עברית
Prayer and Blessings
When Do Sephardim Say the Traveler's Prayer?
Question
Hello, esteemed Rabbi,
When should one say the Traveler's Prayer with a blessing in Hashem's name and when without Hashem's name? How long must the journey be? (according to Sephardic custom)
Thank you very much
Answer
Greetings,
The Traveler's Prayer should be said for a journey between cities, provided that the journey takes at least a measure known as "parsa." If the travel duration is less than this, one may say the Traveler's Prayer without the conclusion 'blessed.' (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Siman 110, Seif 7).
According to Sephardic custom, the measure of "parsa" is determined by time; therefore, if one travels for 72 minutes between cities, they should say the Traveler's Prayer (see Responsa Yabia Omer, Vol. 1, Orach Chaim, Siman 13, and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Yalkut Yosef, Siman 110, Seif 2).
In contrast, Ashkenazi custom measures "parsa" by distance; hence, if one travels 3.840 kilometers between cities, they should say the Traveler's Prayer (see Responsa Shevet HaLevi, Vol. 10, Siman 21, Note 2, and Hilchot Shlomo, Vol. 1, Chapter 21, Halacha 7).
With blessings,
Hillel Meirs
