A Healthy Ego . . .
This week’s Torah portion records an interesting mitzvah: “When you build (or buy) a new home, you must create a guard-rail for your roof (if it is a flat roof)”.
Practically this means, that it is a mitzvah to ensure safety and security in our homes. Having the attitude: “Enter at Your Own Risk” is not a Jewish notion.
Every letter, word, and sentence in the Torah is precise and exact. The Torah could have chosen a number of models through which to demonstrate the obligation to secure our homes. The fact that the Torah chose the specific example of placing a fence/guard rail on a roof must teach us an important lesson.
A roof, being the highest element of any structure, symbolically alludes to our ego, which gives us an elevated impression of ourselves. Thus, in order to prevent a person from “falling off his roof” - from allowing his feelings of swollen self esteem to evolve into selfishness - the Torah cautions us, “make a guard-rail for your roof”, to control our ego.
What defines a Jewish guard-rail? Does G‑d want us to have a low self esteem?
No, to the contrary. By being cognizant of G‑d’s presence and having in front of us the realization that we only have control over so much, we are liberated from single-handedly carrying the burdens of life on our shoulders and we are free to carry out our mission and purpose on earth – to make it a better place.
In a private audience with his Rebbe, a student once began listing off all the hardships he and his family faced and all the blessings and necessities they were in dire need of. After listening to this man’s plea and bestowing upon him blessings and good wishes, the Rebbe said, “I have heard you speak about what you need from G‑d, but I have not heard you mention why you think G‑d needs you”.
If we think a little less about our needs and try spending a bit more time thinking about what we are needed for, we become selfless, caring, and vehicles through which G‑d can be present on earth.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick