📋 Shiur Overview
Memory-Summary: Laws of Blessings Chapter 14 – Tefillas HaDerech (Introduction)
General Overview
The shiur is an introduction to learning Laws of Blessings Chapter 14, which deals with Tefillas HaDerech (the Traveler’s Prayer). The Rambam’s text inside has not yet been learned; the shiur limited itself to mussar-insights and practical points as preparation for learning.
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Introduction to Tefillas HaDerech – Definition and Nature
The Rambam’s approach (mentioned, not yet learned inside): The Rambam rules regarding Tefillas HaDerech, and it is “a beautiful sugya (topic)” that discusses the definition of Tefillas HaDerech – what kind of prayer/blessing this is. This will be dealt with when one goes into the text.
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Novel Insights and Explanations
Novel Insight: “I am the wild beasts” – Tefillas HaDerech as a Prayer Upon Oneself
In Tefillas HaDerech one asks: “mikaf kol oyev v’orev baderech (from every enemy and ambusher on the road)”, or according to our version: “oyev v’orev v’listim v’chayos ra’os (enemy and ambusher and bandits and wild beasts)”. The novel insight is as follows:
When a person travels on the road and he drives faster than the law permits (or recklessly), he himself is “the wild beasts” from whom he asks the Almighty to save him. A person is the greatest danger to himself. When, God forbid, someone strikes down a person, he is miserable for his entire life – and he himself is the “oyev v’orev (enemy and ambusher)” in that scenario.
The essential novel insight: Tefillas HaDerech is not only a request that the Almighty protect from external dangers (bandits, wild beasts, bad people), but also a prayer: “Save me from myself” – from my own recklessness and bad habits while driving.
Practical Conclusion – Double Benefit of Tefillas HaDerech
If one takes Tefillas HaDerech more into life, it has a double benefit:
1. (a) Protection through blessings – One makes more blessings, one asks and thanks the Almighty, and this brings protection.
2. (b) Reminder of responsibility – It reminds a person constantly about the responsibility that one has when one sits behind the wheel, that one should in no way be “the wild beasts” against whom one is praying.
[Digression: Three accidents in Boro Park on Erev Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai were mentioned, where a young man was seriously injured, and people were asked to pray for him – as a mussar-lesson how relevant Tefillas HaDerech is in daily life.]
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*The shiur has not yet begun the Rambam inside; this was the introduction before learning Chapter 14.*
📝 Full Transcript
Laws of Blessings Chapter 14 – Tefilat HaDerech (Traveler’s Prayer): Introduction and Moral Lesson
Opening
Gentlemen, we are learning Laws of Blessings Chapter 14.
Before we go to the shiur (lesson), I wanted to say something important like this. First of all, we are in the middle of a campaign for the beit midrash (study hall) where we learn the shiurim, Beit Midrash Ein LaMachshava. We will return to this.
But I wanted to say this: today, Friday, erev Shabbat kodesh (holy Sabbath eve) of Parshat Bechukotai, there were three accidents in Boro Park, and in one of them a bachur (young man) was very seriously injured. The Ribbono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe) should send him a refuah shleimah (complete recovery), and we should be davening (praying) for him.
Tefilat HaDerech – Introduction and Moral Lesson
The Rambam’s Approach to Tefilat HaDerech
In this chapter we learn the prayer of Tefilat HaDerech. The Rambam says, the Rambam rules – we will soon learn when we learn the shiur inside – it’s a beautiful sugya (Talmudic discussion) where he discusses Tefilat HaDerech, what its definition is.
A Novel Insight: “I Am the Wild Beasts”
But we say there like this: we ask the Ribbono Shel Olam to save us “mikaf kol oyev v’orev baderech” (from the hand of every enemy and ambusher on the way), or in our version we say “oyev v’orev v’listim v’chayot ra’ot” (enemy and ambusher and bandits and wild beasts).
I was once driving, and many times I also stumble with this – driving faster than the law and so forth – and it hit me that I am the wild beasts from whom I am praying that the Ribbono Shel Olam should save me. A terrible thing, I realized it.
A person is the greatest danger to himself, because when a person, if God forbid someone strikes someone down, he is unfortunate for his life. And who are the wild beasts here? From whom must one warn here? The Ribbono Shel Olam should save you from yourself. It’s a terrible thing.
Practical Conclusion: The Benefit of Tefilat HaDerech
So if we incorporate Tefilat HaDerech more into our lives, besides the fact that we will simply make more blessings and have the protection of asking the Ribbono Shel Olam and thanking the Ribbono Shel Olam, it will also constantly remind us of the simple matter of what responsibility one has when sitting at the wheel, and that we absolutely do not want to be the wild beasts against whom we are praying.
And the Ribbono Shel Olam should protect all Jews.
Invitation to the Campaign
Back to our campaign, baruch Hashem (thank God), we are learning the shiurim every day. Very beautiful shiurim, a very unique shiur. We learn an entire chapter of Rambam every day.
The study of Rambam is very enjoyable, one can always jump into the sugya. It’s not simply like being in the middle of a long pilpul (analytical discourse). It’s very difficult to catch up to a Daf Yomi shiur at any time. But Rambam – I want to remind and mention with praise the distinguished donor, the great lover and supporter of Torah, who is the shemen hatov (good oil) that absorbs into itself all the good fragrances from all the sages and the wisdom of Torah with whom one learns together, as we learned in the previous chapter of the Rambam.
Reb Yoel, and I invite everyone who should be “nichnass lechem v’yatza b’bosem” (enters as bread and exits as fragrance), to enter into the pleasant fragrance of all these “nahara d’afrismona” (rivers of balsam) of the Torah that Reb Yitzchak merits to do, and one should become part of the campaign, become partners and co-learners, and fortunate is your portion.
The Rambam says,