Megálgelin

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.

In a similar vein, Rav Yitzḥak, son of Rav Yehuda, said: A person should always pray that he will not become ill, as if he becomes ill they say to him: Bring proof of your virtue and exempt yourself. It is preferable for a person not to be forced to prove that he merits staying alive, as he might not be able to prove it. Mar Ukva said: What is the verse that alludes to this? As it says: “When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you bring not blood upon your house, if the fallen falls mimenu” (Deuteronomy 22:8). He explains: Mimenu, from him proof must be brought. When one falls from his previous situation, it is his own responsibility to prove his innocence and emerge unharmed. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: What is the meaning of the phrase: If the fallen falls from it? This person was destined to fall from that roof from the six days of Creation, it was ingrained into nature. As, although he did not yet fall, the verse calls him fallen. Nevertheless, the owner of the house is indicted for this, as merit is engendered by means of the innocent and guilt by means of the guilty.

Further [R. ‘Aḳiba] sat on the bench [and taught]: Good things are brought about through the agency of good men. Even if Moses and Aaron had not arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to be redeemed from Egypt, as it is stated, And afterward shall they come out with great substance. Had not Moses and Aaron and the Generation of the Wilderness arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to receive the Torah, as it is stated, He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright. The section of ‘the judges’ would have been worthy to be promulgated even if Jethro had not arisen. The section of ‘the smaller Passover’ would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the ‘unclean’ had not arisen, as it is stated, We are unclean by the dead body of a man; wherefore are we to be kept back, so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel? The section of ‘inheritance’ would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the daughters of Zelophehad had not arisen. The Temple would have been worthy to be built even if David and Solomon had not arisen, as it is stated, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established. Israel would have been worthy to be redeemed in the days of Haman even it Mordecai and Esther had not arisen, as it is stated, And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, etc.
Israel were destined to be enslaved even if Pharaoh had not arisen in Egypt, as it is stated, And [they] shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. Israel were destined to serve idols even if Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had not arisen, as it is stated, And this people will rise up, and go astray after the foreign gods of the land. The section of ‘the blasphemer’ and of ‘the gatherer of sticks’ would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the son of the Israelitish woman and the gatherer of sticks had not arisen. Israel would have been destined to be destroyed by the sword even if so and so had not arisen, as it is stated, All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword; and it declares, By sword and famine shall they be consumed. Israel would have deserved to be destroyed even if Nebuchadnezzar and his companions had not arisen, as it is stated, Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

And if it was completed through one of them, let him thank the Creator who fulfilled his desire, and thank the person through whom it was done, for his good will towards him, and that the Creator brought his benefit through him, and it is known that the Creator does not bring good except through the tzadikim (righteous), and it is rare that He brings a loss through them, as the sages said "merit occurs through the meritorious and guilt through the guilty" (Bava Basra 119b), and the verse "No wrong shall be caused for the righteous" (Mishlei 12:21 - Rashi "No sin will chance before him inadvertently").

