Shabbos Parashas Ki Seitzei - 5779

Shabbos Parashas Ki Seitzei - 5779

Rabbi Hal Miller

When you will build a new house, you shall make a railing for your roof so that you

will not place blood in your house that one who falls may fall from it. [Devarim [22:8]

Ramban explains commandments in the book of Devarim as either new or elaborations

upon things commanded earlier. He says that our verse is a new command, but then

gives us an alternative, that it is an elaboration on Vayikra 19:16, "You shall not stand

aside while your fellow's blood is shed." So what exactly is our verse teaching us?

There are two ways of understanding, the simple meaning and what may be inferred.

The simple meaning refers to a new house and a railing around the roof. Sifrei explains

that the verse applies to any house, not just a new one, further, to almost any building,

not just to a house. Onkelos adds that the "not place blood in your house" instructs us

to remove anything that may be dangerous, such as a shaky ladder or a vicious dog.

The simple meaning is a requirement that we pay attention to our surroundings and

have a care for those who may be or come around our places of living or work.

The second way of understanding looks at the verse in context. Immediately prior to

our verse is the commandment about sending away the mother bird before taking the

eggs or chicks. After it are verses dealing with a vineyard, a field, and garments. What

is in common that these would be grouped together? Rashi says that each teaches

that the reward for doing a mitzvah is the opportunity to do another mitzvah.

Rav Hirsch sees these verses as teaching morality in the context of dealing with

nature, to include consideration for whoever and whatever may be around us. Kol Dodi

understands them as showing that decisions about life and death are in heaven, not

for us. We are not to be the cause of someone's death, and should ensure that we are

not the vehicle by which God's plan of death comes about. Just as good comes to those

who are meritorious, evil can be wrought through those who are wicked. We see this

from the reference to "one who falls" being the one who will be killed by our lack of

observing this commandment as opposed to some other means.

Applying this argument, we can conclude that if we have some merit, we can apply it

even to one who is wicked, that God may allow him to live long enough to repent. We

must ask for God's mercy even for those who may not appear to deserve it.