Traveling during the 3 weeks? | Rabbi Jeremy Perlow | July 7 2026

Okay, good morning everyone. Thank you everyone for joining. It's always wonderful to see everyone. I know we're already in summer mode here and for that reason we have only this week and the next week will be our last week of classes before we break for the summer. So I thought it'd be appropriate to talk today a little bit about about traveling. So we know there's a lot to say about traveling. Traveling is very important and something we all do regularly. And there's traveling which is I think a healthy type of traveling. And there's perhaps traveling which is not so healthy and more difficult and more challenging and it presents more complications and I want to discuss about those two types of traveling today. In particular, we're going to do three things today. We're going to talk first about the hashkafa different outlooks on traveling that we see in kazal. Okay, that's the first thing we're going to do. The second thing we're going to talk about the of traveling, okay, which relate to the whole year, things we need to be aware of when we travel, good pieces of advice, things we should be thinking about before we set out on a trip. And then finally, I want to talk about specifically traveling during the three weeks and traveling during the nine days. What is that meant to look like? Okay, so we're going to talk about all those three things. And uh I think it's important, you know, we live in a world where traveling is not something uh too difficult for most of us. You can break away for a vacation. It's something possible. And and we're very fortunate, I think, to deal with these childs. The fact that for thousands of years traveling has been very very difficult. And now for the first time with the right since the invention of airplanes perhaps and now there have been more and more advancement of technology with cars etc. I think we have we're very fortunate to live in this generation where traveling has become much easier know was once approached by his medium and they noticed that he was doing a a lot of travel and they thought it was very peculiar how could it be someone who is so rasha someone who's so involved in Torah would go in on so many different trips and they asked him revi what's going on like why are you going on so many different trips and he said you know when I get to Shamim the 120 years old is Hashem, Hashem is going to ask me many questions. And I'll hopefully I'll have answers to his questions. But if he asks me, "Why didn't you see my elks?" I want to have an answer for him. I want to be able to tell him, "I did see your elves. I saw your world." And I think there's something very beautiful about this concept that we're meant to appreciate Hashem's creation, meant to appreciate the world Hashem has given us. And there's something very important about this. This is an idea that Rafuk emphasized time and time again. We have to appreciate Hashem's wonders of creation to look at the world and to appreciate what Hashem has given us. The gift of of creation and the gift of his world. Yeah. comes to see the house. So they said exactly what he said. So he said, "But I have >> I was just going to say if you go to the house, he said, but these mountains speak to me." >> Yeah. >> So there's something beautiful both inside and also sometimes we leave Israel and it also has place sometimes it has it place to travel and to see Hashem's will. Now the truth is if you look at the gumar in Shabas we know there are six questions the gumar says that a person is asked when they reach 120 years old six questions Hashem asks us and on the list of six many of us are familiar with the six questions but what's not on the list is why didn't you see my elves right so we know that it's true that vacationing has a place in haka and it has a place in obviously in our our lives hopefully a little bit but we should also recognize it's not a core value and I think it's important that we put emphasis on making sure we keep what's the the what's the most important the most important and what's toughel what's perhaps less important keeping it as the tel I think it's important to have a priority straight and be able to align them and what I want to discuss today is that balance again we have this balance of this the appreciation for travel appreciation for appreciating hashem's world for looking at the world for vacationing having an opportunity to rest to recharge our batteries which is very important I think we all need it at some points uh and then this contrast with also the idea of what are the pitfalls when we travel. What are some of the things we have to be weary of? What are the things we have to be mindful of and what are the some of the challenges we're going to face and the first place to look I think is none other than this week's sedra. We have parat mats mate double para this week we finished the book of the very end the last para in the book of barbar we have par mas means travel journeys. So the Torah starts off here. These are the journeys of the Jewish people. Source one who left Egypt. down the journeys of the Jewish people. I want you to write this down. This should be recorded forever. People need to know these are the spots that the Jewish people stopped at. Now, does anyone know how many spots there were that the Jewish people had to stop at? >> Ah, okay. So, you jumped ahead. Good. So, then >> I know that they stayed in one place for like 38. >> Very good. Okay. You know, Rashi too. Excellent. Okay. So the Torah says the Jewish people sjourned in a total of 42 different locations over the 40 40 years sjourn in the desert. Now if you think about that that sounds like a major challenge. Imagine having to move more than once per year over a period of 40 years. I know my family and I when we made a I just think about how difficult that was to move one time but time and time and time again it's very difficult 42 times. So Rashi here says it's true that it's difficult but if you look Rashir has two comments in source number two he he points out that uh this is something obviously crucial number one obviously the fact that Hashem wanted Moshe to write it down to write down a list of all 42 places means this is something absolutely crucial it's something that he wanted us to be aware of