[This blessing comes from the commandment to establish a parapet on the roof of our homes described in this week's torah reading.  (Deuteronomy 22:8)]

This is one of a series of blessings that one recites as they construct a new home.  Understanding that parts of our homes are more dangerous than others the Torah commands us to insure the safety of all who come to visit and to live with us.  We live in a time when we have a multimillion-dollar industry devoted to child safety features that are supposed to make our homes more secure.  There are special locks for cabinets and unique tops for medications, there are bedrails and gates for the stairs.  There is rubber coating for the edges of our counters and coffee tables and hand guards for the stove.  Again the Rabbis were ahead of their time in suggesting that if we have a roof that is level and might entice a visitor, we must put up a fence.

The rabbis believed that our homes are potentially dangerous.  Not governed by the guidelines of O.S.H.A. much of what could never happen in the workplace goes without notice in the home.  How many of us have extension cords that assist us in creating hazardous situations, accidents waiting to happen.  Say our rabbis, we must make our homes safe places.

But they are also instructing us that we must make our homes safe havens.  This is a cruel world and we must take care to create environments in which our child can live care free.  That is why the image in this blessing is of a fence.  Fences keep things in but they also keep things out.  We should take care to keep the destructive influences out of our homes.  Just this past week in Time magazine there was an article about dating violence.  The study suggested that 1 in 5 girls going out on a date will meet some form of violence.  The article suggested that parents have to be more proactive in talking to their daughters about what is acceptable and what is not.  Parents must teach their sons about how to treat others.

It must begin in the home where they are safe and extend out into the world.  We must give our children the confidence to day no to unwanted advances and we must teach our children respect for themselves and for each other.  Then we will truly be making our homes a safer place even if the world is not.

We say this bracha and acknowledge the dangerous world and times that threatens us and we commit ourselves to making our little corner a little safer.  I pray we are able to create the type of environment that encourages our children to talk to us knowing they will always get honest answers to the difficult questions.  I hope we establish homes that foster feelings of love and security.

Copyright © 2001 Rabbi Yohanan Stein. All rights reserved. 

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