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A
Mezuzah is a parchment which we affix to our doorposts, on which
a scribe has hand-written two
paragraphs from the Torah: The portion of 'Sh'ma Yisroel'
("Hear O Israel...") in the Book of Deuteronomy 6:4-9,
and the portion of 'V'hoyo-im-shamoa' ("And it shall
happen if you obey...") in Deuteronomy 11:13-21. In these
paragraphs, God states that great rewards await those who observe
the Mitzvot, including prosperity, long life for us and our
children as well as tight security for the house . Each of the
two paragraphs includes a commandment to affix a Mezuzah on
the doorpost.
These
portions are written on the parchment with special ink, by a highly
trained and certified scribe. The text is written in a single
column on 22 scored lines. Every letter must be properly written,
for even one letter written incorrectly invalidates the Mezuzah.
On the back of the parchment is written the word 'Sha-dai',
along with certain other letters. After the scribe has completed
his writing, the parchment is rolled (not folded or creased) from
left to right, so that the first word to appear when the Mezuzah
is opened is 'Sh-ma'. The Mezuzah is then placed in a protective
cover or case and is ready to be put up on the doorpost.
The Holy Zohar, writes
"Come and see,
that a person is required to inscribe the Holy Name upon the doorpost
of his home. For every place that the Holy Name is found the bad
spirits cannot be found there, and they are unable to act upon
a person as the verse says: "lo siuna alecha ru"
When a person puts a Mezuzah on his door, and the Holy Name is
inscribed within its letters, then the person is crowned with
the Crown of his Master, and the bad spirits are unable to get
close and therefore cannot be found there."
Story
The Parthian king,
Artiban, once sent a priceless jewel to Rabbi Judah the Prince
(135 c.e. - 220 c.e.), who was the compiler of the Mishna and
one of the wealthiest Jews. The king made it obvious that he expected
something of equal value in return. The Rabbi's return gift to
the king was a Mezuzah. The king's reply was: "I sent you
something priceless and you sent me something that can be bought
for a paltry sum!?" The Rabbi answered: "You sent me
something that I must hire a guard to watch and I sent you something
that will watch over you!" Talmud Yerushalmi, Peah 1:1
Special Protection
Most mitzvot have the power
to protect while we are actively engaged in performing them, but mezuzah
is unique in that it protects even as we sleep.
My friends grandmother had developed a numbness in her hand. She visited
a variety of doctors and specialists, but no one could help her. The numbness
persisted for months, and was getting progressively worse. Finally, my
friends grandmother asked her rabbi for advice. "Check your mezuzah,"
he said. Left with no other "more practical" option, she took
down the mezuzah and looked inside. The meticulously written scroll was
perfect -- except for one letter missing: a yud. Yud is related to the
Hebrew word for hand, yad. My friends grandmother had the mezuzah replaced,
and within days her hand returned to normal. True story.
A central belief of the Jewish religion is that God cares about us; He
desires to give us long life and protection. And as in all relationships,
the more we put into it; the more we get out of it. By declaring our loyalty
to God and His precepts - i.e. by protecting the mezuzah and its ideals
-- God will protect us in turn.
Kosher Mezuzah
A "kosher" mezuzah
is hand-written on genuine parchment, prepared from the skin of a kosher
animal. A specially trained scribe, known as a sofer, carefully writes
the words using special black ink and a quill pen. The letters must be
written according to halacha (Jewish Law), and every letter and word must
be correct. Any mistakes or missing letters invalidates the entire parchment.
It is not possible to know if a mezuzah is kosher just by looking at it,
since part of it's being kosher has to do with the scribe who wrote it.
It is for this reason that one should buy a mezuzah from a God-fearing
person. Look for a scribe with certification from the Vaad Mishmeret Stam.
A kosher mezuzah should cost $30-40. You can purchase valid scrolls online
at:
- http://www.stam.net
To protect the mezuzah from the elements, you should place it in a case.
Jewish bookstores sell a wide range of mezuzah cases -- from inexpensive
plastic, to artistic porcelain, to elaborate silver. (If you're putting
the mezuzah outside, be sure to buy a waterproof case.)
Because of humidity and natural aging, the letters on a mezuzah can become
cracked or faded. For this reason, a mezuzah should be checked twice every
seven years.
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Direction
and Guidance on How to Install a Mezuzah
When
moving into a new home...
Amezuzah should be
put up immediately. If you're only renting, and the house or apartment
is located in the diaspora, then the mezuzah can be put up within
30 days.
