תפילת הדרך | The Traveler’s Prayer (with a Supplement for Airplane Travel)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Unknown Author(s)

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8 February 2016 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Categories:

Travel

Tags:

air, 58th century A.M., air travel, prayers for the way, תפילת הדרך tefilat haderekh, prayers for the road, 20th century C.E., flying, ascent, Needing Attribution

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵֽאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶׁתּוֹלִיכֵֽנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתַצְעִידֵֽנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתִסְמְכֵֽנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וּתְבִיאֵֽנוּ אֶל־מְחוֹז חֶפְצֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם	May it be your will, YHVH (haShem) our elo’ah and elo’ah of our ancestors, that we journey toward peace, that our footsteps be guided towards peace, that we are supported in peace, and that we reach our desired destinations for life and peace.
וְתַצִּילֵֽנוּ מִכַּף כָּל־אוֹיֵב וְאוֹרֵב בַּדֶּֽרֶךְ וְתִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ וְתִתְּנֵֽנוּ לְחֵן וּלְחֶֽסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל־רוֹאֵֽנוּ כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלַּת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרַחֲמִים: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלָּה:‏	May we be protected from every predator, man or animal, (lying in wait for us) along the way and may there be blessing in our handiwork, and may we be granted peace, kindness, and mercy in your sight and in the eyes of all who see us. for you are the one who hears the prayer of your people Yisra’el with compassion. Blessed are You YHVH, who hears prayer.^[1] Mishnah Berakhot 4:4, Mishnah Taanit 2:4 ^[2] Cf. Aruch HaShulchan 1:110:8; Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayyim 230:1
תפילה נוספת לנוסע באוירון	Supplemental Prayer for Airplane Travel
אִם אֶסַק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה, וְאַצִיעָה שְׁאוֺל הִנְךָ. אֶשָׂא כַנְפֵי שָׁחַר, אֶשְׁכְּנָה בְאַחֲרִית יָם. גַם שָׁם יָדְךָ תַנְחֵנִי, וְתֹאחֲזֵנִי יְמִינְךָ.	If I ascend up into the heavens, you are there, [and if I descend to Sheol, you are there too^[3] This full translation of Psalms 139:8 was not included in the original prayer’s English translation ]. If I take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there would your hand lead me, and your right hand would hold me.^[4] Psalms 139:8-10
וִיהִי רָצוֺן מִלְפָנֶיךָ אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַשָׁמַיִם שֶׁתִּשְׁמְרֵנוּ מֵרוּחַ סוֺעָה מִסַעַר וּמִצַעַר וְתוֺצִיא רוּחַ טוֺב מֵאוֺצרוֺתֶיךָ לְהַנְהִיג אֶת סְפִינַת הָאַוִיר וְחַזֵק כָּל מַנְהִיגֶהָ וְאָמָנֶיהָ שֶׁיַנְהִגוּ אוֺתָה כָּרָאוּי בְּלֹא עַצְלוּת וְתֵשׁוּת כֹּחַ, וְתַגִיעֵנוּ אֶל מְחוֺז חֶפְצֵנוּ לְחַיִים וּלְשָׁלוֺם בְּלִי שׁוּם צַעַר וָנֵזֶק. שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי וְהַצִילֵנִי אַל אֵבוֹשׁ כִּי חָסִיתִי בָךְ. וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֺלָם הַלְלוּיָהּ׃	And may it be your will, our father in heaven, that you guard us from storm and tempest and grief. And may you bring forth from your storehouses a propitious wind to carry our plane, and may you sustain and preserve those who fly it, that they neither weaken nor falter, and may we reach our destination alive and well, without any trouble and injury. O keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be abashed, for I have taken refuge in you.^[5] Psalms 25:20 But we will bless Yah from this time forth and for ever, Hallelu-Yah.^[6] Psalms 115:18

The תפילה נוספת לנוסע באוירון (Special Addition to the Traveler’s Prayer for Airplane Travel) was shared by the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, Ohio many years ago as a foldable pamphlet. We are sharing it here for the posterity of an ephemeral 20th century prayer of unknown authorship and origin. If you know the author or origin of this prayer please contact us.

