Mezuzah Part 3: What Is A Mezuzah?

What’s Written In A Mezuzah?

A Mezuzah is a small parchment scroll that we have a mitzvah to attach to each doorway in our home. Each mezuzah scroll has two paragraphs from the Torah written on it. The first one begins
with “Shema Yisrael” and continues straight into “Ve’ahavata”, and the second paragraph is “Vehaya im shamoa”. These paragraphs discuss Hashem’s presence and sovereignty over the world, and provides spiritual protection to the home¹.

Who Writes The Mezuzah?

A mezuzah must be handwritten by a sofer (scribe) who has studied the extensive laws of mezuzah creation. The scribe must be a male Jew, over the age of bar mitzvah. Before writing, the sofer declares, “My intent is to write for the sole purpose of creating a kosher mezuzah.” The mezuzah must be written in Ktav Ashurit (Hebrew block print)² in one of three different styles: K’tav Bait Yosef (used by most Ashkenazi Jews), K’tav Arizal (used by Chassidic Jews), and K’tav Vellish (used by Sephardic Jews). The letters גץ שעטנז (shin, ayin, tes, nun, zayin, gimel and tzadi) need to be written with taggin (crowns) on top of them³. Additionally, a mezuzah must be written on a single piece of parchment⁴ – if it’s written on multiple pieces, the mezuzah remains not kosher, even if the pieces are sewn or glued together.

Mezuzah On A Doorframe

Every room owned or rented by a Jewish person that’s used for living, working, or storage, needs a mezuzah on the doorpost, with a few exceptions. The room must measure at least 4×4 amot (about 6 to 7.5 feet)⁵. Only doorways that lead to places used for clean and respectable purposes require a mezuzah, for example, a bathroom doorway does not get a mezuzah⁶. The doorway itself must have two doorposts and a crossbeam⁷, and the doorposts must be at least ten tefachim high (about 31-38 inches)⁸ to require a mezuzah. If you rent an apartment or house outside Israel, some hold you can live in the apartment without a mezuzah for up to thirty days. In Israel, you need to put them up right away⁹.

How To Put Up A Mezuzah

The mezuzah should be placed on the right doorpost when entering the room¹⁰. It should be in the upper third of the doorway’s height¹¹, but at least one tefach (about 3-4 inches) lower than the crossbeam¹². There’s a debate about whether the mezuzah should be placed vertically or horizontally. Sephardic custom follows the ruling that a mezuzah should be attached straight¹³. Ashkenazic custom is to attach it at a slant with the top pointing toward the inside of the room¹⁴. A mezuzah should be attached permanently, using nails, screws, glue or attached in a groove in the doorpost¹⁵. Mezuzahs should be put in protective cases before being attached to the doorpost¹⁶. The case can be made of different materials, but its main purpose is to keep the holy scroll safe from damage.

A Mezuzah Prayer

Before putting up a mezuzah, a blessing is recited:

ברּוְך אַתּ ה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינּו מֶלֶך הָעֹֹוָלָם אשר קדְשָנּו בִּמצוֹוָתָיו וְצִונּו לקֹבַֹעַ מזּוָזָה

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.”

If you’re putting up several mezuzahs at once, say one blessing for all of them¹⁷. The requirements for this mitzvah apply equally to men and women¹⁸, though it’s preferable that it be done by someone over bar or bas mitzvah¹⁹. If the property is rented, buying and installing the mezuzahs is the tenant’s responsibility, not the landlord’s²⁰.

Private mezuzahs need to be taken down and checked by a sofer (scribe) twice in seven years²¹, to make sure the text hasn’t become cracked or faded.

Before installing and making a bracha (blessing) on a mezuzah, consult a rabbi who is knowledgeable in these laws. There are many complex scenarios as well as times where there are different opinions of what is required. Some doorways require a mezuzah without a bracha, while at other doorways it may be unclear which side the mezuzah should be hung on. So always ask first.

Can The Mezuzah Be Removed?

Besides for regular checking, there are very few reasons to take down a mezuzah. In fact, it’s generally forbidden to remove them and is even considered dangerous, since the mezuzah protects the home. Even when moving, if another Jewish person will be living there next, the mezuzahs should stay put. If the new resident has their own mezuzahs or if construction or painting is being done, they should ask a rabbi what to do. However, if you’re moving out of a place owned by a non-Jewish person, or if a non Jewish person will be moving in after you, you should take the mezuzahs down to prevent them from being disrespected or destroyed²².

The Mitzvah Of Mezuzah

The number one reason we do any mitzvah is because Hashem said so. However, the Rambam gives us some insight into the idea behind mezuzah. As mentioned above, the mezuzah contains two paragraphs from the Torah which talk about accepting Hashem as King and dedicating oneself to keeping the mitzvot. Every time we pass by a mezuzah, it’s an opportunity to remember Hashem. Many people have a custom to kiss the mezuzah by touching it and then kissing their fingertips as they pass through the doorway. It’s as if the mezuzah is calling out, “Don’t forget about Hashem! Don’t forget you’re a Jew! Don’t lose sight of what’s important²³!”

Perks Of The Mitzvah

Besides the fulfillment of a mitzvah itself with heaping rewards in the world to come, keeping the mitzvah of mezuzah comes with many perks in this world as well.

1) In the paragraph of shema “Vehaya im shamoah²⁴“, it says “And you should write them on the doorposts of your houses and gates in order that you and your children should merit long life on the land that I promised to give to your fathers.”

This is a guarantee from the Torah that keeping the mitzvah of mezuzah lengthens one’s life.

2) It’s written in the Gemara²⁵ that in general, a Jew earns reward in Olam Haba for doing a mitzvah, but we don’t necessarily get rewarded in this world. The mitzvah of mezuzah is an exception – as Hashem promises that in addition to the heavenly reward we earn, our mezuzot (plural for mezuzah) will protect us from harm in this world. Now, you might be wondering: what about houses and people in those houses with mezuzot, who did have harm? What happened to the protection there?

It’s important to understand that Hashem’s protection doesn’t always come in the way we expect. Hardships are part of a bigger picture that we may not understand in this world and the reward for keeping mezuzah extends to both this world and the next. This means that while the physical protection might not always manifest in the way we envision, the mezuzah still serves as a powerful spiritual safeguard and the main reward may be reserved for Olam Habah (world to come).

3) The Zohar writes²⁶ that a Jew is always accompanied by his yetzer hora (evil inclination), whose job it is to try to persuade us to do aveirot, but when he enters through his doorway on which there’s a mezuzah, the yetzer hora is forced to protect the Jew from harm.

Read Mezuzah Part 1: The Best Security Guard and Mezuzah Part 2: Its Profound Message

Excerpted from Oorah’s Torah Nuggets

Mezuzah Part 3 – Sources: