6029 – The Memories of the Future! -
Q. Rabenu Shlit’a. Is it true that there are Poskim that maintain that in our days, one is not obliged to leave a non plastered area on the entrance of the home as a Zecher Lechurban or memory of the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash? What is the correct thing to do?
A. Our Sages established, as recorded in Talmud Baba Basra 60b, the details of the rabbinic laws regarding the commemoration of the Churban. One of the laws was that it was forbidden to build an impressive house like a palace. Another connotes that one should leave a square area of an amah (about 30 cm.) of the house unfinished. That is the opinion of the Rambam (Hilchos Taanit) and Shulchan Aruch 560:1. The Talmud and Poskim explain that after the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash, it is indeed prohibited to build a house that's completely plastered like in the past palaces of kings, rather one should leave an unfinished area adjacent to the entrance. (See Darkei Moshe who maintains that the Minhag in our days is to be lenient and follow the opinion of the Tur. See also Magen Avraham 560:1, Mishna Brurah 560:1 and Kaf HaChaim 560:3)
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Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Answered by: Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Published: August 7, 2026