And he sent off his brothers and they went, and he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” (Bereshis 45:24)

I really hope I’m wasting my time writing this week’s Divrei Simcha, but just in case, I want to share an important message.

Yosef instructs his brothers not to quarrel with each other while they are on the road home to tell Yaakov that Yosef is still alive. Rashi states that this means they should not get into a deep halachic discussion because then the trip will be a source of agitation for them.

Rabbi Frand points out that this seems to contradict a well known verse from the first paragraph of Krias Shema: “You shall teach them to your children and speak of them when you dwell at home and ‘when you walk on the road’, when you lie down to sleep and when you rise up.” (Devarim 6:7)

Rabbi Frand answers that the difference is what type of learning a person is involved in. If a person is listening to Torah tapes or music while traveling on the road, he can still focus on his travels and this would be allowable. But if a person gets involved in a complex discussion involving a halachic issue, he is going to be disturbed from his travels and have an accident.

I think this answer from Rabbi Frand is teaching us a very important idea… if a person wants to be involved with something while he is driving, it CANNOT disturb him from focusing on driving. A person must still be able to have full focus and full control when he is driving.

Although many states now forbid texting while driving, people still text while they are sitting in the driver’s seat and the car is moving. I would just like to say that I do not care if your state or country allows you to text and drive or it doesn’t – TEXTING AND DRIVING KILLS PEOPLE! A person cannot focus on his electronic device and on the road at the same time. Removing your eyes from the road for a moment so you can write a text is extremely dangerous!

I sometimes use my cell phone to make a phone call when I am driving, but whenever I do, I use hands free. Both of my hands are on the steering wheel and my eyes are on the road constantly looking around to make sure I am safe. Even though I take these precautions, I have still missed my exit twice this year – once I drove past my exit and once I got off too early. I am focused on the highway, but because I am involved in the conversation, I missed my exit (and this is a roadway I often travel, so I know where my exit is). If this happens when I have both hands on the steering wheel and my eyes on the road, imagine what could happen if a person has his cell phone in one hand and his eyes on his electrical device.

Rashi states a person should not get involved in a halachic discussion because he cannot focus on his travels. This will cause an accident. If that is true then certainly a person should NOT text and drive. Driving on the road is dangerous enough… we don’t need any more accidents!

The text can wait. If it absolutely cannot wait, pull over to the side of the road and stop your car. There are too many memorials on the side of roads…

Good Shabbos!
-yes
please send any comments or questions to: [email protected]
to see previous Divrei Simcha on the Parsha, please go to www.divreisimcha.com OR www.chesedclub.com > Torah Study