✦ ❖ ✦
DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman שס"א · 2 Seifim
Roof Adjacent to Reshus HaRabbim — to discover and understand
סימן שס"א
דִּין גַּג הַסָּמוּךְ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים
🌱 Beginner Level · מתחילים
✦ ❖ ✦
First approach to Siman שס"א: complete Hebrew text of the Mechaber, fluent English translation, pedagogical explanations of halachic concepts, modern practical cases and synthesis.
Topic: Roof Adjacent to Reshus HaRabbim
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן שס"א (2 seifim)
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study Plan
1. The Shulchan Aruch text — the 2 seifim of the Mechaber
2. General context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. Key halachic concepts of this siman
4. Detail of the seifim — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
6. Position of the Rema — Ashkenazi vs Sephardi differences
7. Modern practical cases
8. Practical synthesis and rules to remember
9. Comprehension questions
1. The Shulchan Aruch text
Siman שס"א contains 2 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) codifying the halachos regarding a roof adjacent to reshus harabbim.
Seif א
דין גג הסמוך לרשות הרבים. ובו ב סעיפים:
גג הסמוך לרשות הרבים בתוך י' טפחים ולמעלה מעשרה לחצר הואיל ורבים משתמשין בו הרי זה כרה"ר ואסור לבעל הגג להשתמש בו מחצירו עד שיעשה לו סולם קבוע מחצירו איזהו סולם קבוע כל שקבעו שם בין לחול בין לשבת:
Translation: A roof adjacent to reshus harabbim, whose side facing the street is within 10 tefachim high [the roof is nearly level with the street, so the public has access], and whose other sides facing the courtyard are more than 10 tefachim high [from the courtyard side, it is a full reshus hayachid mide'oraisa]: since the rabbim uses it [they place objects on it], this roof is treated like a reshus harabbim, and it is assur for the baal hagag to use it from his chatzer — until he installs a fixed ladder from his chatzer. What is a fixed ladder? Any ladder he set there be'kvius, whether for weekdays or for Shabbos.
Seif ב
חצר שנפרצה במילואה או ביותר מי' לר"ה מקום מחיצה נידון כצידי רשות הרבים שהוא כרמלית (כמו) שהוא החצר ואם נפרץ בקרן זויות אפילו בפחות מי' אסור וכן בית שנפרץ בקרן זוית אפי' בפחות מי' ונפרץ גם הקירוי עד שישאר באלכסון אסור אבל פירצה שאינה בקרן זוית אמרינן בה פי תקרה יורד וסותם אפילו ביותר מי' והוא שלא יהא פי תקרה משופע דליכא פה: הגה וי"א דבעינן ג"כ ברוחב הקירוי ארבעה טפחים (תוס' והרא"ש פרק כיצד משתתפים וסמ"ג וטור) ואמרי' פי תקרה יורד וסותם אפי' בב' מחיצות אם יש כאן ב' מחיצות שלימות דבוקות זו בזו אבל זו כנגד זו לא: (טור)
Translation: A chatzer that has been breached in its entire width, or for more than 10 amos, toward the reshus harabbim: the place of the [destroyed] mechitzah is judged as "the sides of the reshus harabbim" (צִדֵּי רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים), which are karmelis; and the chatzer itself also becomes karmelis. If the chatzer is breached in a corner (קֶרֶן זָוִית), it is assur even at less than 10 [amos]. Likewise a house breached in a corner, even at less than 10, when the kirui has also been broken above the corner, to the point that only a diagonal remains [from one kosel to the next] — it is assur. But a pirtzah not in a corner — we apply "the edge of the kirui descends and seals" (פִּי תִקְרָה יוֹרֵד וְסוֹתֵם), even beyond 10 [amos], provided the pi tikrah is not slanted [a slanted roof has no real "edge" that can be extended downward]. Hagahah of the Rema: some say one also needs the kirui to be at least 4 tefachim wide; and we apply "pi tikrah yored ve'sosem" even to two mechitzos [breached] when two complete mechitzos remain attached to one another [forming a corner], but not when they are opposite each other.
