The Mezuzah

By Leibel Estrin

It is the custom of a king’s palace to have guards at every gate. The guards serve two functions: they publicize the importance of the location, and protect the contents and individuals within.

From a Jewish perspective, attaching parchment scrolls called mezuzos to the doorpost of practically every room serves the same purpose. They proclaim that the house is devoted to Jewish ideals. At the same time, they protect the contents and individuals both inside and out of the house.

The mezuzah actually refers to a parchment scroll that contains the two Biblical passages that mention this Divine commandment (Devorim 6:4-9 and 11:13-21), “and you write them upon the doorpost of your house and upon your gates.” The scroll is inscribed in the same manner and using the same script as a Torah. The outside of the mezuzah contains the Divine name Sha–dai. In addition to being one of the names of G-d, it is an acronym of three Hebrew words that mean: “Guardian of the doorways (homes) of Israel.”

9 Mezuzos, 9 Months

Sandy A. was expecting her second child. But instead of feeling happy and excited, Sandy felt weak. At first, she thought that it was morning sickness and that soon it would go away. When she didn’t feel any better, Sandy visited her doctor. He said that she was losing weight and strength. If she didn’t improve, he would have to hospitalize her for several months.

With her permission, some friends asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a blessing. He responded, “Check your mezuzos.” But Sandy refused. Her father lived in Israel and had recently sent her 11 mezuzos for her new home. “They’re from Israel. They must be kosher,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Sandy continued losing weight. Again, the doctor warned her. But she simply could not keep food down and was becoming too weak to even try. In desperation, she agreed to have a qualified Rabbi check all 11 mezuzos. Nine were not kosher. She replaced her mezuzos and slowly her health returned. At the end of nine months, she gave birth to a healthy full term baby boy.

Over the years, the Rebbe has made a point of encouraging people to check their mezuzos as a way to help improve their health, livelihood, or personal relationships. What is the connection between health, etc. and mezuzos?

In Chapter 2, we defined Toras Chaim as the “Torah of Life.” But Toras Chaim also means “Living Torah.” The Torah is woven into the three dimensions of creation: time, place, and soul. By Divine Providence, Torah portions will be read on specific days, and will contain lessons that will apply to those who are reading them. If there is a flaw in a letter of the Torah, G-d forbid, it is not there “by accident.” It contains a message to all those who are present.

For example, the great scholar from 16^th century Portugal, Rabbi Yitzchok Abuhav, wrote a Torah that was used regularly in his synagogue in Safed, Israel. One Shabbos, there was a debate over a particular word. Some members of the congregation read the word one way. Others read it a completely different way. Neither group could see how the other could make such a mistake. Upon closer examination, the Rabbi found that all the men who had purified themselves in a mikvah (ritual immersion pool) that morning read the word according to tradition. Those who had skipped the mikvah saw a totally different word. Ever since then, the Rabbis of the Abuhav Synagogue only read the Torah on Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Shavuous, when they are confident that all the men have visited the mikvah.

Since mezuzos (and tefillin) are written in the same manner as a Torah, they have a similar sanctity and sensitivity to Divine Providence and will reflect the spiritual energies of those around them. Therefore, it’s a custom to check these articles to make sure that the spiritual channels for blessings are open. Due to their sanctity and their ability to reflect the spiritual energies, many people will only buy mezuzos and tefillin from reliable sources.

 Select Laws Concerning a Mezuzah

1. Homes, offices, public buildings, even the gates to private courtyard, even the gates to a city require mezuzos.
2. All doors of the house, including those leading to corridors, porches, fire escapes, etc. should have a mezuzah.
3. Some places do not require a mezuzah, e.g., a prison, a mikvah, or a synagogue. In addition, mezuzos should not be affixed in inappropriate places, e.g., the entrance to toilets, bathrooms, showers, locker rooms, etc.
4. No additions should be made to the text of the mezuzah.
5. Outside the Holy Land, the duty of affixing a mezuzah in a rented apartment begins on the 30^th day after moving in.
6. The mezuzah is folded so that “Shema”- which is on the right-hand side of the written page, should be on the top, with the writing inside starting from left to right.
7. Before being affixed, place the mezuzah in a protective cover or case. It could be made of glass, wood, metal, or any other material.
8. The mezuzah should have its upper part pointing forward, at that angle, towards the entrance of the room.
9. It should be placed over 2/3rds of the way up the doorpost.
10. Before affixing a mezuzah (or many mezuzos) say the following blessing:

It is a custom to check mezuzos (and tefillin) at least twice every seven years. Many people have the custom to check them more often. (Unfortunately, printed, improperly written, and otherwise unsatisfactory mezuzos have flooded the public market. In addition, many mezuzos that were originally proper have since faded or cracked due to age or weather. A competent authority should periodically check all one’s mezuzos.)

For information concerning where to acquire kosher mezuzos, where to have your present mezuzos examined, which doors require mezuzah, etc., contact your local Orthodox rabbi.

Words of Wisdom

Ardavan sent an exquisite pearl to the great sage Rav and asked, “Send me something of equal value in return.” Rav gave him a mezuzah. Ardavan sent back a message, “I gave you something beyond value and you sent me something that you can purchase for a coin.” Rav replied, “Neither my possessions nor yours can match it [for true value.] You sent me something that I must guard, whereas I sent you something that guards you while you sleep, as Proverbs 6:22 states, “When you walk, it shall lead you; when you lie down it shall guard you.”

An excerpt from the book “Judaism From Above The Clouds.”

Leibel Estrin has been writing about Jewish topics for four decades. He is working as a Jewish chaplain for the Aleph Institute. Leibel has recently published a work on Jewish perspectives and values entitled “Judaism From Above The Clouds.” To read more of Leibel’s writings and to purchase his book click here.