving on a trip one should give charity.

Since one should learn Torah or say Tehilim while traveling, one should remember to take along a Sefer.

One should never go on a trip - even a short one - without taking along food.

Men should also take along spare Tzitzit in case the one they are wearing rip and become Pasul (unfit), as well as their Tefillin if there's a chance they won't be back home before the morrow.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:6

- Danny
Wednesday, 27 Tevet 5770

Halocho # 491 - Eating in transit

If you ate while walking, you may say Birkat Hamazon while walking.

If you sat while eating you have to sit while saying Birkat Hamazon

If one didn't eat in a house - or one ate in the house of a non-Jew, one replaces the 6th הָרַחֲמָן with:

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ בְּרָכָה מְרֻבָּה בִּמְקוֹם הֲלִיכָתֵנוּ וּבִמְקוֹם יְשִׁיבָתֵנוּ עַד עוֹלָם

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:9, 10

- Danny
Tuesday, 26 Tevet 5770

Please daven for a complete recovery of 3 year old Chaim Ovadya ben Sara

Halocho # 490 - Davening in transit

Even while travelling one has to pray at the correct times.

Men need to put on Tallit and Tefillin even when praying in transit.

When travelling by foot, one should stand still for the first 2 verses of Shma, if possible. (Shma Yisrael and Baruch Shem)

When travelling in a vehicle one should stop, alight and stand for the Amida. If one is in a hurry, then one should do so at least for the first 3 and last 3 Brachot.

If alighting is not an option, one can daven the Amida while seated.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:8

- Danny
Monday, 25 Tevet 5770

Halocho # 489 - How often can one say Tefilat HaDerech?

One usually says Tefilat HaDerech only once a day.

If one arrives at one's final destination for the day, and subsequently decided to take another trip, then one says Tefilat HaDerech again.

One who travels through the night says Tefilat HaDerech on the second day without the final Baruch Ata Hashem.

Even if one sleeps part of the night, if it was not in an inhabited place, one says Tefilat HaDerech on the second day without the final Baruch Ata Hashem.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:5

- Danny
Sunday, 24 Tevet 5770

Halocho # 488 - Travelling on Fridays

If possible, one should not travel more than 3 Parsa on Fridays, unless one is sure that Shabbat preparations are ready at ones destination.

(A Parsa is either ~4 Km or the time to travel ~4 Km by foot, which is assumed to be 72 minutes. Thus on Fridays one should not undertake trips longer than 3.5 hours unless one is sure that Shabbat preparations are ready at one's destination.)

It's important to plan one's trip such that even with unexpected heavy traffic one arrives at one's destination long before candle-lighting, so that one has time to wash up before lighting.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:11

==> Rosh Chodesh Shvat is next Shabbat. <==

Shabbat Shalom uMevorach,

- Danny
Thursday, 21 Tevet 5770

Halocho # 487 - How far must one travel to say Tefilat HaDerech?

One does not say Tefilat HaDerech unless the trip is one Parsa (~4 Km / ~2.5 miles) long - outside the city.

Preferably Tefilat HaDerech should be said during the first Parsa of the journey.

If forgotten, Tefilat HaDerech can be said as long as one still has at least one Parsa to travel before one's destination city or overnight resting place.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:2

- Danny
Wednesday, 20 Tevet 5770

Halocho # 486 - When does one say Tefilat HaDerech?

Tefilat HaDerech - the traveler's prayer - cannot be said before one has left the city limits; defined as 70 and ⅔ Amot (~35 meters / 115 feet) after the last house.

Preferably it should be said after one has travelled at least one "Miel" (~1 Km / ~0.6 miles) from the city limit.

If you're overnighting on a multi-day trip, you can say Tefilat HaDerech before leaving for the day.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:1

- Danny
Tuesday, 19 Tevet 5770