Tefilas Haderech = Tefila Kitzara? (rashi)
The first Rashi on 30a, d"h lishatif nafshei, discusses whyit's best to say tifilas haderech in the plural. Rashi's first words are:
"Al yispallel tefilah kizarah b'lashon yachid".
Why is Rashi using the term "tefilah kizarah" to refer to tefilas haderech, which is something different than "tefilah kazarah", as discussed in the Mishna on 28b, and in the gemarah on 29b (4th wide line, "v'ayzeh hee
tefilah kizarah ...").
Has anyone come across a girsa change here?
posted by Anonymous @ 3:33 PM
3 Comments:
I agree with Aron about Rashi's use of the language. It appears to me that Rashi is not using the term "Tefillah Ketzarah" as a term of art, that is, to describe a particular prayer. Instead, he appears to be commenting that any short t'filah that one says on one's own behalf must be said in the plural. This would appear counterintuitive -- when one is praying for something for themselves, it would make sense to do so in single, rather than communal language.
Compare the addition that one may make to R'faenu in the amidah when one is praying for the health of a single individual -- it is in the singular: "Yehi Ratzon etc. Hashem Elokai v'Elokai avotai". This would be consistent with the general notion Rashi advances that an individual t'fillah ketzarah must be in the plural, but an addition to the amidah which is a personal prayer need not be, since the plural is already included in the regular nusach ha'tfillah.
I have always assumed that Tefilas Haderech is a tefilah wrapped in a bracha which someone can be motsi me. If it's really a tefilas yachid though, perhaps no one can be motsi me. In fact, someone told me this morning that they heard a psak that you can't be motsi someone since it's a tefilas yachid. Please advise.
Matisyahu Topas
I'm not a posek or anything but I remember learning that each person should say tefilas haderech on their own. That's our practice in my family. One person says out loud and the others (who can) say it quietly and finish slightly before and then say amen together with the little kids.
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