Complete text: these 2 seifim constitute the entirety of the Mechaber's pesak on this topic. Each specifies a case, a tenai, or an exception.
2. General context
What does this siman discuss?
Siman שס"א deals with the status of a gag adjacent to reshus harabbim (גַּג הַסָּמוּךְ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים). Imagine a flat roof, within hand's reach of passersby in the street: this roof is more than 10 tefachim high from the chatzer side — so structurally, it is a reshus hayachid mide'oraisa. But since it is within 10 tefachim from street level, the rabbim place hats and small kelim on it. This public use causes it to be treated as reshus harabbim mide'rabbanan.
The fundamental question: the same roof can be reshus hayachid mide'oraisa (chatzer side) and treated as reshus harabbim due to public use (street side). How can the baal habayis "recover" his roof to use it on Shabbos? The Mechaber's answer: a sulam kavua, which is a giluy daas that he has "removed" the roof from public use.
Place in Hilchos Shabbos
Siman שס"א belongs to the series of simanim on reshuyos and hotzaah on Shabbos (345-365). Seif ב extends the question of chatzeros breached toward reshus harabbim and echoes simanim שמ"ה (the reshuyos) and שמ"ו; the talmudic source for seif א is Eruvin 89-90.
3. Key halachic concepts
Four notions structure this siman:
The essential concepts of siman שס"א:
- גַּג הַסָּמוּךְ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים — a gag adjacent to reshus harabbim, accessible from the street (within 10 tefachim of the ground).
- סֻלָּם קָבוּעַ — a kavua ladder: it demonstrates the baal habayis's intention to "remove" the gag from public use and reserve it for himself.
- פִּי תִקְרָה יוֹרֵד וְסוֹתֵם — "the edge of the tikrah descends and seals": we view the edge of the kirui as extending vertically downward to close the pirtzah.
- קֶרֶן זָוִית — a corner: a pirtzah in a koren zovis does not have the din of a "pesach" (פֶּתַח), since one does not make an entrance in a corner.
4. Detail of the seifim — one by one
| Seif | Content |
|---|---|
| א | A gag adjacent to reshus harabbim, within 10 tefachim from the street but more than 10 above the chatzer: the rabbim using it, it is treated as reshus harabbim — assur for the baal hagag to use it from his chatzer, unless he installs a sulam kavua. A sulam is "kavua" once it is set be'kvius, for chol or for Shabbos. |
| ב | A chatzer breached toward reshus harabbim in its entire width or for more than 10 amos becomes karmelis. Pirtzah in a koren zovis (קֶרֶן זָוִית): assur even at less than 10 — likewise a house whose corner and kirui are broken. Pirtzah not in a koren zovis: we apply פִּי תִקְרָה יוֹרֵד וְסוֹתֵם, even beyond 10, provided the pi tikrah is not slanted. Rema: a width of 4 tefachim of kirui is also required, and the klal applies for two mechitzos joined at a corner, not opposite each other. |
Heart of the siman: what defines the reshus is not only the metzius (the 10 tefachim of height) but also shimush and giluy daas. Public use degrades a reshus hayachid; a sulam kavua restores private status. And where a mechitzah is missing, the edge of the tikrah can "descend" to replace it — except in a koren zovis.
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
The Mishnah Berurah of the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen) contains 18 entries on this siman. Here are the first ones — to better understand the meaning of the seifim:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) בתוך עשרה טפחים - דהיינו שלצד ר"ה אינו גבוה י"ט ולצד החצר הוא גבוה י"ט דאלו לא היה גבוה י"ט אף לצד החצר לא היה מהני סולם כלל דהוי ר"ה גמור כשרבים מכתפים עליו וכשאין מכתפים עליו הוי עכ"פ כרמלית אבל השתא כיון דמצד החצר הוא גבוה י"ט יש על הגג תורת רה"י ומותר להשתמש עליו כשיש לו סולם קבוע לעלות בו מחצרו לגגו דבזה גלי דעתו דמסלק לגגו מן בני ר"ה ואין שייך רק לו ואם מצד ר"ה גבוה י"ט א"צ סולם. ואם הגג…
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) משתמשין בו - שמניחין כובעים וכלים קטנים על הגג:
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) הרי זה כר"ה - לאו כר"ה ממש דאי הכי לא היה מהני סולם אלא ר"ל כעין ר"ה:
For the complete text of all 18 entries, consult Sefaria: Mishnah Berurah 361.
6. Position of the Rema
The Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) does not gloss seif א: on the gag adjacent to reshus harabbim, Sephardim and Ashkenazim follow the Mechaber identically. It is at seif ב, regarding the klal of פִּי תִקְרָה יוֹרֵד וְסוֹתֵם, that he adds two dikdukim drawn from Tosafos, the Rosh, the Semag and the Tur.
The Rema's hagahah (seif ב):
- Kirui width: some are makpid that the remaining kirui be at least 4 tefachim wide for its edge to "descend and seal." A pi tikrah too narrow does not create a virtual mechitzah.
- Two mechitzos: we apply the klal even when two mechitzos are breached, provided that two complete mechitzos remain joined at a koren; but not when the two remaining mechitzos face each other — for the through passage causes the loss of the tzurah of a "pesach."
- Chabad → follow the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, siman שס"א (6 seifim — see Level 4).
7. Practical cases
Siman שס"א applies to roofs, terraces and lean-tos bordering public roads:
| Situation | Quick analysis |
|---|---|
| Low gag on the street side, high on the chatzer side, where passersby place objects | Treated as reshus harabbim — assur to use from the chatzer without a sulam kavua. |
| Gag higher than 10 tefachim also on the street side | Full reshus hayachid — no sulam necessary, the rabbim has no access. |
| Gag that does not reach 10 tefachim on any side | Karmelis — the sulam is useless, since the gag was never reshus hayachid. |
| Chatzer breached for more than 10 amos toward the street | The chatzer becomes karmelis — one carries only within 4 amos. |
| Pirtzah in a koren zovis of the chatzer or house | Assur even at less than 10 amos — a koren zovis is not a "pesach." |
For precise practical cases: measure the height of the gag on each side, the width of the pirtzah, and verify whether or not it falls in a koren zovis. For halacha lema'aseh, consult your Rav.
8. Practical synthesis of the Siman
The teachings of Siman שס"א:
- A low gag on the street side, high on the chatzer side, of which the rabbim makes use: it is treated as reshus harabbim — assur to use from the chatzer.
- The sulam kavua demonstrates that the baal habayis "removes" the gag from public use and reserves it for himself: it makes use mutar.
- A gag that does not reach 10 tefachim on any side is karmelis — the sulam changes nothing.
- A chatzer breached in its entire width or for more than 10 amos toward the street becomes karmelis; a pirtzah in a koren zovis is assur even below 10.
- A pirtzah not in a koren zovis is "closed" by the edge of the kirui (פִּי תִקְרָה יוֹרֵד וְסוֹתֵם), if this edge is not slanted.
- For halacha lema'aseh, consult your local Rav.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the general topic of Siman שס"א?
- How many seifim does this siman contain? What is the theme of each?
- What is the difference between the Mechaber and the Rema (if any)?
- What structuring halachic concepts appear in this siman?
- What is the practice to remember for daily life?
- In what borderline cases must one consult a Rav?
To go further
If you want to deepen this siman:
📖Join a chavrusa
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for pilpul, the שיטות ראשונים, fundamental חקירות, and Acharonim nuances
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and rapid memorization with mnemonics
- 📜 Level 4 — Daat HaRav: the Shitah of the Alter Rebbe (Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman שס"א)