Question:
What is the halacha with regarding to travelling close to Shabbos?
Answer:
With regarding the following question of travelling close to Shabbos on a Friday afternoon, is one dealt by the poskim and may have various views and opinions on the different measures , times and distance aswell as type of travel.
Ideally One should avoid all unnecessary travel on Erev Shabbos especially if it means travelling out of town,see the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 249:1. If one plans on being a guest at someone’s home over Shabbos, one must be sure to arrive early enough on Friday to ensure that one’s hosts will be able to properly prepare for one’s Shabbos needs,see the Mishna Brurah 249:7.
If a person is caught on a Friday afternoon because of traffic or the like and can’t reach one’s destination before sunset(shkia), according to some poskim, it is permissible to ask a non-Jew to drive them during Ben Hashemashot (13.5 halachic minutes,usually the 18 minutes after candle lighting) even if it means going beyond the techum (after sunset one may not get in a taxi that will exit the techum).Having a Shabbos Bus run by a non-Jew picking up Jews on Shabbos is forbidden.
It is forbidden to travel in an electric train which will make scheduled stops whether it’s a intercity or within the city train.If one needs to travel for a mitzvah (such as a doctor to the hospital, or a Mohel to a Brit) it is permissible to take an electric subway, where the driver is non-Jewish, majority of the passengers are non-Jewish, and it only travels within the city, as long as one pays before Shabbos and is let on without giving money or a card. Additionally, as much as possible a person should do this in private.
One may not travel by airplane over Shabbos whether or not the plane departs before Shabbos. However, if the plane arrives after Shabbos there is some opinion which is lenient, but in any case one should consult one’s Orthodox Rabbi. The Chut Sheini Chut Sheni (Rav Nassim Karlitz, vol 1, pg 72) seem to forbid whether or not the plane arrives on Shabbos. Sh”t Rivevot Ephraim 3:161:2 writes that one shouldn’t board an airplane if one knows that it will continue to fly on Shabbos. He quotes Sh”t Tzitz Eliezer 1:21, Mishev Shalom 76, and Minchat Elazar 2:106 who agree to this.
If an airplane arrived on Shabbos, one shouldn’t get off the plane until after Shabbos, however, if one is unable to do so one should stay in the airport.
If by traveling in a caravan in the desert and one will certainly come to violate Shabbos because of a Pikuach Nefesh (life threatening) situation, according to Sephardim one may begin the trip during the first three days of the week. However, according to Ashkenazim one should not begin should that trip any day of the week.
The Rivash 1:17-8 originates based on the Baal HaMoer’s concept that it would be permissible to travel with a caravan into a desert as long as one leaves during the first three days of the week even though it will certainly come to a violation of Shabbos because of a life threatening situation. Shulchan Aruch 248:4 codifies the Rivash as halacha that even when there’s certain violation of Shabbos it’s permitted if one begins in the first three days of the week. [Mishna Brurah 248:26 quotes the Radvaz who argues that if there’s certain violation of Shabbos even for Pikuach Nefesh it’s forbidden to begin any day of the week and the Mishna Brurah seems to side with the Radvaz. However, the Menuchat Ahava (vol 1, 1:5)rule like Shulchan Aruch.]
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