it wasn't just something that happened it's not just a historical fact and I think we have to think about what is the significance Why is it that Hashem wanted us, you and I here sitting in this room today to know about these 42 locations that the Jewish people stopped at? And I think the answer is again, Rash here tells us two answers here, right here in source two. We don't have to go far. He says, why does the Torah list these encampments? answer to teach us to inform us about Hashem's kindness. Hashem's even though Even though Hashem said, "Yes, I'm going to have to move you around. It's part of your punishments. You've sinned with the It's true. You're going to have to be here for 40 years and you're going to have to go moving and moving and moving and constantly feel like you're on the journey. You're on constantly feel like you're on the move and it's difficult. It's hard. It's true. But I don't want you to feel like it was constantly you're constantly moving all the time for all 40 years and you never had an opportunity to rest because there are total Rashi says of 42 encampments. And I I put an ellipses here because I didn't want to go through the math with you. But he does some math here and he goes through the 40 42 encampments over the 40 years and he he he comes out with one final fact which I bolded for you here. of the 38 years in the middle, meaning excluding the first year and the last year, of the 40 years in the desert, they only traveled 20 times, which is actually a much smaller number if you think about it. That means almost all the journeying happened in the first year or in the last year. And that's actually Rashi says here, it's almost like Hashem is giving them a little bit of a wink. It's true you're in a difficult circumstance. It's true. You're forced to travel and you're forced to be constantly on the move and it's uncomfortable. But I want to tell you, even in the punishment that I'm forced to give you, I'm still here and I still care about you. >> Because if they was very stressful. >> Yeah. >> If they knew like if this was if this was their schedule and they knew that would be fine, but they really didn't know. >> So I ask you I I'll throw a question back at you. The question is did we know that Hashem was giving us this form of test in the desert? And it's a great question and I think what we can add to this I'm going to throw the question back at you. I think what we can add is something very important because yes maybe they knew maybe they didn't know but what about us when we go through a difficult circumstances ah very good that's exactly I was getting at do we know do we know that Hashem is doing said when we go through difficult circumstances when we go through trials and tribulations do we see Hashem in our lives and that's exactly right it depends on what's in here depends on our amuna and I think that's very important certain point and uh yes >> right >> correct so we know in part correct >> correct we know that the clouds can move at any point in time and the Jewish people had to be ready to go and that's a major stressor right usually when you remove so you can plan months in advance you have time to prepare and to plan to pack and yet here when it comes to the Jewish people in the mear they didn't have that luxury at any moment the collets could rise and they have to be ready to travel ready to go so again it's a punishment it is a punishment it is difficult but even through the punishment there's a silver lining which hashem is giving us a silver lining which we have to appreciate >> that's right that's right for better for worse we have a lot more baggage it's a challenge I'll tell you it's interesting if you look the number 42 is actually a very significant number. Does anyone know what the there's a 40? What 42 elsewhere else the number comes up? 42. Remember that. But what is it? Where else does it come up? That's correct. But where else does it come up? Okay. So we know in an ah so we know anak one of this the little uh it's like a pismo that we say in the you may have seen this before and you count in anak right it's a actually composes the name of hashem. Okay, there's a 42 letter name of Hashem. 42, same number. And I think that this could be I'm adding perhaps a little Rashi. You actually didn't say this, but I think you could add and propose that maybe it's almost like again, Hashem is giving this a little bit of a wink. I'm here with you. You're going through difficulty. You're going through troubles, but I'm here with you. I'm going to protect you. Even though even though it's difficult, even though there's a lot going on, I'm giving you a little bit of a wink and telling you I'm here with you through your journeys. And uh this idea is highlighted perhaps by the next answer in Rashi. If you look here, he quotes from the in the second paragraph in source two. This is comparable to the following parable. There was a king. His son was sick and he had to go somewhere very far to heal his son. And then they went to they finally they made it to the doctor and on the way back on the way back the father started counting to the son. He was enumerating for the son all the places that they had to stop on the way to get to the doctor. He told his son here's where we slept here is where it was very cold for us. Here's where you hurt your head, etc., etc., right? So, it's a mush for Hashem recounting all the places that we went through, all the difficulties. It was cold here and I I gave you a blanket. Here's where you hurt your head and we brought you to the doctor. Here's where, etc., etc. All the difficulties you experienced. He's reumerating to remind him, yes, it was difficult, but again, I was here for you every step of the journey, and you've made it to this point. You you're about to enter Israel now. We did it. So I think to appreciate Hashem in our lives, to have that recognition to feel Hashem wherever we go is something absolutely crucial. We know again we know that traveling can be difficult. In fact, the very first episode we have the very first Jew was asked to travel. the famous story of in fact I was just talking to one of my co-workers yesterday and she mentioned the fact that this just happened to be she mentioned the fact that when she made and she she used to work and she said that when she advises people make a very often this is they they ask you try and convince me to move to convince me I can't convince you it has to come from within it has to come from a yearning a desire to want to come it's not no one can force you to come no one can twist your arm something has to come with from within We find that's exactly what happens with none other than the first challenge that we have for the first Jew. He's asked right what does it means to go what's for yourself. You have to appreciate why this is good for you if you're going to come. Now look what he says. I want you to come from leave three places from your land from your birthplace from the house of your father and go to the land that I will show you. And what will happen there? Look what he says. He gives him three. Okay. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. and I will make your name great. Okay, that's the he gives him. Okay, now look at source four. Rashi explains a little bit about what this bra was. Now again, there's three challenges of priest. He had to leave three different places and corresponding to these three places he was asked to leave, he was given a triple bra. Okay? And each of the brahot that he was given corresponds to another one of the challenges that we face when we travel. Okay. What was Abraham worried about? Turn the page. Go ahead. Actually, I'm sorry. It's still on the bottom. The bottom of page one. Okay. Source four. Traveling causes three things. Three things Arab was worried about. Number one, right? It's difficult to have children when we're traveling. Okay, understandably so. Not just because a person's on the go, it's uh obviously harder to conceive in that regard, but also because very often if a woman is traveling to be able to be healthy healthy enough to conceive a healthy child is very difficult and to uh carry a healthy child to to term is very difficult. Soia number two, it can cause a person to lose out financially. We know we don't have the opportunity to work when we're vacationing and often we spend a lot of money trying to travel and to get around to where we want to be. And finally, it causes the person's name to be lessened. What does that mean? A person is well known in your community. You're the boss, right? You're you're well known. You're the you're the one who does X in your community. Everyone knows this is what who you are. This is what you stand for. You go to a new place. No one knows who you are. You're all on your own. It's difficult. No one knows. You're you're a foreigner. You're a stranger. You're an immigrant. That's difficult. That's challenging. So, Hashem says, "It's true. You're worried about these three things again, Abraham. But I'm going to give you three corresponding to the three things you're concerned about. For this reason, Abra to receive the following three. Hashem promised him he'll have children. You don't have to worry. How do you see this in the words by the way? What's the first you'll be made into a great nation? You're going to have children. And what was his next concern? Finances, right? What is the next? He says, "I'll bless you." Rashi says that's the blessing here is a reference to finance. Finances to help financially to be financially stable. And finally, he was worried he's going to be an immigrant. No one's going to know who he is. He's going to lose his his shame. He says, "No, you will have a great name. Everyone will know who you are." And in fact, that's what we find to this day. We're still talking about Abrau. What a great amazing person he was. What a privilege we have to be part of the nation that began with Abrau. >> I don't know. The question is what's going to be >> okay so to be more precise you're correct to be more precise what Rashi said was that the traveling causes these three things I added in and therefore Abra was concerned could be Abra wasn't concerned Abraham had faith but in traveling in general could cause these three things and for this reason Hashem promised him there's no reason to worry I will protect you I will be with you in your travel so again I think so what we're seeing so far is that the the notion that traveling could be danger dangerous. There is what to worry about when we're traveling. There's what to be concerned about, but we have to recognize Hashem is there and we have to feel Hashem wherever we go in our lives. I think that's nuda. I want to point out what I want to do now. I want to turn to page two, sources five and six are going to tell us a little bit more about what we need to perhaps be concerned about and why perhaps we can question the whole the the concept of traveling and put into question the the act that we all do of going on vacation. Okay, if you look at source number five, we have here you say all paths are sak right a um have a English okay of being a a place of s of danger right we know that there's the when We go we travel it's dangerous by definition but traveling is dangerous. You're going to a new place. You're going to unknown. And you have to travel on the roads. The roads could be dangerous. And we have to be very mindful of this. You know, just traveling in a car now modern statistic. Car deaths are one of the highest of all different deaths that we have in the world. It's m it's mindboggling. Just getting in a car is very very dangerous. And I think we have to be mindful of this. And for this reason we know the chabas tells us if it's really a sak if it's really a danger the chabas tells us a person should not should never put himself in a situation of danger. Why you shouldn't say I'll put myself in a situation of danger. Hashem will protect me. Hashem will do a miracle for me. Don't say that. Don't put yourself in a situation of danger in the first place. Why? Maybe a miracle won't happen for you. And if a miracle does happen for you, Hashem will reduce from your merits. So we don't want to put ourselves in a situation of danger. It's not worth it. Number one, a miracle might not happen. You might just get in trouble and be in danger and be in pain and Hashem's not going to save you. Or even if a miracle does happen, maybe Hashem have to subtract it from your merits. We don't want that. we have a certain amount of we don't want to use them up on a situation that we could have easily avoided. Ah okay. So good question. How