The Word Mezuzah
In Biblical times, mezuzah was
simply the word for the doorpost of a house. The original mezuzah was the doorpost
of your tent and the original Passover directive was to smear hyssop and smear
blood on those very mezuzot.
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The verses inscribed on the parchment
scroll inside the mezuzah illuminate its origin and purpose.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 instructs:
"Hear,
O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these
words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall
bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your
eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates."
Right from these words we have the
modern day mezuzah that came to be in this form more than 2,000 years ago.
Placement
Long ago, there were Talmudic arguments
about how to place it on the doorpost. Some believed that the mezuzah should be
placed straight up and down to connect to God, while others argued for a
horizontal placement, connecting to all the people of the world. The general,
accepted compromise is to affix the mezuzah on a 45-degree angle, and while
there are certainly exceptions, the mezuzah is often found affixed to the
top third of the doorpost on the right (as one enters) with the upper portion
slanted inward.
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Mezuzot Design and Art
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The
making of ceramic or other decorative cases for mezuzot has become an art form
all its own. If you’re selecting a mezuzah for your home, you have countless
options from which to choose—perhaps you want a traditional case, or maybe you’re
looking for something more modern like the sushi mezuzah pictured
here!
Can someone explain to me how I check if the Mezuzah invalid or valid
ReplyDeletesee wikipedia mezuzah article subsection on checking the mezuzah.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice blog.In Israel, Gabrieli Tallit shop offer wide range of mezuzot, menorah, spice boxes, Havdallah set in Gold, and prayer shawl jewish in different design at affordable prices.
ReplyDeletedid anybody like the sushi one? i thought it was funny
ReplyDeleteCould someone explain what the "Shin" on the Mesusah stands for?
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for your very informative message here. I am a Christian but I have wanted a mezuzah on my home for many years. Today I finally bought one, and I wanted--needed--to know how to place the item, and I wanted to know what the shin meant. I'm so glad I found your information when I googled this. Thank you. I'm going to hang my mezuzah now, properly (as per your recommendations), and mark OUR home as a place where the Lord dwells.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written with straightforward information. I was sad that after hebrew school, bar mitzvah, and being raised conservatively;I had the incorrect meaning and how to place. Happier now that my home is blessed giving praise to G~d as our protector.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much
After a lengthy discussion about where and how and why the shin, our antique silver mezuzah from Prague now shines on and in the correct space. Thank you for the info. The Israeli store owner couldn't or wouldn't tell us. But he did advise on getting parchment from our rabbi.
ReplyDelete