From the Rav’s Desk: Chassan and kallah driving parents to airport without Shomer

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Question:
May the chassan and kallah drive their parents to the airport if a shomer will not be able to be with them on the way back?

Answer:
Although ideally someone should join them for the drive in order so they have a Shomer on their way back, nonetheless, in a case that they cannot find a Shomer, then they may nevertheless drive their parents to the airport.

Explanation:
This is permitted for two reasons:

  1. Many poskim permit a chassan and kallah to go out together. Now, although the Chabad custom is to be stringent in this matter and not to permit it, as directed by the Rebbe Rayatz, nevertheless it is permitted when done for the sake of a mitzvah as explained next.
  2. In this case, bringing one’s parents to the airport involves the mitzvah of kibbud av va’eim, which is itself may be considered sufficient grounds of shemirah due to being involved in the mitzvah. Therefore, the chassan may even be allowed to drive alone for this purpose, if necessary, and certainly the chassan and kallah together may do so.

Sources:

See Sefer Haminhagim p. 177 [English], based on a directive of the Rebbe Rayatz that a king must go out with an entourage; Nitei Gavriel 56:7 in name of Migdol Oz; Nitei Gavriel 56:6

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.