The Valley Torah Scroll

This Dvar Torah was adapted from Torah Tavlin

The Torah teaches us that when a person builds himself a new home, he is required to build a guard rail -or fence- around the perimeter of the roof to ensure the safety of others. This seems to be such an obvious safeguard that one would think that the Torah would not need to make this an actual obligation, listing it among the 613 Mitzvot; however, there is a deeper meaning on this issue which applies to every Jew. The great Sephardic Chacham, Rebbeinu Yosef Chaim of Baghdad zt”l, more commonly referred to as the Ben Ish Chai learns something astounding from this innocuous pursuit: as we prepare ourselves for the coming day of judgement, the parshiyos of the Torah that we lein now lend themselves to many allusions and important instructions about how to prepare for the meeting of the Glorious King of Kings. Teshuva awareness at this time means every person strives to tear down the “walls” that have been built around him all year, causing him to be derelict in his performance of mitzvos. Thus, when a person is serious about rebuilding himself, his image, and his very essence, the best course of action for him is to provide a protective barrier around himself, which will secure his mind and body from falling off and restoring back to his sinful ways. One excellent tip is to use his money for charity and good deeds towards others, rather than spending it all on himself and his personal pleasures for this will only bring about his eventual downfall.

This article was written by Daniel Studnik (’20), staff writer for The Scroll.