Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 229/ספרי דברים רכ״ט
א(דברים כב ח) כִּי תִבְנֶה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בּוֹנֶה. לָקַח, יָרַשׁ, וְנִתַּן לוֹ בְּמַתָּנָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בַּיִת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
1Pisqa’ 2291121. “When you build a new house” (Dt. 22:8)—I might infer only that this ruleapplies to one who builds a house.How do I know that it applies as well toone who buys, one who inheritsor one who receives it as a gift?The Teaching states:“A house” (Dt. 22:8)—However [you may have acquired it].113 194.1.
בלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּיִת. מִנַּיִן לְבוֹנֶה בֵּית הַתֶּבֶן, בֵּית הַבָּקָר, בֵּית הָעֵצִים, בֵּית הָאוֹצָרוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ.
2“Do not pour blood on your house” (Dt. 22:8)—I might infer only that this ruleapplies specifically to a residence (bayit).How do I know that it applies as well toa storage shed for straw (beit hateven),a cattle-barn (beit habaqar), a wood-shed (bet ha`eitzim),or a silo (bet ha‘otzarot)?The Teaching states:114 194.1“Do not pour blood on your house” (Dt. 22:8)—[on whatever is sturdy enough to be called a “house”].
גיָכוֹל אַף הַבּוֹנֶה בֵּית שַׁעַר אַכְסַדְרָה וּמִרְפֶּסֶת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בַּיִת, מָה בַּיִת מְיֻחָד, שֶׁהוּא בֵּית דִּירָה – יָצְאוּ אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאֵינָם בֵּית דִּירָה.
3Well, is it possible to say thatthis rule applies as well to one who buildsA gate house (beit sha`ar),or an open-air portico, or a balcony?The Teaching states:“House” (Dt. 22:8)—And just as a house is distinctive,in being a residential space (bet dirah),all these other structures are excluded,for they have no residential space.115
דוְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא גַּג. מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת בּוֹרוֹת, שִׁיחִים, וּמְעָרוֹת, חֲרִיצִים וּנְעִיצִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר גַּג? פְּרָט לְכֶבֶשׁ. בַּיִת – לְרַבּוֹת הֵיכָל. גַּג – פְּרָט לָאוּלָם.
42. “Then you shall build a railing for your roof” (Dt. 22:8)—I might only infer thatthis rule applies to the roof.How do I know thatit includes as well [a requirement] to cordon offcisterns, pits, cave-springs, crevasses and ditches?The Teaching states:“Do not pour blood on your house” (Dt. 22:8)—[or any thing on your property].If so, why does the verse specify the roof?To exclude from this requirementthe Altar Ramp [which, at ten cubits in height, had no railing].116And why does the verse specify a house? —This is to include the Sanctuary under this rule.117) is called the Holy Abode (beit hamiqdash), i.e., a “house.”Roof—To exclude the Forecourt [adjacent to the Sanctuary].118
החָדָשׁ, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: מִשְּׁעַת חִדּוּשׁוֹ עֲשֵׂה לוֹ מַעֲקֶה. כַּמָּה הוּא מַעֲקֶה? מַעְגִּילוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים, בֵּית דָּרְסוֹ עֲשָׂרָה.
53. “A new house” (Dt. 22:8)—Rabbi says:while the house is still new, build a railing for it.Now, what are the dimensions of the railing?Where the roofers spread pitch,119the height is a minimum of three handbreadths,but along the walkway,the height is at least ten handbreadths.
ווְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ – מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
6“Then you shall build a railing for your roof” (Dt. 22:8)—this is a prescriptive commandment.“Do not pour blood on your house” (Dt. 22:8)—this is a proscriptive commandment.
זכִּי יִפֹּל הַנֹּפֵל מִמֶּנּוּ, רָאוּי זֶה שֶׁיִּפּוֹל! אֶלָּא מְגַלְגְּלִים זְכוּת עַל יְדֵי זַכַּי וְחוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי חַיָּב.
74. “When the one prone to falling indeed falls from it” (Dt. 22:8)—this guy must heave deserved a fall!Actually, they ascribe meritaccording to the deeds of the meritorious,and guilt according to the deeds of the guilty.120
חמִמֶּנּוּ – וְלֹא לְתוֹכוֹ; שֶׁאִם הָיָה רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים גָּבוֹהַּ מִמֶּנּוּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים וְנָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ לְתוֹכוֹ – פָּטוּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא לְתוֹכוֹ.
8“From it” (Dt. 22:8)—[he fell from the roof, downward to the ground,]but not onto the roof from above it.For if a public domain was higherthan the roof by ten handbreadths,and someone fell from there onto the roof—the householder is exemptfrom compensating the victim.As it is said:“From the roof” (Dt. 22:8)—but not onto it from a space above it.
טדָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי תִבְנֶה, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ כֵּיצַד הוּא נִדּוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ט יב): ״כִּי לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת עִתּוֹ, כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה״.
95. Another word:“When you build a new house” (Dt. 22:8).R, Ishmael says:The verse comes to teach you thatA person never knows how he will be judged.As it is said:“For a man does not know his allotted time, like a fish trapped in a net” (Ecc. 9:12).
יבַּיִת מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: בַּיִת שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אַרְבַּע עַל אַרְבַּע – פָּטוּר מִן הַמַּעֲקֶה וּמִן הַמְּזוּזָה וּמִן הָעֵרוּב, וְאֵין עוֹשִׂים אוֹתוֹ עִבּוּר לָעִיר, וְלֹא טִבּוּל לַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, וְאֵין נוֹתְנִים לוֹ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת לְפִתְחוֹ; הַנּוֹדֵר מִן הַבַּיִת מֻתָּר לֵישֵׁב בּוֹ; וְאֵין מִטַּמֵּא בִּנְגָעִים, וְאֵין צָמִית בַּיּוֹבֵל, וְאֵין חוֹזְרִים עָלָיו מֵעֶרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה.
10“A house” (Dt. 22:8)—On this basis they taught:A house that is not at least four cubits squareis exempt from the roof-railing,and from the doorpost amulet,121 See Dt. 6:10.and from [participation in] the blending of private domains.122; literally, “the mixture of domains” that enables carrying between Jewish households in a shared courtyard on the Sabbath. Cf. M. Eruv.6:1ff.And they do not use it[to mark] an expansion of a city’s borders,123or to impose [upon produce] liability to the Tithe.124And they don’t consider the four cubits of its entrance[as part of the contained space of the house].Finally, one disavowing the comforts of homeis permitted to live within[a house less than four cubits square].But it does not contract uncleanness from plague-signs,125and it does not revert [to ancestral property] at the Jubilee year.126and warriors may not return to their homes on its account.127