Source

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Mishnah Berakhot 4:4, Mishnah Taanit 2:4
2	Cf. Aruch HaShulchan 1:110:8; Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayyim 230:1
3	This full translation of Psalms 139:8 was not included in the original prayer’s English translation
4	Psalms 139:8-10
5	Psalms 25:20
6	Psalms 115:18

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“תפילת הדרך | The Traveler’s Prayer (with a Supplement for Airplane Travel)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Unknown Author(s)

Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.

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Works of related interest:

תפילת הדרך באניית הכוכבים | Prayer for Going on a Starship Voyage, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

תפילת הדרך | Tefilat haDerekh (Traveler’s Prayer), by Rabbi Michal Ratner Ken-tor

תפילת הדרך | Tefilat haDerekh (Traveler’s Prayer), by Rabbi Tamar Duvdevani

Laetoli footprints, replica. Exhibit in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan. (credit: Momotarou2012, license: CC BY-SA)

A Prayer for Travel, by Rabbi Menachem Creditor

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---A significant offensive operation, which takes the independence and self-sufficiency of British-trained Afghan forces to a new level, has begun in central Helmand.
As the new year was seen in around the world, Afghan troops were opening a new chapter which sets the scene for their future autonomy and long-term role in the defence of their nation against extremism and terror.Operation OMID PANJ (ÔHope FiveÕ in English) follows on from the successful Operation OMID CHAR which, at the time, was the largest operation in size, number of soldiers and duration to have been planned, led and conducted by the Afghan National Army.But OMID PANJ takes things a step further, with the Afghans relying on even less support from British troops, who are present only in a supporting role. One of the key areas where significant development of Afghan capability is being demonstrated is their growing ability to find and render safe improvised explosive devices, the indiscriminate weapon of choice for the insurgency.Being conducted in the Green Zone, north of the Helmand River, the operation is pushing the Afghan governmentÕs influence and security bubble further out. By the time of its conclusion, it will see a new patrol base established east of Gereshk between the River Helmand and the Bandi Barq Road. This rural area, filled with irrigation ditches, canals and small farm plots, interspersed with residential compounds, has suffered from significant insurgent intimidation due to its proximity to smuggling routes into Gereshk city.

תפילת הדרך | Tefilat haDerekh, a traveler’s prayer for safety and peace (trans. Rabbi David Seidenberg, neohasid.org)

תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְטַיָּס | Traveler’s Prayer of a Fighter Pilot, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְצַנְחָן | Traveler’s Prayer of a Paratrooper, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (IDF, 1963)

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4 comments to תפילת הדרך | The Traveler’s Prayer (with a Supplement for Airplane Travel)

Ketzirah Carly Lesser
2016-03-27 at 10:33 am · Reply.
Here’s my airplane traveler’s prayer:
Blessed are You, Holy One on whose wings we fly
May it be for the benefit of All that I undertake this journey
And so may I arrive safely, swiftly, and uneventfully at my destination
And upon completing my work (trip, travels) may I arrive safely, swiftly and uneventfully home again
[said as wheels leave the ground]
Blessed are You, Holy One, on whose wings we fly
- The Hierophant
  2016-03-27 at 10:45 am · Reply.
  Thank you Ketzirah!
Maddy
2017-11-07 at 7:21 am · Reply.
Hello! Do you know if there are differences between the Ashkenazi and Sfardi text or transliteration of the tefilat haderech?
- Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  2017-11-07 at 8:29 am · Reply.
  Yes, there are a number of subtle variations of the Tefilat HaDerekh, mainly supplementing words added here and there. There is also a question of whether the formula at the end should include the divine name, making it a blessing.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17