do we define sakana? Very important question. >> Okay. So obviously when we talk about sakana we have to be talking about something which is I think a broader sak not just like you're sitting in your house obviously right I think we have to be more we're think more globally. Uh in in general this is a huge topic what you were hitting on here which we're not going to get to discuss too much of this today but it's a very big topic. I'll answer generally is defined as that which people perceive as dangerous okay and this is a very important concept in even if something is actually has a higher level of potential for danger like I give an example before driving cars most people don't perceive driving a car as something dangerous we do it all the time people do it every day multiple times a day and for this reason most assume that something like that actually would not fall into the parameters of sort six but it's interesting nonetheless Because in source 5 the says traveling by definition is is we have the tells us explicitly which begs the question of how can we ever go on vacation? How can we ever justify going on vacation if we're not supposed to put ourselves into danger and we're being told here that traveling is dangerous. >> So you could try to answer like I said before that people don't perceive it as dangerous. Yeah, good. You could try and answer like what we were saying up until now, but people don't perceive traveling as dangerous. But again, the Gibbar does define it as sah. So, we have to understand a little bit better what the Sak doesn't apply today. Is that we're going to answer? I think we have to do a little bit better than that. Yeah. >> The end justifies the if I didn't get into a taxi to come over here today which is traveling, I wouldn't have had your lecture or any other. >> Okay. Okay. Sometimes you have to say you have to balance you know where you're going, what you're doing and is it worth it. >> Okay. Very good. So we're going to come to that. Please God if we get to the end of the year today. We'll come back to that. But Rosanna is teaching us something important that sometimes if you have a very important mitzvah it might might go ahead and uh justify putting ourselves in a little bit of danger. Not a great great danger but perhaps in a little danger like traveling. Perhaps there's situations which you will justify traveling. Yes. right? There's only so much in our hands to be able to limit the the potential danger of traveling. You can have the safest car in the world, but ultimately there's many other drivers on the road and there's only so much we can do to repair and be mindful of it. So, uh, so again, I think there's we have to talk about this on two levels. So number number one level one traveling in general. I think we all travel to get here even if we walked down the walk or we came from further away. Uh I think we all travel to get here. So obviously we all permit traveling on some level. Everyone who's in the room at least those you're listening online maybe not. Okay. But I think that's level one we have to talk about and level two is vacationing in general. Vacationing in general. Vacationing meaning there it's perhaps we have less of a of a ends to justify the means perhaps. Right. So that's something we have to discuss. What are the justifications for traveling in general? So what I want to do now is that Yeah. >> within and without both within Israel and leaving Israel. Yeah. Okay. Now there's this whole separate question which I have to have another which I think is what you're alluding to is is a Jew mentally is right. Are we mentally very even for traveling? you're just going for a little bit for a small vacation even something like that there's a Jew mentally so that's something we just talked about before okay but there's something I think that really devotes it requires it own discuss traveling outside of uh in terms of the and the okay let's switch over now to part two which is proper travel preparations and contemporary applications for today okay so this is going to be some of the we have to be mindful of when we go and travel today some of the some of the preparations we have to do before departing on a journey and then part three will be when we get there will be traveling in the nine days and the three weeks as a whole okay so that will be if we have time for part three if not we'll save that for next week we'll try and get to it today if we can okay part two proper travel preparations so the Gar tells us in source seven when you go on a journey say you should discuss it with your creator and then leave. Wow. You should discuss your travel plans with your creator. So it's a very interesting wording here. And the Gar says, "What are you talking about? What does that mean? What does that mean? You should discuss your travel discuss your traveling with your creator and leave. What does that mean? This is a reference to what we call in English the wafer's prayer. Okay, we're not talking about wafers to eat. Okay, we're talking about the traveler. The traveler's prayer that we have to recite. It's in the every sided. You'll find it in many ventures, many cards. They have this a lot of people have it in their car. They have a little it's a beautiful thing to have. And what is what is this prayer we're supposed to say when we leave of anyone who goes on a trip you have to what is and he quotes it here and I want to do is I want to analyze the text of the and I want everyone to look very carefully at the and I want everyone to think about as we're reading the what differences you might find from what's in the garra from what we have today okay so if you know the prayer look extra carefully if you don't know it then certainly look carefully at the prayer and let's think about some of the what the prayer is saying to us and how it differs perhaps from what we do May it be your will before you my God shalomm you should guide me have me walk to peace shalom shalom all different ways of asking for peace on seven source Save me from the enemies, from people who are going to try and stop me on my trip, who are going to ambush me. Send your blessing in my handiwork in place for me that I should be considered. uh I should receive your compassion, your loving kindness, your mercy in your eyes and the eyes of all who see