Devar/5769/Ki Tavo
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< Devar | 5769
עברית
English
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from thence (Deu 22:8)
This is a "light" and simple mitsvah which one does not have to pursue in order to perform. But if he built (or bought) a house which people live in, and whose roof is used -- then he must build a ma`ake (parapet) around the roof, to prevent anyone falling from it. The meaning of ma`ake is a small fence (mechitsah). And like any halachically valid fence, its height must be not less than ten tefachim (Laws of Murder and Preserving Life 11:1-3).
The language of the Torah here is interesting: when the one who falls, falls from it (my translation) -- it seems as if the person had been decreed to die by falling. If so, why should one go out of his way to build a parapet? After all, the man is going to die anyway! Rather, because you don't have to be the means by which God executes His decrees -- bring not blood upon thy house. And likewise concerning the rest of the various forms of damages: And likewise, every stumbling-block which involves danger to life -- it is a positive commandment to remove it and to guard against it, and to be exceedingly careful regarding it, as the verse states, "Be careful and guard your life" (Laws of Murder and Preserving Life 11:5).
And in this month of Elul, during which we prepare ourselves for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Hakippurim -- we must examine ourselves, and check, and find every stumbling-block and every damage we caused or which we did not remove -- whether for ourselves or for others -- and to remove any one we know about. In order that it be good for us and for the entire People of Israel, that we not be the cause of any damage or any stumbling-block.
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