Chukai Chaim - Parasha Ki Teitzei 5780

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The Chiyuv and Mitzvoh of Maakeh | Parshas Ki Seitzei 5780 The Mitzvoh of Maakeh

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When Does the Chiyuv to Make a Maakeh Apply?

1. The mitzvoh of maakeh [making a fence for a roof] applies both in 10. Some poskim say that the chiyuv to make a fence only comes into Eretz Yisroel and Chutz La’aretz. In places in Chutz La’aretz where the force when one lives in a house, not when the building is finished ( ‫עמק‬ houses have sloping roofs, the chiyuv to make a fence is not so ‫ מגדל עוז הל' רוצח פי''א ה''ג‬,‫)הנצי''ב על הספרי דברים כי תצא פיסקא י''ט‬. common, but there are places where there is a chiyuv, e.g., by stairs in 11. However, most poskim hold that the chiyuv already takes effect when a house (below, 35) or a low window (43), as will be explained. In Eretz the building is finished ( '‫ דבר אברהם ח''א סי‬,‫ מנ''ח שם‬,‫פשטות ל' הספרי הנ''ל‬ Yisroel and other places where most roofs are level and used for many ‫ הגר''ח קנייבסקי במס' מזוזה פרשה סדורה סי' נ''ח ביה''ל ד''ה לעשות‬,‫)ל''ז אות י''ב‬. purposes, there is a chiyuv to make a fence. There is also a chiyuv to 12. Therefore, to satisfy all opinions, it is best for one to bar access to the

fulfill the mitzvoh of maakeh on a balcony, as will be explained (40).

Source of the Chiyuv 2. Mitzvoh of maakeh. There is a mitzvas asei for a person to make a fence for his roof, as the posuk says (‫ ח‬,‫)כי תצא כ''ב‬, “ ‫כי תבנה בית חדש‬

‫ועשית מעקה לגגך ולא תשים דמים בביתך כי יפול הנופל ממנו‬.” Simply understood, this is an intuitive mitzvoh: a person should be careful not to cause harm. However, this situation is not common, as people are careful not to fall, yet Hashem still commanded us to make a fence. It is a mitzvoh that we say a brochoh on like any other mitzvoh ( ‫ערוה''ש‬ ‫ חזו''א חו''מ ליקוטים סי' ח''י סק''ב‬,‫)תכ''ז סק''י‬. 3. “‫לא תשים דמים בביתך‬.” There are things other than roofs that are not subject to the mitzvas asei of making a fence, yet are dangerous and can cause people to fall. We must be careful to prevent these dangers, as the posuk says, “‫ )ספרי פסיקה רכ''ט( ”לא תשים דמים בביתך‬so that people don’t die or get harmed (‫)חינוך מ' תקמ"ז‬. However, a brochoh is not made when making a fence for these things since it is not a mitzvas asei (‫)חיי אדם הל' מזוזה ומעקה אות כ''ד‬.

roof and not go up there until he moves in. Then he should install a fence and say the brochoh on making it. If he is forced to make the fence before moving in, he should eat something in the house so that it is like he lives there, then put up the fence and say the brochoh (‫ ספר הבית פי''א הע' י''ט‬,‫)הגריש''א‬.

Who Is Obligated to Make a Maakeh?

Builder, Buyer

13. One who builds a new house, one who buys a house – which for him is new (‫ ד''ה ואחד הלוקח‬.‫ – )רש''י סוטה מ''ג‬one who inherits a house, and

one who receives a house as a present are all obligated in the mitzvoh of maakeh (‫ מהריל דיסקין עה''ת כי תצא‬,‫)הג' מיימוני פי''א רוצח הל''א‬.

Renter, Landlord 14. Renter’s chiyuv. One who rents a rooftop house without a fence must make one (‫)שו''ע חו''מ שי''ד ס''ב‬, even a simple one that will just