mem who hears prayer. So this is a very powerful. Okay. Number one, I think it's interesting. First of all, this is called the discussion with your creator. The discussion with your creator is you ask Hashem for help as we're leaving. I think that's important to recognize that sometimes the consultation doesn't have to be waiting for a reply. It's hard for us to hear Hashem. We're not It's hard for us to know what Hashem wants from us. We have to try and do our due diligence before we decide to leave on a tra on a journey. Whether it's something Hashem truly wants from us. I think that's number one to point out. But number two, just understand that part of our discussion quote unquote with Hashem is that's how we discuss with Hashem. I think we often times lose sight of this. People always ask how can we communicate with Hashem today, right? We don't have we don't have Hashem speaking to us directly, but we do have two forms of communication. We talk to Hashem through and we actually do have a way of listening to Hashem. What's that? Torah Torah when we study Hashem's Torah for this reason by the way it's interesting some of the custom that before departing on a journey what they'll actually do is they'll learn the section in the Torah which discusses Jacob right before he went to battle Jacob did three things before he prepared for his battle for Isa right one of which was right the other he did other things to occur as well and those okay you want to say okay so the three things are good. He prepared for battle and he prepared gifts to try and appease the stuff to try and avoid a battle if they could. That would be best case scenario. So he did three things to prepare. And many people before departing on a journey will actually have the custom that they'll study that section of the Torah before they leave for their journey. And they'll think about am I really prepared for my journey? Am I meant to be going on this journey? Is this something I meant to be doing? Is this something Hashem wants from me? They'll think about these things before they go on their journey. And they'll think about whether they did the appropriate preparations. So that's in terms of the Torah. We have Torah or our way of communicating with Hashem that we're listening to Hashem. Hashem speaks to us through the Torah. To feel when we study what we're doing right now to feel Hashem is speaking to each and every one of us to feel not like it's just an intellectual pursuit, not like it's something of the past of thousands of years prior, something we received a long time ago. We're just studying on an intellectual level. No, we're studying because we feel like Hashem is speaking to us. And that's important part of our communication with God. And then finally, speaking. How do we speak to Hashem? Ding. That's something we still have. And to feel when we're dabbing, I'm talking to God. To feel genuinely like I'm having a conversation with my creator. I think it's something which is difficult. We're being reminded here in this. Yeah. >> Okay. So, we're going to talk about when exactly we say it. That'll be on the next page of we'll get there. Okay. So, now I want you to notice again what were some of the differences? Did anyone notice any differences between what we do today and what's done recorded here in the Gamarra in terms of >> very good okay so the most important difference is that we recite this prayer in the plural form okay you'll notice in the kamar the way this te is presented is it's presented right hashem should protect me hashem should give me peace on my journey hashem should let me uh have the fruits reach acquire the fruits of my labor through my travels etc. Everything's about me on the personal level, but it's meant to be recited. And that's exactly what tells us in he goes on a trip again plural our God and the God of our forefathers shalom. He should guide all of us right in peace etc. You should always say it in the plural. The next thing he tells us, if it's possible, you should try and stand during. Now, if you're in the car, obviously, don't try that. Okay? All right? Don't try that. Um, why why should we stand? Because we're talking to we're addressing Hashem. We're talking to our creator here. if you have the opportunity to stand and to pause. Now, standing here, I think Rabbi Bowwitz mentioned last week for those who are listening closely to Yeshua that there's two definitions of what it means to stand. So, obviously, one definition is what we're familiar with LaMode. The classic definition, the modern Hebrew translation of Lamode is to stand, but it could also mean to pause, right? So, don't do it while you're driving. Do it pull over to the side of the road or we'll talk about another solution soon, but just to pause if obviously if you're walking, it's very easy. pause, right? If you're on the bus, right? So, you're paused at least. Maybe the bus is moving, but you're paused. Okay, just a pause. So, there's two definitions here. So, obviously, if we can't meet the first definition, at least to pause in our journey is appropriate. Assuming you can. Again, it's not a requirement, but he says it's preferred. But if you're on a donkey or for us, if you're in a car, okay, you don't have to get down from your donkey. You don't have to get out of your car. You could stay in your car. Again, it's better to stand, but if you're already in the car, you can continue in the car. I think for most of us to have to pull over to the side of the road and actually stand up is very difficult. I don't think we're expected to do that. If you have time and it's not difficult and there's an easy place to pull over, it's not dangerous. Okay, wonderful. But it's not a requirement. Now, what's interesting here, the this is actually based this of the is actually based on the garra. The garra tells us that there are two opinions regarding what is required in terms of okay said it can be actually that could be said while walking and said that has to be said while standing and for this reason the says based on the riff that it's appropriate to try to stand if you can to accommodate the opinion of but strictly speaking we do and we do rule like and therefore if a person is stuck he can recite while walking Now the important question we have here is what about today? Because all of this is