When moving out of a home -- and the next occupant is also Jewish
-- it is considered disrespectful to remove the mezuzot. But since
there is a significant expense involved (since one house could
have many mezuzot), it is appropriate for the new occupants to
pay for the mezuzot, or alternatively to offer to put up their
own.
Where can I find a Sofer or
buy?
A large store on the net can be found on http://www.stam.net
For other stores fell free to e-mail
the Rabbi.
Where do I put Mezuzos?
Inpractice today,
the custom is to put a mezuzah on most doors that people use.
Therefore, a Jewish home typically has mezuzot on the front
and side doors, porch, bedrooms, living room, playroom, garage
(if used for storage and not just cars), laundry room, etc.
Closets and other small spaces that are not large enough to
be used for normal living do not need a mezuzah. (Though some
authorities require it.)
Perfect Placement
1. Whenplacing
the mezuzah in the case or on the wall, be sure that the Hebrew
word "Shaddai," which is written on the back
of the parchment, is facing outward (i.e. toward the entrance
once it is affixed). Also, make sure the mezuzah is not upside
down!
2. The mezuzah should be placed on
the right-hand doorpost -- i.e. on the right side of the door
as you enter the room.
3. How far up on the doorpost? The
mezuzah should be placed on the lower part of the upper-third
of the doorpost -- approximately shoulder height. (The Talmud
compares this to phylacterys (Tefillin), which is placed on the
upper arm.)
4. At which angle? The Ashkenazi
custom is to position the mezuzah at a slight angle, with the
top half pointing toward the room you are about to enter. The
Sephardi custom is to place the mezuzah straight up vertically.
(If the doorpost is too narrow to allow for a slant, Ashkenazim
also place it vertically.)
5. If the doorway is deep, the mezuzah
should be placed on the doorpost within 3 inches of the entrance.
If the doorway has little depth, i.e. it is not possible to place
the mezuzah on the doorpost within the doorway itself, then the
mezuzah is placed on the outer part of the doorpost, within 3
inches of the doorway.
6. The mezuzah should be permanently
affixed, with glue, nails or screws. Tape that would easily fall
off if bumped into is regarded as too temporary to be considered
"affixed." Similarly, velcro and magnets may not be
used.
7. The mezuzah must be affixed both
on the top and bottom. When using double-sided foam tape, either
use one long piece which reaches the top and bottom of the mezuzah
case, or put two pieces -- one on top and one on the bottom.
8. A strong glue or double-sided
foam tape is acceptable only if the case opens from the top or
bottom. If the case opens from the back, then by using glue or
foam tape, only the removable back of the cover will be "affixed
to the doorpost," while the hollow section containing the
mezuzah will not. Therefore, a case which opens from the back
should be affixed with nails or screws.
Reciting the Blessing
Beforereciting the
blessing, the case with the mezuzah enclosed should be held against
the doorpost -- ready to turn the first screw or tap in the first
nail. If using glue or foam tape, be prepared to firmly affix
the case on the doorpost immediately upon completing the blessing.
Once the mezuzah is in position, but before affixing it to the
door, the following blessing is recited:
| Phonetic
Hebrew |
Baruch
Ata Adonoy, Elo-heinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kid'shanu
bi'mitzvo-sav, vi'tzivanu leek-bo-a mezuzah. |
| English |
Blessed
are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who
sanctified us with His mitzvot, and commanded
us to affix a mezuzah. |
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If
you are hanging many mezuzot at the same time, only one blessing
is recited on the first mezuzah -- usually the front door. When
making the blessing, have in mind the remaining mezuzot, and try
not to make any interruptions until all the mezuzot are affixed.
Kissing the Mezuzah
Mezuzotprovide
our home with divine protection and a sense of well being. They
are treated with a huge amount of respect. The tradition, which
has been passed down thru the ages, teaches us to kiss the Mezuzah.
From an early age, children are taught the value of Mezuzot
by being lifted up and afforded the opportunity to kiss the
adorned case.
When fixing the Mezuzah
Whenaffixing
the mezuzah we make the blessing, Blessed are You, God our God,
King of the universe Who made us holy with His commandments
and commanded us to affix the mezuzah"). It must be affixed
in a permanent manner. The person affixing the mezuzah should
be over the age of bar or bas mitzvah.
How often do I need to check my Mezuzos?
Mezuzosneed
to be checked twice every 7 years. Have them checked by a certified
Sofer. Computer scanning can be done to examine for missing
letters or words. This examination is inexpensive, and it only
needs to be performed once. Computer scanning is not counted
as being checked, as the computer only looks for spelling mistakes.
Only a Sofer is qualified to notice cracked, peeling, or touching
letters.
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