17 Aug HALACHOS FOR THE AIR TRAVELER (PART 1)

One who would take

time to study how an

airplane has the

capability to fly

through the air would

be inspired with true

Yira Shomayim. It is

truly remarkable how

Hashem gave people

the wisdom to come up

with the idea of flying.

Think where we would

be today without the

airplane.

Preparing for a Trip

The Mishnah Berurah (and others) says one

should take along his tallis and tefillin when

traveling. When traveling by airplane, one’s

tallis and tefillin should not be placed together

with the baggage that goes underneath the

airplane. Some say that one should say the

parshas akeida before going on a trip. One

should learn Torah before and during the trip. It

is a nice practice for one to give tzedakah before

going on a trip. Some say before going on a trip,

one should be made a shliach by someone else

to give money to tzedakah at his destination. In

this way he will not be in danger on the way,

since he is a shliach mitzvah.

In the writings of Horav Yehuda Hachassid it

states if one went on the road and forgot

something in his house, he should not go back to

retrieve it. Instead, he should ask someone in the

house to get it for him. Some say the reason for

this concern is because when one goes on the

derech the shechinah is with him and if he goes

back to retrieve an object it is disrespectful to

the shechinah. However, if it is an object used

for a mitzvah, he may go back to get it. If one

did not actually leave the house yet, he may go

back to get an object. There is an opinion in the

poskim that if one has more than one entrance to

his house there is no concern with going into the

second door to retrieve an object that was

forgotten. If one is only going to a nearby place

there is no concern with going back to retrieve

an object that was forgotten. There is a

discussion in the poskim whether this inyun is

applicable to one who travels by an airplane, etc.

The Bathroom on an Airplane

Many poskim say that the bathroom on an

airplane does not have the same status as a

regular bathroom in a house or office.

Therefore, one may wash his hands for a meal

there. Similarly, one who went into the

bathroom to get something (and did not use the

facilities) would not be required to wash his

hands upon exiting the bathroom. When

awaking from sleep one must be careful not to

delay to use the bathroom, and should go as

soon as possible to avoid the issur of bal

tishaktzu.

Touching Food before Washing Hands

After one wakes up from sleep on an airplane, it

is common not to wash his hands right away

since there might be a long line for the

bathroom, etc. One must be careful not to touch

any food before washing his hands. If he did

touch food, then if the food can be washed off,

then it should be washed three times, otherwise

according to many poskim the food is permitted

to be eaten b’dieved. Many poskim say when it

comes to a goy, one does not have to worry

about eating such food because most people

wash their hands in the morning etc. even

though it might not be with a utensil etc.

Additionally, some say there is no ruach rah by

a goy. Therefore, if a goy hands out food that he

touched, one may eat the food.

Sleeping While Wearing a Tallis Katton

When sleeping on an airplane, one normally

does not remove his tallis katton first. Therefore,

when he wakes up no beracha is recited on the

tallis katton. One who wears a tallis gadol

recites the regular beracha on the tallis gadol

thereby exempting the tallis katton.

The Beracha of Roka Hu’aretz Al Hamayim

The beracha of Roka Hu’aretz Al Hamayim was

instituted when one steps on the ground upon

awakening. The beracha of Roka Hu’aretz Al

Hamayim may be recited when one wakes up

even if he is not stepping on the ground but only

on the floor of the airplane.

Davening While Dressed Properly

The Gemorah in Shabbos states that different

chachumim performed certain activities as a

preparation for davening. The Gemorah says

that this was done based on the posuk “one

should prepare before calling to your G-d.”

Many preparations must be conducted before

one can daven properly. If one has a special

meeting with the president, he would be careful

to make sure he was properly prepared for the

meeting. How much more so, must one be

careful to dress properly before davening.

Additionally, tefilla is in place of korbonos, and

just as the kohanim wore nice clothing while

doing the avodah, we too must wear nice

clothing while davening. Many times one

davens on an airplane after having just woke up

from a long sleep. One must be careful to tuck

his shirt in and wash up before davening to

Hashem. Davening with one’s shirt tucked out

of his pants or while half asleep is not

acceptable.