very nice in the times of the Gomorrah as we said in source number five that it was very dangerous to travel all the pathways there to be dangerous. So the question is and obviously you look at the tiwa the tiwa is very much pointed at specific dangers right it said from enemies from an ambush right it's talking about specific dangers that could happen on a path now most of us I think when we travel somewhere or we go on a trip we're not so concerned about an enemy per se or an ambush attack we might be concerned about a car accident god forbid right okay maybe for some of us we are okay that's true also but for mo for the most of for the most parts I think we're mostly concerned about a car accident or maybe we're thinking about the traffic we might be hitting or other things. Okay, that's usually what's on our mind. So, so is that included in this? So, the truth is this is actually not my question. You'll notice also again uh in the modern day you'll notice in some of the you'll see many many different permutations of this. So you'll have some of them actually mentioned other things which have been added throughout the generations some of which are right you might have heard before right wild animals that could attack which I think again it's not so not such not doesn't have such great applicab applicability today um and we you could the truth is there's a big discussion you'll see many different permutations of this tiwa and the truth is they're all okay because they all have the same basic format you only need two basic requirements to fulfill your obligation to do it. Number one, you have to dab in for success in your trip. Dashem should make your trip successful. And number two, you should dashem should protect you from evil. Hashem should protect you from the the the potential dangers which could come up on your trip. Those are the two things. Those are the two essential elements of the everything else that you add in is not an absolute requirement. So all the different permutations of this that we have in the different they're all acceptable and some post hold that you can actually add in your own personal requests to so if you don't want to hit traffic you could actually add that in if you don't want to have an accident while traveling while driving you could add that in. In fact, advis people when they drive to add in that specific specific request. He says you should add in the following three word three words. Hashem should protect us from from God forbid getting in an accident while driving. Ah, okay. We're going to get to that. We're going to get to that. We get right there. Good question. Okay. So, I want to just finish this section before we go on. The the big burning question is how does this apply today? Now, most of us again, we're not thinking about the things from the times. Does include the basic formats? Even if you don't add in orbak's edition about getting into an accident, does the basic format of as it appears here in the gar does that include other common day uh trials and tribulations which we might face other challenges which we might face while traveling. So the said yes it absolutely includes them and therefore you can say according to even if none of what you think is included in the is going to be a concern for you while traveling. Okay. So that's the of the however felt that no that if you are not nervous about your travels if you feel very comfortable with wherever you're traveling and you feel very much bakas you feel you're at ease with the journey you're not thinking about any dangers you don't think any of the dangers mentioned here in this apply to you he says therefore if you want to say the you certainly can but say it without Hashem's name don't add Hashem's name in the bra because if you're not nervous about the journey you're very at ease with what's going on and you don't think that any of the concerns here in the apply to you then you should not say Hashem's name risk saying God's name in vain to recite so if it's known to be a dangerous road if it's known to be a dangerous place even agrees you should say with name but if you're not nervous and it's not known to be a dangerous place then feels better not to risk saying Hashem's name in vain for this reason salvation famously was known for uh for being one of the people when he would fly, he was very comfortable with it. He was very comfortable with it. Statistically, it's very comfortable if you think about it. It's much more safe than actually driving. A lot of people don't know, we don't think about it, but actually flying, even though people get much more nervous about it, is actually much more safe than driving. And Rovich generally when he would travel, he wasn't nervous. And he for this reason he would uh he would not say to when he was traveling uh unless he was nervous about his trip. But on a regular trip he would go back and forth often from Boston he usually would not say to for journeys he was accustomed to taking Kamitki however felt otherwise. He felt that no if you meet the requirements for traveling which we'll discuss in a minute what they are then you say it's a rule it's not subject to your personal preferences your personal feeling your personal it's a rule if you meet the rules for what's considered a what's considered traveling then you say so different approaches in this regard and they're both valid they're both important I think it's important to point out this discrepancy that we have and I think it it begs the question in general when we have talk about modern day fiot. How are we meant to view them? Modern day fiot or I'm sorry ancient fivot how do they apply to the modern days? Are we meant to assume that they always apply in every circumstance or perhaps now that we're living in different times maybe either the two has to be adjusted like recommended or perhaps just say it doesn't apply and therefore it shouldn't be said. So again this is a big question and you see generally we don't have such leway but here in we do in we see there's different approaches and we have to apply the circumstances of the garra to our modern-day circumstances. That's very important to think about how they apply to us living in 2026. >> Yeah, >> correct. That's exactly right. Meaning we don't want to risk saying Hashem's name in vain. But if you say without