Is It Permitted to Pray with a Camera? Collection of Halachot for Vacationers and Travelers

Spiritual Provisions for the Journey

- It is good to give charity before embarking on a journey.

- Recite the Traveler's Prayer.

- Take a small prayer book that also includes Grace After Meals.

- Ensure you have a vessel for ritual hand washing and a bottle of water for locations where water is not readily available, such as in groves and similar places.

- Keep information about synagogues in the area where you are staying to pray with a minyan. (Especially in vacation rentals located in places where the synagogue is not active)

- When going to a vacation rental or similar place for Shabbat, if you didn't bring a Kiddush cup, you may use a disposable cup.

- Check in advance the kosher certification of the place where you will be staying.

- Remember that the kosher status of your soul is no less important than the kosher status of your food.

Laws of Kashrut

1. Those on trips or traveling who want to store kosher food items in a refrigerator or freezer that is used for non-kosher food - must wrap the food with two identifiable markings, such as packaging and a tie, to eliminate the possibility of substitution or introduction of prohibited items.

2. Those wishing to heat or bake kosher food in an oven whose kosher status is questionable, which is very common in vacation rentals where it's unknown what was previously heated there, may place the food in the oven when it is hermetically sealed with two wrappings, even if the oven is completely non-kosher, similar to kosher mehadrin food served on airlines that also heat non-kosher foods.

3. When a Jew and a non-Jew eat at a shared table, such as on a train, airplane, or in a parking area or restaurant, the Jew is permitted to eat his own food, and we do not worry that the Jew might come to eat from the non-Jew's food. However, when the non-Jew knows him, and he is eating bread prepared by non-Jews, they need to make some distinguishing mark between them.

4. Those on a trip or traveling who only have either a meat or dairy knife are permitted to cut bread with it, even if they intend to eat the bread with the opposite type of food, provided that the knife is clean and well-wiped.

5. Boiling water or Israeli milk (with mehadrin certification) may be done by a non-Jew. However, those drinking hot beverages from non-Jews should be careful not to have a piece of lemon placed in their cup that was cut with the non-Jews' knife.

6. Those eating in restaurants should ensure that there is a valid kosher certificate, and of course, one should eat in places with proper and stringent kosher supervision. Sephardim should verify that there is no concern of "bishul akum" (food cooked by non-Jews), which means it's not sufficient for a Jew to light the fire; rather, a Jew must place and cook the food. Therefore, in any case of doubt - consult with knowledgeable rabbinic authorities in the field of kashrut.

Shawarma rotisserie - Sephardim should pay close attention that a non-Jew does not cut the meat from the shawarma rotisserie.

7. Remember that the kosher status of your soul is no less important than the kosher status of your food - therefore one should be careful about places where there is concern about lack of modesty, or hotels whose windows face the beach, or mixed swimming pools.

Laws of Prayer and Blessings

1. There are times when one is in a garden or park and prays Mincha or Maariv in the area. It should be known that ideally one should not pray in an area that is not enclosed by partitions, except for travelers, and in any case, it is good to stand among the trees at the sides of the path. Furthermore, in cases of necessity, one can be more lenient, since some authorities have ruled that this law applies to an individual praying, but a congregation can pray even in an open field, because when they pray as a congregation, their hearts are humbled and they feel the awe of the King. Nevertheless, they should try to find a quiet corner where passersby will not disturb their concentration during prayer.

2. When a person has a bag or camera hanging on their shoulders, they should preferably remove it during the Amidah prayer - so as not to distract from concentration in prayer.

3. One should pray, even while on a trip or vacation, in clean and respectable clothes as one standing before the King, and not in inferior or disrespectful attire.

4. One should not travel to a place where they will not be able to pray with a minyan. (And if it is necessary for health reasons, one should ask a rabbinic authority what to do).

5. One should not set out on a journey from dawn until after praying, even if at their destination they could pray on time and with a congregation. In pressing circumstances, such as if they would miss their trip, one may be lenient and set out before prayer, but it is proper and correct to first recite the morning blessings.

6. "Take utmost care of yourselves." Drive carefully, check that the routes are indeed approved from all perspectives - physical and spiritual, and don't get drawn into adventures that could cause disaster, God forbid.

With the blessing of "Those who hope in Hashem will renew their strength"

Have a healthy summer