Wandering Jews

Actually, there is a halachic basis for his request, sort of. Most long berachos begin with and end with the formula “Baruch atah Hashem . . .” The berachah of Asher Yatzar, for example, has the phrase “Baruch atah” at the beginning and at the end. Some long berachos, though, have the phrase “Baruch atah” only at the end. The second berachah of bentching, for example, ends with “Baruch atah Hashem al ha’aretz v’al ha’mazon.” However, it starts directly with “Nodeh lecha,” without any preamble. Since the first berachah of bentching ends with “Baruch atah Hashem ha’zan es ha’kol,” the proximity of that phrase to “Nodeh lechah,” the next berachah, obviates the need for another “Baruch atah” preamble to start the second berachah. The term for this is berachah hasemuchah l’chaveirta. When one berachah is recited directly after another berachah, it may not need to start with “Baruch atah.”

Tefillas HaDerech is a long berachah that culminates with “Baruch atah Hashem shomeia tefillah.” Why doesn’t it start with “Baruch atah”? It is seemingly an independent berachah. All independent blessings that are not part of a series should start with “Baruch atah.” The Maharam MiRotenburg explains that the berachah was intended to be recited after the long berachah of “Ma’avir sheinah.” The proximity of the end of that berachah, “Baruch atah . . . gomeil lachasadim,” precludes the need for Tefillas HaDerech to start with “Baruch atah.”

When one already said the berachah of “Ma’avir sheinah,” the Mishnah Berurah (O.C. 110) advises one to orchestrate the need to say any long berachah such as “Asher Yatzar,” “Al HaMichyah,” and “Borei Nefashos.” This necessary blessing should then be followed by Tefillas HaDerech. So what the boy perceived as his family’s custom of eating before Tefillas HaDerech was actually just the preparation necessary to say the berachah achronah of Al HaMichyah or Borei Nefashos. This boy only knew he had a mitzvah to eat!

The Chasam Sofer writes in his glosses to Shulchan Aruch that his rebbi used to smell spices before Tefillas HaDerech. Rabbi Nosson Adler, the Chasam Sofer’s rebbi, apparently held that even a short berachah, such as the one recited on spices, recited before Tefillas HaDerech would also obviate the need to start Tefillas HaDerech with “Baruch atah.” Why didn’t he use a berachah on food instead? Why didn’t he recite “Borei pri ha’eitz,” take a bite of an apple, and recite Tefillas HaDerech? He felt that eating would be an interruption between the berachah and Tefillas HaDerech. Consequently, Tefillas HaDerech would still need a “Baruch atah” opening. Rabbi Nosson Adler felt that smelling spices, however, would not be an interruption. The Chasam Sofer himself disagreed and felt that even smelling spices would qualify as an interruption. The Mishnah Berurah perhaps concurred, and therefore only listed Asher Yatzar and berachos acharonos as possible berachos to use.

However, if this technique is not possible, one should certainly not start Tefillas HaDerech with “Baruch atah.” Rather, he should use the text found in the Siddur.

There is a limud zechus, why people are not careful about this halachah to even attempt to recite a required berachah before Tefillas HaDerech, from our Gemara. Kohanim who were involved in the Avodah had precious few moments to daven. Our sages instituted the required minimum blessings and prayers that they had to recite. One such blessing was one of the berachos recited before morning Kerias Shema. According to one opinion, they recited Ahavah Rabbah. The Rashba concludes from this Gemara that one may recite birchos Kerias Shema out of order.

But the Rashba is bothered by the fact that the kohanim, or anyone who recites the berachos out of order, are starting the berachah of Ahavah Rabbah without “Baruch atah.” Normally it is recited after “Baruch atah Hashem yotzer ha’meoros.” The proximity of that berachah to Ahavah Rabbah obviates the need for the usual blessing preamble. However, the kohanim recite Ahavah Rabbah alone! Why shouldn’t they start Ahavah Rabbah with “Baruch atah”?

The Rashba answers that once Chazal instituted a blessing, they did not change the text even if it is recited under other circumstances. Once Ahavah Rabbah was formulated without a “Baruch atah” opening, there is no need to even attempt to place it next to another berachah. Most of the time it is placed next to another berachah, Yotzer HaMeoros. The kohanim who are the exception to the normal practice need not be concerned, because they are acting appropriately to be reciting Ahavah Rabbah independently.

The Tzitz Eliezer (6:2) says that this logic is most apparent from the Rashba’s inclusion of Tefillas HaDerech into the list of berachos that were instituted not to open with “Baruch atah.” Shomeia Tefillah is a berachah we recite every weekday in Shemoneh Esreih. Tefillas HaDerech ends with Shomeia Tefillah. Although the contents of these berachos are markedly different, they still conclude exactly the same way. Shomeia Tefillah in Shemoneh Esreh does not start with “Baruch atah” since it is adjacent to “Baruch atah Hashem matzmiach keren yeshua.”

Once our sages instituted that Shomeia Tefillah should not start with “Baruch atah,” all Shomeia Tefillos blessings do not start with “Baruch atah.” (The Tzitz Eliezer takes pains to explain that the logic is not simply that since most times it is recited samuch lachaveirta, it is always viewed that way. Rather, our sages chose to formulate certain berachos as shortened berachos because it is usually samuch lachaveirta.) Therefore, according to the Rashba, there is no need to even attempt to recite another berachah before Tefillas HaDerech. Unlike the Maharam MiRottenburg, the Rashba holds that Tefillas HaDerech was originally formulated to be an independent berachah.

However, the Shulchan Aruch and the Mishnah Berurah still rule that one should attempt to recite another required berachah before Tefillas HaDerech. So the appropriate response to “Let’s recite Tefillas HaDerech” should be, “I’ll drink to that!”