Hashem's name, you're right. Then there's no risk. There's no risk. >> Yeah. >> Yes. It's a good question. So I'll say like this. Uh generally when we do for things, there's times where many first of all, many would would agree with you for the for this for the getgo. Okay, that's number one. One, I think Rabb Yakovski felt that you're traveling. You meet the criteria of traveling. It doesn't matter how you feel. You ded what's appropriate. You can say Hashem's name without any questions. I think that generally I think that's the minh. I think most people do like Revy Kameki. My personal feeling on this. But I think has a little has a basis to what to be back to him. We have to when we say it when we dive into Hashem, we have to really feel it. I think you're accurate in that regard as well. We have to feel it. So if you don't feel nervous about the trip and you don't think that the what applies to you in the applies to your modern day circumstances, how could he say that to you with a full heart, right? How could you really ask Hashem with Hashem's name, right, to go ahead and protect you from all these things? So Sharbi, okay Salvich's student, he um is known for doing the following. when he would go on almost any trip, he would even go over the George Washington Bridge. He would go on many, many trips, you would go on even a short trip, he felt that it requires, we'll see what the criteria of a of a trip are in a minuteem, but he felt that that requires at least it's a suffic at the very least. It's a question whether it requires a and therefore what would he do every single morning when he would denu if he knew he was traveling that day and the ofenu he would add in his personal He would add in this request. He would say in the middle of this way without any question he could recite without any question and recite the full the way it's meant to be done. So again different approaches to when to recite. We still haven't to find a journey. We'll see if we can get there. We'll move a little bit quicker now. Let's go to source number nine. So this is the Mishnaba. Mr. Brewer mentions we're going to see here three different pieces of advice that we have to be mindful of before we depart on our journey. Okay. So first of all we already we have to recite the that's something you'll notice we do throughout all of our right whenever right we don't say heal me we don't say provide me with wisdom heal us you provide to mankind wisdom right bestow us with your wisdom etc etc we always dra and the reason this is so important is because we We never want to to make ourselves external from the seabboard. We don't want to single ourselves out. We want to always be together with the seabboard. That's very important. And that's something which is stressed time and time again throughout the you look throughout again many many that we have throughout. This is something which is constantly stressed to always be a part of the it's so important. I can give you a million from today until tomorrow. But how important that is I'll just share you through one one of my favorites. I remember when I was uh in Shawim in the Salv uh I remember they used to have a sign up right before the Nor and it used to be that you would sign up to what to do what to have to volunteer to squeegee the floors of the baby that was you'd sign up for and when I was there so there's a few guys would sign up it was very nice of them they would sign they'd write their name to squeegee the floors to clean the floors before the yam no and we eventually they moved to doing it almost every shabas is a beautiful thing that they did. They squeegee the force and there would always be a few guys who signed up. But I remember hearing from some of the older talim who were there before me that it used to be that you couldn't even get your name on the list. There were so many people who wanted to volunteer to have an opportunity to squeeze the forest before Shabas that you couldn't even get your name on the list. What a what what an amazing thing that is because they felt what an opportunity it is to be part of a seabboard to be part of something bigger than myself to do something for the seabboard to feel like I'm part of a community and not just here myself as a as an individual and I think we all have to try as much as possible not just in our but in our actions and the way we interact with others to be part of a to be part of the bigger picture of am and I think we all do that in our own ways we all I think each one of us whether it's coming to be part of a group for shirim whether it's coming to be part of a for davening whether it's taking parts of acts of in the community to be mindful of our neighbors to be mindful of the people around us how we can help them how we can provide for them it's something we all have a responsibility to take part in and that's part of being again ding where we take we thinking about the the others even when we d in a regular in a regular prayer on a daily basis okay so now let's go through again the three things the mishabu advises us we have to be mindful as we depart on a journey. Number one, okay, I bold them for you. Number one, he says, you should be busy with Torah while you're traveling. Now, why is that? Who could tell me? What's the proof? We say it every day, right? The Torah tells us in the as you go on a journey, you have to be able to speak words of Torah. And what that requires from us is planning in advance. If you just go on a vacation, if you just go and you travel and you don't bring any sar with you, you don't have any Torah conversations that you have in mind, you don't have a place to go, a bit midash, a bit of sh, you don't have any any opportunity to pull up Torah, then how are you going to fulfill the mitzvah, right? You have to be thinking about what you want to talk about with your family, with the people traveling with you, what Torah you want to share, what questions you want to ask. Think about what time you want to bring, what you when you going to squeeze in the morning. Are you going to squeeze in the morning? You're going to squeeze it in on the bus. When are you going to squeeze in a little bit of Torah? It's always important when we travel to have it with us. Again, Torah is our avenue of hearing from Hashem. If we want to feel Hashem when we're