The role of the roof
In Parshat Ki Tetze (Dvarim 22:8) we learn about the importance of fencing in the roof of a building: “When you build a new home, you are to make a fence for your roof…”
What were roofs like in Biblical times?
Most roofs were flat. On public buildings and palaces, they were made extra sturdy so that they could hold a large amount of people.
Three of the most famous roof episodes from the TaNaCh:
- The story of Rachav, the innkeeper, and the scouts (Yehoshua 2:6): “She had taken the spies up to the roof and hidden them amongst the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.”
In Biblical times, many agricultural products were brought up to the roof to be dried out including flax and fruit such as figs and raisins.
The flax on the roof made a good hiding place for the spies.
- Shmuel, the prophet and King Shaul went up to the roof so that they could meet privately (Shmuel I 9:25-26).
- The roof is central to the famous story of King David and BatSheva in Shmuel II 11:2: “It happened toward evening that David arose from his bed and strolled on the roof of the king’s house. From atop the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful.”
Although properties are built differently today, and often the roofs are not even in use, we still have to take the mitzvah of fencing in the roof seriously to ensure that we all stay safe and secure.
