Eliyahu Rosen tapped his steering wheel impatiently as the morning traffic inched forward. He finally got to work at 9:15.
Eliyahu wished “Good morning!” to his boss, who glanced at the clock. “Traffic was very bad today,” Eliyahu explained apologetically. “There’s more and more congestion during rush hour.”
That afternoon, during the lunch break, Eliyahu shared his difficulty with his coworker, Dovid.
“You’re right to daven before you travel,” Dovid said. “I also used to do that, but I was constantly late to work. Now I leave early and daven Shacharis at the new minyan we started near the office. We have a sefer Torah, and it starts at 8:10 sharp – 8:00 when there’s leining.”
Eliyahu hesitated. “But isn’t it a problem to travel or eat before davening?”
“It’s not ideal, but I’m not going on a pleasure trip,” Dovid replied. “I’m just commuting to work; I don’t eat anything until after davening.”
The next morning, Eliyahu tried Dovid’s approach. He left the house at 7:10 and arrived at work with time to spare – and a calm mind. The new minyan had about 20 men, most of them employees from nearby offices.
Still, Eliyahu felt a nagging doubt.
That evening, he saw Rabbi Dayan in the beis midrash where he learned. Eliyahu approached him.
“I understand that halacha frowns on engaging in personal needs before Shacharis, including travel,” Eliyahu said. “But I have a choice between davening at home and then fighting traffic, often getting late to work, or joining a minyan near work and avoiding traffic.”
Rabbi Dayan listened attentively. Eliyahu asked, “Can I drive to work and daven Shacharis there?”
“Upon waking, a person should first turn his attention to service of Hashem,” replied Rabbi Dayan.
“Bilaam blessed Am Yisrael and compared them to a lion: ‘Am k’lavi yakum – A nation that will rise like a lion’ (Bamidbar 23:24). The simple meaning of the verse refers to Israel’s Divinely guided military success, like a lion that rises with mighty grandeur to vanquish its enemies, particularly in the conquest of the Land of Israel (Onkelos, Ramban).
Rashi, following the Midrash, applies this verse to the Jewish people’s daily way of life. They rise from their bed with alacrity to snatch mitzvos – tzitzis, tefillin and krias Shema – and then go on to their business endeavors.
Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 1:1) also opens with the directive: “One should be mighty like a lion to get up in the morning for the service of his Creator…”
The Gemara (Brachos 14a) teaches that a person may not tend to his personal matters – other than for purposes of a mitzvah, or small household tasks, such as making the bed, dumping the garbage, etc. – before davening. This includes travel, even if the person will be able to daven with a minyan when he reaches his destination (O.C. 89:3; Mishna Berurah 89:20 Piskei Teshuvos 89:15).
Rema (ad. loc.) cites from Terumas Hadeshen (#18) that some are lenient after reciting Birchos HaShachar but concludes that one should avoid this leniency (see Aruch HaShulchan 89:21).
Nonetheless, the poskim write that bishe’as hadchak, such as if a person cannot delay his trip and needs to catch a certain train, bus, or plane – he may set out before davening, even if the sun already rose (M.B. 89:3).
Moreover, Shevet Halevi (8:18) writes – regarding a person who had to travel from Gush Katif to Yerushalayim – that if a person encounters significant traffic delays when he leaves after davening with a minyan, in cases of need he may recite brachos and travel to his workplace, and daven there with a minyan.
Perhaps we can add the rationale offered by Aruch HaShulchan (O.C. 90:20), that earning a livelihood to sustain one’s family is also considered a purpose of mitzvah.
“Thus, if you can daven at an earlier minyan (ideally, after daybreak) or if the traffic delay is not significant, you should daven before traveling,” concluded Rabbi Dayan. “However, if it is not realistic to daven earlier and the discrepancy is great – you can travel after reciting brachos and daven near work.”
Verdict: A person should rise mightily like a lion to serve Hashem and should not tend to his personal matters, including travel, before davening. In cases of need, a person may travel or tend to other matters after reciting Birchos HaShachar.
