Daily Halakha - Laws of Choshen Mishpat, 25th of Tammuz 5777

Do we make a blessing on the mitzvah of a parapet?

The Torah states [Deuteronomy 22]: "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it." Therefore, everyone must make a parapet for their roof.

One who makes a parapet for their roof must recite a blessing on making the parapet, "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to make a parapet." One should recite the blessing when the worker completes the construction, before the final reinforcement of the parapet, as that is when one fulfills the commandment [Yalkut Yosef Siman 427].

Is there an obligation to install window bars in one's home?

When there are small children in the home, one must install bars on the windows, even if the windows are ten handbreadths high from the ground. Similarly, for a balcony railing, one must make a railing higher than ten handbreadths, in a manner that children will not be exposed to danger, Heaven forbid. [Yalkut Yosef Siman 427].

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