Davening on an Airplane

On an airplane, the minyanim are often made in

the back of the plane. The question arises

whether or not one is allowed to daven there,

since it is usually opposite the bathroom. This is

also a very common issue when saying asher

yotzar after using the bathroom. Many poskim

maintain that it is permitted to daven opposite

the bathroom. Some say that one should not

daven in the back of the plane since it causes a

chillul Hashem when it is very crowded and

people cannot get to the bathroom. It is said over

in the name of Horav Shimon Schwab zt”l that

he never davened in the back of the airplane and

considered davening there a chillul Hashem.

Although one normally needs to daven with a

mechitzah between him and women, when one

is davening on a airplane no mechitza is

required. The reason is because it is not a

permanent place for tefilla. Many poskim say

that tachnun may only be recited if one is in a

place that has a sefer Torah. Accordingly, on an

airplane tachnun is recited, but without placing

one’s head on his arm. Many Chassidim do not

recite tachnun when traveling.

Distributing Presents before Davening

Before davening, one should not distribute

presents which he brought home from a trip.

However, if the children are begging you for the

gifts, one may give them the presents before he

davens.

Reciting Tefillas Haderech

The Obligation

The Gemorah in Berochos says when a person

goes “on the way” he needs to say tefillas

haderech. One should not be lenient with this

requirment. The Levushei Mordechai says

women are also obligated in this tefilla. The

obligation of tefillas haderech does not only

apply when traveling by foot, but also when

traveling by car, boat, train and airplane. The

poskim say one who is traveling for a devar

mitzvah has to say tefillas haderech. The tefilla

should be recited in loshon rabim since one’s

tefillas will then have a better chance of being

answered. If the tefilla was said in loshon

yuchid it does not have to be repeated. Some

say that one should also say Yoshev Beseiser,

and Shir Hamalos Eisa Eiyni. Saying these

added tefillos are a segula for a safe trip

Saying the Tefilla

There is a dispute among the poskim if one

person can say the tefilla and exempt others. It is

preferable for each one to say the tefilla for

themselves. If this is not possible (no siddurim),

one person can say it for everyone. Horav

Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l maintained since

tefillas haderech is a tefilla not a beracha, if one

is in doubt whether or not to say it, one should

say the tefilla.

Sitting vs. Standing

It is preferable to say tefillas haderech while

standing. When traveling by car it is better to

stop the car and say the tefilla. If this is not

possible, one may say it while driving. When

traveling by boat or train, where it is possible to

stand when saying the tefilla, this is what should

be done (based on the Aruch Ha’shulchan).

Although on a plane it is possible to stand while

saying tefillas haderech, since it is difficult to

concentrate while standing on an airplane, one

should recite it while sitting.

Saying it next to another Beracha

The Maharam M’Ruttenberg said initially one

should say a different beracha before saying

tefillas haderech because tefillas haderech does

not begin with a beracha. A beracha achrona on

food or an asher yotzar should be said, followed

by tefillas haderech. The poskim mention that a

beracha on smell may not be said before tefillas

haderech. Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita holds if

one cannot make either a beracha achrona or an

asher yotzar, then one may make a beracha

rishona on food, eat the food and then say

tefillas haderech. If one did not say a beracha

prior to reciting tefillas haderech, he may say it

anyway. Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita holds if

one is being yotzei someone else in the tefilla,

then he may also be motzei him the inyun of

making a beracha before tefillas haderech

(either on food or an asher yotzar etc).

On an Airplane

When on an airplane, tefillas haderech is said

when the plane is high enough that if it would

fall there would be danger. Horav Yaakov

Kamenetsky zt”l says when traveling by plane

the tefilla should be said at the time the plane is

still on the ground and starts to go fast in

preparation for take off. Horav Elyashiv Shlita

holds if one did not say tefillas haderech before

the plane took off he may say it when the plane

is in the air. The poskim state if tefillas haderech

is said on the way to the airport then one is

exempt from saying it on the plane.

Using a Disposable cup for Netiylas

Yudayim

On an airplane it is very common that there is no

metal or hard plastic cup to wash one’s hands,

and all that is available is a paper or plastic cup.

Although there is a discussion in the poskim if

one may use a plastic or paper cup to wash his

hands. If no other cup is available, one may use

either a paper or plastic cup to wash his hands.

Care should be taken that one dries his hands

outside the bathroom.

Drying Hands on Clothing

Many times when traveling there are no tissues

available for one to dry his hands after washing.

One must be careful not to dry his hands on his

clothing because doing so causes forgetfulness

of one’s Torah knowledge. One should not dry

his hands on any garment. One may dry his

hands on a garment that is drying on the line

outside, etc. Drying your hands on your friends

garment is not permitted (see footnote). Many

people before washing their hands for bread dry

off any water that might be on them. Some

poskim say that one may dry his hands on his

clothing in this situation.

“The Mezonos Roll”

When one is on an airplane many times

mezonos rolls are served with the meal. As will

be explained below, these rolls are not mezonos.

The Shulchan Aruch says, based on the opinion

of the Rambam, if one kneads dough with

honey, milk or fruit juice, and the fruit juice is

recognizable in the bread, the beracha on the

bread is mezonos. The Rama disagrees, and says

this is still called bread and the beracha is

hamotzei unless there is a lot of fruit juice or

spices, then the beracha is mezonos. The

Mishnah Berurah, as well as many other

poskim, maintain that the fruit juice, etc has to

be most of the mixture, and one has to taste it in

the bread in order for the beracha to be a

mezonos. Others say that it does not have to be

most of the mixture, but it needs to be a lot.

There is an opinion (that of the Da’as Torah)

who maintains if a mixture has mostly fruit juice

then one does not need to taste it in the mixture.

However, all other poskim disagree and one

should not rely on this. Furthermore, the Da’as

Torah is only going according to the opinion of

the Shulchan Aruch and not the Rama.

Moreover the Da’as Torah explicitly states that

his chiddush applies only to a specific group of

juice none of which is currently used in baking.

Thus one who claims the Da’as Torah as the

source for his leniency in mezonos bread is

actually following only one part of that opinion

while arbitrarily rejecting the other. That is an

amazing feat more probably the province of

jugglers and circus performers than Rabbonim.

Some claim that some of the aforementioned

reasoning can be extended to mezonos rolls

causing their beracha to be a mezonos. As we

have demonstrated before the reasoning is

fallacious and because of this thousands of

people on a daily basis are not washing for bread

and bentching like they are supposed to. The

taste of the items with fruit juice is not

significantly different than that of regular bread.

People eat the roll in order to have the same

experience as eating regular bread. It is strange

to say that it can be called cake. People avoid

washing when they eat this mezonos bread, and

this is wrong even if it were really mezonos

bread al pi din since they are kovea seuda on it

(see attached Kol Koreh). Even Sefardim who

go with the opinion of the mechaber would wash

in this situation since one cannot tell the

difference between this bread and other breads.

Additionally, most apple juice is from

concentrate and this does not have the status as

complete fruit juice. Many bakeries use apple

juice from concentrate, and it would come out

that the rolls are made with mostly water, and

one would wash according to everyone. In

conclusion, the practice to give out mezonos

rolls on airplanes and by simchas is misleading

and improper. “Mezonos rolls” are an

oxymoron, since mezonos and rolls cannot

co-exist. Fortunate are those hechsherim which

do not allow bakeries to make mezonos rolls.

Many people think that a mezonos roll is a

loophole in washing ones hands and bentching.

However, in reality it is not and one must wash

and bentch. Many poskim say that these rolls

should only be eaten during a meal where one

washes on bread.