prevent a person from falling. Some say a renter’s chiyuv is deoraisa (‫ ארעא דרבנן הובא בפתח''ת שם סק''ב‬,‫ ;)כנה''ג חו''מ תכ''ז הגב''י סק''י‬others say it is only derabanan (‫ אורחות חיים ח''ב סי' ט''ז‬,‫)הג' מיי' פי''א רוצח סק''ט‬. House without a Maakeh 4. Forfeits asei, lav. If one doesn’t make a fence for a roof that requires 15. The chiyuv takes effect right when he enters the house, even before he lives there for 30 days ( ‫ מו''ר בעל שבט‬,‫חקרי לב חו''מ תכו ד''ה אמנם‬ one, he forfeits the mitzvas asei. Every single moment, he transgresses ‫)הקהתי‬, unlike the chiyuv of mezuzah, which in Chutz La’aretz only the asei, as well as the lav of “‫)מנ"ח מ' תקמו( ”לא תשים דמים בביתך‬. takes effect after 30 days (‫)שו''ע יו''ד רפו סכ''ד‬. It could be that one 5. Going up to the roof. Even when there is a chiyuv to make a fence, shouldn’t say a brochoh when installing a fence within 30 days of there is no issur to go up to a roof that doesn’t have one since as long moving in. as one is careful, it is unlikely that he will fall (‫)חזו''א שם סק''ד‬. 16. Landlord’s chiyuv. Most poskim are of the opinion that a landlord Fulfilling the Mitzvoh has a chiyuv deoraisa to make a fence for his roof since the house is 6. Even if a house’s roof already has a fence, one can inspect it regularly his (‫)מנ''ח מצוה תקמ''ו‬. However, some poskim hold that Chazal took to make sure it is still stable and hasn’t become shaky or insecure over the chiyuv away from the landlord and placed it on the renter time. This is a fulfillment of the mitzvoh of maakeh ( ,‫יוסף אומץ סי' תפ''א‬ ('‫)תופעות ראם סי' רל''ד אות ב‬. Therefore, in a rental, it is best for the ‫)שו''ת דברי יציב ח''א סוף סי' מ''ט‬, and every moment that one has a renter to install the fence so that he can also say a brochoh without rooftop fence on his property and is consciously aware of it, he fulfills doubt (‫ מס' מזוזה הל' מעקה שער הציון אות ט''ו‬,‫)הגר''ח קנייבסקי‬. a mitzvoh (‫)חרדים פ''ה אות כ''ב‬. 7. Apartment with a roof. If one has the option to buy a penthouse so 17. The prevalent minhag today is for the landlord to make fences for the balconies. These types of matters all follow the local minhag that he can fulfill the mitzvoh of maakeh, but it is more than 20 amos (‫ רמ''א חו''מ סי' שי''ד ס''ב‬,‫)רמב''ם‬. from the ground and he will not be able to fulfill the mitzvoh of neir Brochoh upon Making a Maakeh Chanukah in the best way [less than 20 amos], he should still buy the penthouse. This is because he will constantly be fulfilling the mitzvoh 18. Some poskim say that Chazal did not enact a brochoh on making a of maakeh, and it is a mitzvas asei deoraisa (‫)הגר''י זילברשטיין‬. rooftop fence (‫ סתימת שו''ע‬,:‫ מאירי מגילה כ''א‬,‫)רוקח סי' שס''ו‬. However, 8. Spending more than a fifth. If necessary, one must spend more than most poskim hold that they did enact a brochoh on making a rooftop a fifth of his money on the mitzvoh of maakeh since otherwise he fence ( ‫ עי' שד''ח מערכת ברכות סי' א' אות‬,‫ כל בו סי' צ''ח‬,‫רמב''ם פי''א ברכות הי''ב‬ forfeits an asei every moment (‫)מנ''ח‬, and especially because he also ‫ שו''ת מנחת יצחק ח''ו סי' קי''ב‬,‫)ט''ז‬, and this is the minhag. transgresses a lav (‫ מו''ר בעל שבט הקהתי‬,‫ מזוזת ביתך סקי''ד‬,‫)מסכת מזוזה‬. 19. Text of the brochoh. Some say that the brochoh is “ ‫אקב"ו לעשות‬ Issur to Live in a House without a Maakeh ‫ רע''א ופתח''ת ( ”מעקה‬,‫ חיי אדם סוף כלל ט''ו‬,‫ בעל העיטור סוף הל' ציצית‬,‫רמב''ם שם‬ 9. Some poskim say that although one who lives in a rooftop house ‫)סי' תכ''ז‬. Others say that one should say “‫הלכות פסוקות ( ”על עשיית מעקה‬ without a fence forfeits an asei and a lav, there is no issur to live in the ‫ או''ז ח''א סי' קל''ט‬,‫)הל' לולב עמ' ל''ו‬. Even the Rambam holds that when one house, similar to tzitzis (‫)מרדכי הל' קטנות הל' ציצית‬. However, others say makes a fence for someone else, he says “‫)רמב''ם שם( ”על עשיית מעקה‬. that there is definitely an issur to live in a rooftop house without a Many poskim also cite the Rambam’s version – “‫ – ”לעשות מעקה‬for fence; it is not like tzitzis since the mitzvoh of maakeh has the lav of someone making a fence for himself (‫)בירור הלכה חו''מ סי' תכ''ז עמ' רל''ד‬. “'‫ י''ט( ”לא תשים‬,‫)עמק שאלה שאילתות קכ''ז‬.


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