Current day poskim argue about whether Tefillas HaDerech should be recited when traveling from Bnei Brak to Yerushalayim and vice versa. The room for doubt is, the Shulchan Aruch (110:7) rules that one only recites Tefillas HaDerech if he is travelling a parsah. The Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 30 – the source is the Rosh, Berachos 4:18) explains that less than this distance is not considered dangerous. If, however, this place is known to be dangerous, then even when travelling less than a parsah one may recite Tefillas HaDerech. In addition to the above, the Rema adds, that ideally one should recite Tefillas HaDerech in the first parsah of the journey in accordance with the opinion of Rashi.
The Biur Halachah (d.h. V’ein) discusses what the halachah is if one is traveling more than a parsah, however, he goes via other cities, and in-between each city there is not a parsah. In such a case perhaps one is exempt from Tefillas HaDerech since one isn’t considered to be traveling in a dangerous place. On the other hand, perhaps one is only exempt if the entire journey is less than a parsah. He concludes tzorich iyun.
However, the Tehillah L’Dovid (s.k. 3) takes on that it’s obvious that in such a case one is exempt from Tefillas HaDerech. Based on this, R’ Shlomah Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomah – Tefillah, 21:3) rules that if one is traveling from Yerushalayim to Bnei Brak he shouldn’t recite Tefillas HaDerech since there needs to be at least two parsah between the two cites without any other cites in between, and practically today between Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak it is built up and there are cites. He further adds: Even if there is the required distance between the two cities, the main roads between Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak are constantly full of cars, therefore, it would seem that it would be good to avoid mentioning Hashem’s name at the conclusion of Tefillas HaDerech. Especially, when nowadays we have wide well-built roads, and traveling today is not considered out of the ordinary and dangerous, and there are people that do such trips daily.
In Halichos Shlomah they bring that once R’ Shlomah Zalman spoke to R’ Shach about this, and he said that there is what to rely on to be lenient and not recite Tefillas HaDerech. R’ Shach added that the Brisker Rav also wouldn’t recite Tefillas HaDerech, and in such a situation he would mention it in שומע תפילה, in the closest Shemonah Esrei before setting out to travel. Practically, R’ Shlomah Zalman wouldn’t recite Tefillas HaDerech when travelling between Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak, and he would make sure to include it in שומע תפילה of the Shemonah Esrei before setting out to travel like the Brisker Rav.
On the other hand, R’ Shach himself would recite Tefillas HaDerech (see Halichos Shlomah above) and R’ Elyashiv would also recite Tefillas HaDerech when travelling between Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak (Shiurei Moran HaGrish, Berachos, pg. 320). They asked R’ Elyashiv, that surely there are cities less than a parsah away from the road, and the Biur Halachah is in doubt if a berachah can be said in such a case? And he answered: It’s clear from the Pnei Yehoshua (Berachos 29a, d.h. Mipnei) that one may recite the lashon of בא"י שומע תפילה , even when there is no obligation. The text of the berachah of Tefillas HaDerech doesn’t come from the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, rather it is based on the Gemara which brings that Eliyahu told Rav Yehudah: וכשאתה יוצא לדרך המלך בקונך וצא – “When you set out on a journey, first ask permission from your Master, and then go”. Implied from this Gemara is that Tefillas HaDerech is a tefillah and not a berachah, therefore, it doesn’t need to end like a berachah. Although the Gemara does end off with an ending like that of a berachah, that is simply because after בקשת תחנונים – beseeching for mercy, one is allowed to add בא"י שומע תפילה. We see that even when not making a berachah one is allowed add בא"י שומע תפילה, and there is no concern of it being in vain. Therefore, R’ Elyashiv held, even if the Biur Halachah is in doubt if Tefillas HaDerech is required there is no harm in saying it out of doubt.
The Shu”t Shevet HaLevi (10:21) also rules that one should recite Tefillas HaDerech, and he explains that the distance of a parsah was said regarding how far from one’s city he needs to leave, as within a parsah of the city it’s not common to find wild animals and bandits. However, when one is setting out on a journey, and close to the roads there are settlements within 4 mil, and one quickly goes past them, he is in the same dangerous situation as in the time of Chazal, especially nowadays when we see there are lots of accidents on the roads. And if one is setting out on a long journey, he is required to recite Tefillas HaDerech.
The Chazon Ish (Orchos Rabbeinu, Vol. 1, ois 208 and Shu”t Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 1:199, and 5:46) ruled that one may recite Tefillas HaDerech when traveling from city to city, even if there are houses along the entire way, as we are still scared of traffic accidents, and it’s clear in the Mishnah Berurah (110:30) that if a particular area is known to be dangerous, Tefillas HaDerech should be recited in all circumstances. Nonetheless, practically we don’t recite Tefillas HaDerech within the city, even though traffic accidents are likely to happen there as well, as the enactment of Chazal was to recite Tefillas HaDerech when leaving the city.
