Tefillat HaDerech (Part 2)
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao Tzu – Chinese Philosopher
Bon Voyage!
Tefillat HaDerech reads: May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our fathers, that You should lead us in peace and direct our steps in peace, and guide us in peace, and support us in peace, and cause us to reach our destination in life, joy, and peace (If one intends to return immediately, one adds:and return us in peace). Save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild beasts on the trip, and from all kinds of punishments that rage and come to the world. May You confer blessing upon the work of our hands and grant us (alternative version “me”) grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, and bestow upon us abundant kindness and listen to the voice of our prayer, for You hear the prayers of all. Blessed are You Hashem, who listens to prayer.
Even though Tefillat HaDerech is recited by an individual embarking on a journey, the Tefillah is actually written in the plural. The Talmud (Brachot 30a) tells us that anyone who needs to recite Tefillat HaDerech should “associate themselves with the community.” Rashi explains that a person’s prayers are more readily answered when they include others as well.
Rashi’s explanation is teaching us a vital lesson in the way that Hashem expects us to interrelate with each other. Clearly, Hashem wants us to think of others during our Tefillot, because Tefillah should not only be self-centered. There are many opportunities throughout the day when each and every person can ask Hashem for their individual and particular needs. Rashi is teaching us, however, that effective prayer means accustoming ourselves to include others in our Tefillot.
The most obvious example, perhaps, is the Amidah, which is the bedrock of our daily prayers. The blessings of the Amidah were deliberately composed in the plural so that each blessing includes everyone. Thinking of others is such an integral part of our Avodat Hashem that before beginning the Amidah - says the Arizal - each person should pause momentarily and focus on the words “V’Ahavtah leRei’echa Kamocha” – that we should love our fellow like ourselves.
Our Sages teach (Bava Kama 92a): “Whoever prays for mercy for his fellow, when he himself needs that same thing, is answered first.” Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer (1815-1871) was the son of the famed Chatam Sofer, the chief rabbi of Pressburg, Bratislava. Rabbi Avraham Sofer headed the illustrious Yeshivah in Pressburg that his father had led before him. In his seminal work “Ktav Sofer” he explains that when a person prays for someone else, their Tefillah is on a much higher level than if they were praying just for themselves; because praying for others transforms the prayer from self-centered to altruistic; subsequently, it carries more spiritual weight.
Interestingly, even though Tefillat HaDerech is said in the plural - “lead us in peace, direct our steps…” - there is one phrase that, according to some, is said in the singular: Towards the end of the Tefillah we request that Hashem “grant me grace, kindness and mercy.” Many years ago, I heard a fascinating explanation from Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht z”l as to why this is so:
The phrase “grace, kindness and mercy”, he explained, refers to each person’s personal connection to Hashem. It is only through being continuously mindful of Hashem’s blessings that a person can reach a level of true contentment. Thus, while we can pray for the wellbeing of other travellers just as we pray for success in our own travels, yet when it comes to individual spiritual growth and each person’s feeling of protection and care from Hashem, one can not always pray for others, since each person has their own exclusive connection to Hashem that requires their own unique approach.
As the Chofetz Chaim once told a father who approached him for a blessing that his children grow up to be God-fearing and righteous: “That requires far more than a blessing. That requires continuous effort and dedication.”
To be continued…
