There are a lot of laws in the Torah—613, to be exact. Many are completely irrelevant to you and me. Worrying about my neighbor’s ox getting lost? No problem. I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen an ox. Bringing an animal to the Levitical priests for sacrifice? Not anymore—no priests, no temple, no sacrifices.

But some Torah laws can be reinterpreted for today. Change the word “ox” to “dog,” and suddenly you’re helping your neighbor find their wayward pet.

One law in particular has always captured my imagination. It appears in this week’s Torah portion and is brief and direct:

“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring blood upon your house if anyone should fall from it.” (Deuteronomy 22:8)

In biblical times, the meaning was clear. Homes had flat roofs where people gathered, and one misstep could be fatal.

It makes sense today as well. Think of all the places where we gather and need protection from falling—balconies, stairways, stadiums. We even have building codes to prevent accidents.

I know something about being protected from a fall. Years ago, I was diagnosed with a serious cancer. My children were very young, and my husband, a pilot, was often away from home. But we were not alone. Both our Jewish community and the elementary school community stepped in. For more than six months while I was in treatment, the doorbell rang every evening, and a different person stood there with a homemade meal.

During that time, I often said, “I feel so supported that if I were to trip and fall, I wouldn’t hit the ground.”

That support is the same as the fence around your balcony, the guardrail at the edge of the roof. It is the protection parents give their children. It is community—people watching out for each other, noticing where the cracks in the pavement lie, and catching friends, acquaintances, even strangers before they fall.

I am not naive enough to think the world is entirely safe, or that everyone cares. But I do have faith: faith that the world is safe enough, that many people do care, and that kindness is contagious. So I will keep spreading kindness, as best I can.