Davening on the bus

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Forum -> Judaism -> Halachic Questions and Discussions

Davening on the bus

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aussiegal

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 8:28 am

In your opinion is it better to daven on the bus or not daven at all (aside from brachos). I travel to work by bus. It takes an hour, so I have plenty of time I have lately been davening on the bus - sitting for all of it, including shemona esrai. Sometimes I think ppl look at me wierdly. Is there a halachik problem? Is it better not to daven? I cannot get up any earlier in order to daven.

MommyEsty

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 8:34 am

its better than not davening for sure

timeout

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 8:53 am

Aussie if you ever see a motherly figure davening on one of your buses you'll know you're not alone (it's my mother in law) she davens every morning and evening on the bus and lives in Har Nof.

chocolate moose

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 9:00 am

NYers daven, say Chitas, say Tehillim, learn a sefer, etc., on the subway. It's common.

aussiegal

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 9:03 am

timeout wrote:

Aussie if you ever see a motherly figure davening on one of your buses you'll know you're not alone (it's my mother in law) she davens every morning and evening on the bus and lives in Har Nof.

Cute - the bus I take is TO HarNof!!! I'll keep a lookout!!! Wink

timeout

Sun, Oct 29 2006, 9:12 am

Aussie be careful if you start talking to her she'll adopt you Smile

All of her kids live in the States

chen

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 9:57 am

When I'm in NY I see ppl davening etc. on the subway all the time. To me it's weird b/c homeless people live in the subway and do all their "business" there, besides the very inappropriate advertisements and the way people dress. To me it's like davening in the bathroom.

BeershevaBubby

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 10:04 am

aussiegal wrote:

Wait... this is ISrael... I don't think I've ever been on a Jerusalem bus and NOT have someone davening or saying Tehillim on it.

shalhevet

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 10:10 am

chen wrote:

I can't say I've ever been to NY. But if it's as you describe it would be assur for a man to daven there; but for a woman it would be okay. I don't quite know what "business" you're referring to, but if it smells like a bathroom no-one can daven (or make a brocho) there.

Buddy

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:09 pm

I've been doing it for the past few yrs. I know the men do stand up when davening shemona esrai, but AFAIK there's no halachic problem

chocolate moose

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:11 pm

A man? with tallis and tefillin?

chen

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:32 pm

[quote="mummyof6"]

chen wrote:

. I don't quite know what "business" you're referring to, but if it smells like a bathroom no-one can daven (or make a brocho) there.

that's exactly what I mean.

HealthCoach

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:36 pm

I live in NY and daven on the subway. To me the time I spend davening is very special. I don't pay attention to anyone or anything around me, and I'm in my own little world. While sometimes there can be a subway car that smells, most people change cars for reasons other than the need to daven. Most of the subway cars actually smell like perfume. If I would not daven there, I would not be able to daven at all (which would be very upsetting). I see many others doing the same. I have never seen a man davening on the subway, but they do learn, and I have seen men saying tehilim. There are extremely religious men that learn on the subway, that also spend hours learning at night. This way they do not waste time on the subway that could have been spent learning.

TzenaRena

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:48 pm

Quote:

but if it smells like a bathroom no-one can daven (or make a brocho) there.

not at all usual for the trains. people on the subways are usually going to work, school, business or shopping, or returning from there. There are a few subway stations like Times Square, or 14th street, or the Port Authority Bus Terminal ( not the busses) that are a magnet for the homeless people chen speaks of.

You are allowed to daven while traveling. My son told me that it's preferable to say Shemone Esrei over after you've reached your destination, if possible, but you may also say SE while traveling..

HealthCoach

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:51 pm

I will have my husband ask my FIL about this. He is very frum and learns on the train.

HealthCoach

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 12:59 pm

SaraYehudis, why would someone daven Shemone Esrei while traveling, if it was possible to daven once the destination is reached?

TzenaRena

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 1:01 pm

If they were concerned about missing the zman tefilah.

aussiegal

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 1:37 pm

THat was probably my main question - sitting for shemona esray does feel a little strange. But what do you do otherwise? say everything including shema and then try not to talk until I finally reach my destination, and daven shemona esray there??? that would mean having to walk 5 minutes from the bus to the school and going right to an empty room. Probably impossible to do that without talking to anyone!

shalhevet

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 2:04 pm

aussiegal wrote:

It's certainly allowed (we're back to Yerushalayim buses and not smelly places in NY).

Another reason a person might want to daven on the bus is that once they get to their destination they will have to start work. Particularly for mothers of young children, it might be their only opportunity to daven.

Davenning or learning in a place with a bad smell (or, for men, if they can see a woman/ advertisement which is not tzanua) is an aveira and not a mitzva. There are some cases/ heterim for men to look away or close their eyes. Consult your LOR.

TzenaRena

Mon, Oct 30 2006, 2:09 pm

that's why according to what my son told me - He had just learned about it in Shulchan Aruch - it makes perfect sense: You say Shemone Esrei, connected with the rest of davening. Then, when (and if!) an opportunity presents itself, you can say Shemone Esrei the preferred way. It doesn't sound like there is an issue with a hefsek. Remember, you DID daven Shemone Esrei without a hefsek already the first time.

Just curious though, why it wouldn't be possible to avoid talking to someone till you get to your empty room/corner. I guess you're pretty popular! Very Happy

(But couldn't you just say uh,uh, or motion "wait" with your finger, perhaps pointing inside your open pocket siddur? Unless the inhabitants of your work environment don't understand these things? Wink

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