traveling, we have to carry it with us as we're going. That's our conversation tool with Hashem. That's our communication device. We have to hear Hashem wherever we go. To feel Hashem as we started with the 42 journeys to feel Hashem wherever we go. Number one. And he says the gar says he quotes here right after the bold if someone is traveling and he doesn't take advantage of this opportunity. He just goes and he wastes his time. He doesn't accomplish anything. He doesn't do anything productive on the trip. He says he doesn't learn Torah because he speaks very harshly here. Okay. But don't become overly engrossed in the Torah that you're learning in the because you're going to get distracted. You're going to lose sight of the big picture. And you have to also don't lose take away from the trip. Okay? You have to be mindful of where you are. Also, if your head's in the books and you can't think about what's going on around you, you miss your bus stop. It ruins the whole trip, right? Oh, where are we going to go now? I have to take a cab and it's too much of a headache. So, don't become overly engrossed in your learning, right? Plan a time to learn. find an appropriate avenue to learn but don't lose sight of your trip either. I was once advised uh you know the says my wife always likes to remind me of this also you know there's the classic explanation I'll tell you my explanation my explanation is wherever you are be there 100%. Wherever you whatever you're doing, be 100% involved. You're spending time with your family, spend time with your family. You're on vacation, you're on vacation. Now, what does that mean? You're on vacation. That's the very important. But when you're on vacation, you're on vacation. Now, that doesn't mean you do whatever you want and you forget about Torah and that's important, right? But you're on vacation to focus on what you're supposed to be doing. What's the what's your goal for vacation? What are you trying to prioritize here? What are you trying to accomplish? Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, do it 100%. And he says here, uh, if someone else is driving, he says someone else is riding the wagon. Okay, driving, someone else is leading the horses, then perhaps you could be more involved. If someone's driving you to your location, you have a taxi driver, your wife is driving, your spouse is driving. Okay, so then go ahead. you can be involved more in the Torah assuming it makes sense. So you should be again you should be involved in Torah in some form while you're traveling and you should can even be involved in more heavily forms of Torah if you're not nervous about missing your stop and you have a way to ensure that you won't miss it. And he says number two he says something very interesting here he says when you're traveling don't overeat. Okay I think it's very important words of advice okay for many reasons. He says if you're overly satiated that can actually be difficult for your body especially when you're traveling general difficult in general but especially when you're traveling overeating is not a good idea which I think is important for vacationing. I think we're uh very often people go out to restaurants and they go out to eat and they want to have a nice experience and they're tempted by the food in front of them and they're tempted and they overeat. Don't overeat. And he tells you also the contrary to this. So look at the next pair. Every person should be careful. They should have bread. Bring food with you. Sometimes you go and you have the opposite problem. You didn't bring food and there's no kosher restaurants and there's no kosher food available and you feel like you're stuck. Bring food with you. Plan in advance. You shouldn't be hungry on your trip. I think most people don't have that issue. I think most people are very good about that. That's like the first thing whenever we talk about vacation. My wife says whenever we talk about vacation the first thing we have to talk about is what are we doing in terms of food right we have to have that perspective also to appreciate the vacation part of appreciating the vacation is important that we have good food when we go so I think we're good we're better we're good about that >> oh yeah Yeah, you never know what comes up. So, it's always a good idea to have food in your back pocket. I think it's true. Yeah. So, kosher restaurants for sure. Kosher food for sure. Especially if you're going to place that doesn't have kosher food and for sure pack. Okay. Okay. Let's wrap up. And he says anyone who's God-fearing, it's proper and appropriate. When you leave, bring your fill. Even if you're going somewhere close, even if you're planning to return today because you never know, you're going to get stuck. Maybe know there won't be opportunity to return. You won't have the opportunity to get your talis fill in and you're going to be stuck borrowing. What's the problem with borrowing? What's the big deal if you get stuck borrowing? So sometimes you can't even borrow, but what's the big deal if you borrow? It's not such a big deal. He says the last line here he says the big problem is people are not careful when they borrow because it's very important that has to be sized appropriately. The is if a person does not wear to the fit to the proper size he has not fulfilled the mitzvah but sometimes you see people they bought from someone who is wearing a very big has a bigger larger head than he is and the is drooping over his forehead and the is you didn't fulfill the mitzvah that way. So not only did you not fulfill the mitzvah, but you said in vain now and sometimes you have another problem that you wait so long to get a proper pair of and then you miss the time to dav you miss the time for you miss the time to so again so it's appropriate to always have your talis with you it's appropriate to plan and we'll do next week we'll continue with this if you have the source sheets you can hold them we'll bring more next week for those who are not here and I think it's important as we're traveling we should recognize we need Hashem's protection to feel Hashem's protection and always as the the says that the we should have to feel Hashem in everything that we do in all of our journeys and next week we'll talk about the nine days and the three weeks what traveling looks like