PARSHA MATH

A kosher compliant home has kosher mezuzas on all entrances, and kosher appliances to make the
kosher kitchen user friendly. Plus, no trees are hanging over the backyard area where the sukkah
is to be built. How does anyone realize kosher roofs, porches, balconies and landings as well?
How do you make a porch kosher compliant? The answer – build a ma’akeh.
What is a ma’akeh?
The Torah states in Parshas Ki-Setze, “When you build a new house, then make a fence for your
roof…” The object of this positive mitzvah is to prevent a person from accidentally falling”, as
the posuk continues, “…And you shall not put blood in your house, lest someone fall from
there.”
A ma'akeh is required at the edge of any floor that people walk on, if the floor is more than ten
t'fachim above the ground or above the next floor. The fence itself must be at least ten t'fachim
tall.
A Tefach (a handbreath) is the width of a clenched fist. It is equivalent to a sit (used for measuring
pieces of fabric). It is the distance between the index finger and the middle finger when held as
far apart as possible.

There is a machlokes (disagreement)

regarding the size of a Tefach:
Rav Chaim No’ah – 8cm (3.14 inches) and
the Chazon Ish – 9.6cm (3.77 inches)

Tefach is a significant measurement in several halachic issues.

Please indicate the number of Tefachim involved in the legal issues for following items:
(Options: 1,3,4,5,7,10)

____10____ MA’AKEH
__________ HADAS
__________ SUKKAH
__________ PAROCHES (in the Mikdash)
__________ MECHITZA
__________ SHOFAR
__________ LULAV
__________ LAVUD (a space of less than three handbreadths is
considered closed for halakhic purposes)
__________ MENORAH
__________ ARAVAH

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 PARSHA MATH
NOTES FOR TEACHER OR PARENT
Age group – 10 years and up
Objective of this lesson:
Appreciate math in the Parsha
Introduction to concepts within Judaism of Biblical measures of length

ANSWER SHEET
1 Tefach Thickness of the Paroches
1 Tefach Minimum size of Shofar
3 Tefachim Minimum size of Hadas
3 Tefachim Minimum size of Arava
3 Tefachim Maximum size of Lavud
3 Tefachim Minimum distance of Menorah from the ground
4 Tefachim Minimum size of Lulav
7 Tefachim Minimum size of Sukah wall
Optimal maximum distance of Menorah from
10 Tefachim the ground
10 Tefachim Minimum size of Sukah height
10 Tefachim Minimum size of a Mechitza

BIBLICAL MEASUREMENTS OF LENGTH

1 Amah (also called a cubit) – distance from the elbow to the middle finger

= 6 Tefachim (except sometimes equals 5 Tefachim, for example in some of the amos
used in the mizbeach)

1 Tefach = 4 Etzbaos (fingerbreaths) equivalent of “four-finger” fist

also 5 times the width of the middle finger or 6 times the wide of little finger

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