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Election 2026

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Tefilat HaDerech, the Traveler's Prayer

The prayer for a safe journey, in the Ashkenaz wording, with its meaning in plain English.

Wording·Ashkenaz

The text of the prayer

The English under each line is Israel.com's own plain-English meaning, not a printed translation.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתּוֹלִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתַצְעִידֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתַדְרִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְתִסְמְכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְתַגִּיעֵנוּ לִמְחוֹז חֶפְצֵנוּ לְחַיִּים וּלְשִׂמְחָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם. (וְתַחְזִירֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם) וְתַצִּילֵנוּ מִכַּף כָּל אוֹיֵב וְאוֹרֵב וְלִסְטִים וְחַיּוֹת רָעוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וּמִכָּל מִינֵי פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת הַמִּתְרַגְּשׁוֹת לָבוֹא לָעוֹלָם, וְתִתְּנֵנוּ לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רֹאֵינוּ, כִּי אל שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה וְתַחֲנוּן אַתָּה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה:

May it be Your will, God, our God and God of our ancestors, to lead us in peace, to guide our steps in peace, to direct us in peace and to support us in peace, and to bring us to the place we are going, for life, joy and peace. (And to bring us back in peace.) Save us from the hand of every enemy and ambusher, bandit and wild animal on the road, and from every kind of trouble that rushes into the world. Grant us grace, kindness and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, for You are a God who hears prayer and pleading. Blessed are You, God, who hears prayer.

Sources read on 2 November 2026

When and how this prayer is said

  • Customarily said at the start of a journey, once the traveler has left the town. Some also say it at the start of a flight.
  • The wording on this page: Ashkenaz
  • 57 words, about 1 minute to read

More prayers and texts

Prayers by the time they are said·All 150 psalms and today's reading

Questions about this prayer

When is Tefilat HaDerech said?

Customarily at the start of a journey, once the traveler has left the town. Some also say it at the start of a flight.

What does Tefilat HaDerech ask for?

A safe journey: to be led and guided in peace, to arrive where one is going, to be saved from enemies, bandits and wild animals on the road, and to find favor in the eyes of others.

What are the words in brackets?

The words “and bring us back in peace” are printed in brackets in the siddur this page follows. They are for a traveler who plans to come back straight away.

Is the wording the same in every tradition?

No. Many printings add two requests: blessing and success in all the work of our hands, after the line about the troubles that come into the world, and that God hear the sound of our pleading, before the closing line. This page shows the shorter Ashkenaz wording of the Daat prayer book.

How long does Tefilat HaDerech take?

About 1 minute at a steady pace, 57 words.