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Driving to Airport Before Davening

If my brother needs a ride to the airport (which is around 30 minutes round trip), may I travel and come back afterwards and daven. The trip will start during alos hashachar and end after neitz hachama. Is this considered b’shaas hadchak or l’zorech mitzva, or should I ask him to take a cab even though he may be annoyed.

Answer:

It would be permitted to take him to the airport before davening. Although one should not tend to one’s own affairs before davening, where a mitzvah is involved it is permitted to take care of the matter before davening–for instance, shopping for Shabbos before davening, where the foods might not be available later (Mishnah Berurah 250:1). In this case, you won’t be able to take your brother later, and helping him, in particular where he might get annoyed by your not taking him, is a mitzvah (“do not ignore your flesh”).

If possible, it is preferable to leave before alos hashachar, for the problem of attending to one’s affairs before prayer begins at alos.

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