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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman קנ״ב · Not to demolish a synagogue

שלא לסתור שום בית הכנסת — one does not demolish a synagogue in order to build another, lest a hindrance (אונס) occur and one be left without a place of prayer; one builds the new one first and only then demolishes the old; and the cases where the walls threaten to fall (Rama)
סימן קנ״ב · סעיף אחד
שלא לסתור שום בית הכנסת
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the rule שלא לסתור שום בית הכנסת: one does not demolish a synagogue in order to build another, שמא יארע להם אונס (lest a hindrance occur) and one be left without a synagogue; אלא בונים אחר תחלה (rather one builds the new one first) ואחר כך סותרים הישן (and only then demolishes the old). The Rama adds the cases where the walls threaten ruin (נטו כתליו ליפול). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the seif, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Not to demolish a synagogue — אין סותרין, בונים אחר תחלה, שמא יארע אונס, נטו כתליו ליפול
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קנ״ב · סעיף אחד

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Our Sages taught (בבא בתרא ג׳:): לא ליסתור איניש בי כנישתא עד דבני בי כנישתא אחריתי — let no one demolish a synagogue until he has built another. The siman deals with the preservation of the place of prayer: one does not destroy what exists as long as its replacement is not assured, שמא יארע להם אונס שלא יבנו האחר. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The seif — אין סותרין בית הכנסת, בונים אחר תחלה, שמא יארע אונס, and the ban on taking stones or demolishing שלא על מנת לבנות (Rama)
1. Practical case — build the new one before demolishing the old
2. Practical case — enlarging the synagogue by taking down a partition (מחיצה)
3. Practical case — walls that threaten ruin (נטו כתליו ליפול)
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Not to demolish a synagogue — the seif

שֶׁלֹּא לִסְתּוֹר שׁוּם בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת — not to demolish a synagogue — a single seif joining a rule and its reason: אין סותרין בית הכנסת in order to build another, שמא יארע אונס (lest a hindrance occur) that would leave the community without a place of prayer; hence the order: בונים אחר תחלה ואחר כך סותרים הישן. The Rama specifies the case of enlargement, that of walls threatening ruin, and the ban on taking the stones of the old one or demolishing without intent to rebuild.

אין סותרין — one does not demolish first

אין סותרין בית הכנסת כדי לבנות בית הכנסת אחר, שמא יארע להם אונס שלא יבנו האחר, אלא בונים אחר תחלה ואחר כך סותרים הישן.
The seif: one does not demolish a synagogue in order to build another, lest a hindrance occur to them (שמא יארע להם אונס) and they not build the other — rather one builds the new one first (בונים אחר תחלה) and only afterwards demolishes the old (ואחר כך סותרים הישן).
The rule protects the continuity of the place of prayer. To demolish first is to risk that an אונס (lack of funds, an obstacle, a setback) prevent completing the new one — leaving the community without a synagogue. So the order is reversed: first build, and only then take down the old.

שמא יארע אונס — the reason for the precaution

The motive is explicit in the seif: שמא יארע להם אונס שלא יבנו האחר. One does not rely on the intention to rebuild, for an unforeseen event may occur. As long as the replacement is not assured, one does not touch what already serves for תפילה. It is an application of caution in all that touches the קדושת בית הכנסת.

מחיצה אחת להרחיבו / כתלים חזקים — enlarging and the state of the walls (Rama)

ואפילו לא רצו לסתור רק מחיצה אחת להרחיבו נמי דינא הכי; והני מילי שהיה ראשון חזק, אבל אם חרבו יסודותיו או נטו כתליו ליפול סותרים אותו מיד ומתחילין לבנות במהרה ביום ובלילה שמא תדחק השעה וישאר חרוב.
Rama: and even if they wish to demolish only a single partition (מחיצה אחת) to enlarge the synagogue, the rule is the same. And this applies where the first building was solid (חזק); but if its foundations have collapsed (חרבו יסודותיו) or its walls lean and threaten to fall (נטו כתליו ליפול), one demolishes it at once and begins to build in haste, day and night, lest the moment grow hard and it remain in ruin (וישאר חרוב).
Two clarifications from the Rama. (1) Even to enlarge — to take down a single מחיצה — one does not demolish before the construction is ready. (2) All this holds when the building is solid; but if it threatens ruin (leaning walls, ruined foundations), the danger requires demolishing it at once and rebuilding without delay — so that it not be left abandoned.

אבנים ועל מנת לבנות — the stones and the intent to rebuild (Rama)

ואסור ליקח אבנים מבית הכנסת הישנה כדי לבנות חדשה, ואסור לסתור דבר מבית הכנסת אלא אם כן עושה על מנת לבנות.
Rama: and it is forbidden to take stones from the old synagogue (אבנים מבית הכנסת הישנה) in order to build a new one; and it is forbidden to demolish anything of a synagogue, unless one does so in order to rebuild (על מנת לבנות).
The קדושה of the place imposes two limits: one does not transfer the materials of one synagogue to another building, and one demolishes nothing of a synagogue except על מנת לבנות — within the framework of a rebuilding. Tearing down for its own sake, or for another use, is forbidden.
The siman in one sentence: one does not demolish a synagogue to build another lest an אונס occur (one would be left without a place of prayer) — one builds the new one first, then demolishes the old; even for a mere enlargement; except where the walls threaten ruin, in which case one demolishes at once and rebuilds in haste; and one does not take the stones of the old one nor demolish anything שלא על מנת לבנות (Rama).

Practical cases

Case 1 — Build before demolishing

Situation: a community wishes to replace its synagogue with a new one, elsewhere. May it demolish the old one to begin?
Conduct: no. One builds the new one first (בונים אחר תחלה), and only once it is ready does one demolish the old — שמא יארע אונס, lest an unforeseen event prevent completion and the community be left without a synagogue. For the concrete application (financing, schedule), one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Enlarging by taking down a partition

Situation: one does not wish to rebuild everything, only to take down one partition (מחיצה) to enlarge the synagogue. Is this different?
Conduct: according to the Rama, the rule is the same (נמי דינא הכי): even for a mere enlargement, one does not demolish the old part before being ready to build. Nor does one take the stones for another use, and one demolishes only על מנת לבנות. For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — Walls that threaten ruin

Situation: the walls of the synagogue lean and risk collapsing (נטו כתליו ליפול). Must one still wait?
Conduct: here the logic reverses. Since the building is no longer solid and presents a danger, one demolishes it at once and rebuilds in haste, day and night — שמא תדחק השעה וישאר חרוב, lest it remain in ruin. The fear of the אונס yields before the present danger. For assessing the state of the walls, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why does one not demolish a synagogue before having built another, and from where is it learned (בבא בתרא ג׳:)?
  2. What does « שמא יארע להם אונס » mean, and how does this fear fix the order of operations?
  3. For a mere enlargement (מחיצה אחת), does the rule change according to the Rama?
  4. What does one do when the walls threaten ruin (נטו כתליו ליפול), and why?
  5. What is forbidden regarding the stones of the old synagogue, and what does « על מנת לבנות » mean?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 153 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן קנ״ב · סעיף אחד · Level 1 — Introduction
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