“On the fourth day, prince of the children of Reuben, Elitzur son of Shedeur” (Numbers 7:30).
“On the fourth day, prince of the children of Reuben…” – once the banner of Judah finished, the prince of Reuben began presenting his offering, because he was the firstborn, and he presented the offering regarding his tribe of Reuben.
“His offering was one silver dish, its weight one hundred and thirty; one silver basin of seventy shekels, in the sacred shekel; both of them full of high quality flour mixed with oil as a meal offering” (Numbers 7:31).
“One gold ladle, ten shekels, full of incense” (Numbers 7:32).
“His offering was one silver dish [ke’arat]” (Numbers 7:31), do not read it as ke’arat, but rather, as akeret; this is Reuben, who played the main [ikar] role in the rescue [of Joseph]. It was he who first initiated the rescue. That is what is written: “Reuben heard and rescued him from their hand” (Genesis 37:21). Alternatively, that he uprooted [akar] the thought of his brothers, who wanted to kill him, just as it says: “Now let us go and kill him…” (Genesis 37:20). “Silver,” in the sense of: “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver” (Proverbs 10:20). ”Its weight one hundred and thirty,” this is because the first three letters of the first three words that he said to them, their numerical value totals one hundred and thirty. “Let us not smite him mortally [lo nakenu nafesh]” (Genesis 37:21); take lamed from lo, nun from nakenu, and nun from nafesh; that is one hundred and thirty.
“One silver basin [mizrak],” (Numbers 7:31), corresponding to the counsel he gave them that they should cast [sheyizreku] him into the pit, just as it says: “Reuben said to them: Do not shed blood; cast him into [this] pit…” (Genesis 37:22). “Silver,” in the sense of: “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver” (Proverbs 10:20). “Of seventy shekels, in the sacred shekel” (Numbers 7:31), corresponding to the secret [sod] that was in his heart to save him [Joseph]. The numerical value of sod is seventy. “Both of them full of high quality flour…” (Numbers 7:31), as what he said to them: “Let us not smite him mortally” and “cast him,” he intended only to rescue him, as in both matters, rescue is written: Initially, it is written: “Reuben heard and rescued him from their hand” (Genesis 37:21), and ultimately, it is written: “In order to rescue him from their hand” (Genesis 37:22). “One gold ladle [kaf], ten shekels…” (Numbers 7:32), kaf, corresponding to what he said to his brothers: “Do not lay a hand on him” (Genesis 37:22). “Gold…ten shekels,” because he saved himself by admonishing them, and he saved nine brothers from bloodshed. That is why “gold” is written, as there is one type of gold that resembles blood, and that is parvayim gold. “Full of incense” (Numbers 7:32), although it happened to the tribes that Joseph’s sale befell them, you presume that this act would not have befallen them unless they had been wicked in performing other acts. No, but rather they were full-fledged righteous men, and no sin had ever befallen them other than this one: That is what is written: “They said one to another: But we are guilty [regarding our brother]” (Genesis 42:21). They were engaged in self-reflection as to why their detention in Egypt befell them, but found only this. From their disgrace, the verse relates their praise, that they had only this iniquity alone attributable to them. And because Joseph’s sale was fortuitous for him, as it led him to rule, and it was fortuitous for his brothers and his father’s entire household, as he provided them with food during the famine years, that is why he was sold by them, because merit is engendered by means of the meritorious. That is “full of incense.”
Another matter, “full of incense,” as, at that time, Reuben was a penitent, donning sackcloth, fasting, and praying before the Holy One blessed be He, that He grant him atonement for the iniquity of the act with Bilha. Prayer is likened to incense, just as it says: “Let my prayer stand as incense before You…” (Psalms 141:2). That is, “full of incense.”
“One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering” (Numbers 7:33).
“One goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 7:34).
“And for the peace offering, two cattle, five rams, five goats, five sheep in their first year. This was the offering of Elitzur son of Shedeur” (Numbers 7:35).
“One young bull…” (Numbers 7:33), these are the offerings that he sacrificed, corresponding to the penitence in which he was engaged when Joseph was sold. Penitence is likened to all the offerings of a sinner, as it is written: “Offerings to God are a broken spirit” (Psalms 51:19). Just as the sinner brings a burnt offering and a sin offering for his sin, that is why he brought here a burnt offering and a sin offering, corresponding to them. And because the burnt offering is more cherished than the sin offering, that is why he sacrificed a burnt offering from all the species with the exception of the goat, as we do not find the goat as a burnt offering throughout the Torah.
“One goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 7:34), this is to atone for the act with Bilha. “And for the peace offering, two cattle” (Numbers 7:35), because he was [going to be] excluded from being enumerated with his brothers because of the act with Bilha, as it is written: “Reuben went and lay with Bilha, his father's concubine, and Israel heard” (Genesis 35:22), the matter was interrupted, as it placed the end of the portion there, alluding that he was banished. This is why that portion is an open portion, as even though he was banished, the arms of the Holy One blessed be He are open to receive penitents. Because he sought to perform two good deeds, Joseph’s rescue and repentance, he was restored to be part of them, and was included in their tally. That is what is written: “The sons of Jacob were twelve” (Genesis 35:22). Due to these two acts that Reuben performed, Moses found an opportunity to pray on behalf of Reuben so that he would not be excluded from his brothers. That is what is written: “May Reuben live [and not die, and may his people be counted]” (Deuteronomy 33:6). “May Reuben live,” because he gave life to Joseph; “and not die,” due to the act of Bilha, because he repented; “and may his people be counted,” may his descendants be included in the tally of the other tribes in every sense. That is why it is stated: “And for the peace offering, two cattle [bakar]” (Numbers 7:35), corresponding to the two good deeds that he sought out [shebiker], Joseph’s rescue and the repentance, he was restored and was enumerated with his brothers.
“Five rams, five goats, five sheep in their first year” (Numbers 7:35), why three species? It is corresponding to the three times Reuben is mentioned in the portion of Joseph’s rescue and corresponding to the three “vayomer” that are written there. Why were there five of each? They correspond to the five words through which Reuben was drawn near. That is what is written: “The sons of Jacob were twelve.”
“This was the offering of Elitzur…” (Numbers 7:35), when the Holy One blessed be He saw that he presented his offering in this order, He began lauding his offering; “this was the offering…”

“Then all these courtiers of yours shall come down to me and bow low to me, saying, ‘Depart, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will depart.” And he left Pharaoh’s presence in hot anger.