The-Mezuzah
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do NOT visit this site on שַׁבָּת - Shabbat or on
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Re Tanakh versions:
Throughout this site I may use any of the
following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org”
(MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org”
(SEF), three brilliant versions, although JPS-1917 is my preferred version!
Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah =
History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books -
Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or
Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of
Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history
of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some alterations or
(additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
The of the Mezuzah:
The
Hebrew household is created by the people, who live in it, and by the way they act,
the things they do, and do not do, all based on the beliefs they hold. To a great extent, a Hebrew way of life is
part of a blessed faith you can take with you anywhere you go. Of course this
is true for ‘Shabbat’, being ‘kashrut, ‘Taharat Hamishpachah’ (family
purity laws), ‘daily prayer’, and study of our beloved Torah.
It is generally accepted
that our faith is a religion that is more oriented to holiness of time than
holiness of a place. There are many occasions we sanctify, but very few places
we call holy.
Is that the whole truth?
Not at all, for the very place in which we live, our permanent residence is
sanctified. This is achieved through a very blessed ritual that comes through
the mitzvah of kissing the ‘Mezuzah’.
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The Origin of the Mezuzah:
The Mezuzah’s origin comes directly from our Torah and therefore it carries a great weight.
20. “And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates”. Devarim - Deuteronomy 6:9, 11:20. (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
20. “And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; 21. that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which יְהוָה - the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth. 22. For if ye shall diligently keep all this commandment which I command you, to do it, to love the LORD your Eloheychem, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him”. (Devarim - Deuteronomy 11:20-22).
Amazingly I have been asked, ‘what is to be inscribed?’, thankfully the Divine instruction is very clear: The words that we are … “to love יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheychem, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him”.
Thus, a Mezuzah has come to refer also to the parchment, or klaf, on which the verses of the Torah are inscribed (Devarim - Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21). Mezuzah refers as well to the case or container in which a parchment is enclosed. A Mezuzah serves two functions: Every time you enter or leave your home, the Mezuzah reminds you that you have a covenant with אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He; second, the Mezuzah serves as a symbol to everyone else that this particular dwelling is constituted as a Hebrew’s household, operating by a special set of rules, rituals, and beliefs!
Before describing the act of affixing a Mezuzah, let us examine some of its attendant laws:
The Mezuzah Scroll (Klaf):
The ‘klaf’ must be hand-lettered by a scribe, one who is observant of Hebrew law and who qualifies for the task. The case or container, on the other hand, has not special requirements. It can be purchased or homemade; it can be of any size or shape or material. The scroll is rolled up from left to right so that when it is unrolled the first words appear first. The scroll is inserted into the container but should not be permanently sealed because twice in seven years the parchment should be opened and inspected to see if any of the letters have faded or been damaged.
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A Mezuzah should be fixed to the doorpost of ever living space in the
house, not just the entrance door. Any room that has two doorposts and an
overhead lintel requires a Mezuzah, so one should check with a rabbi.
Bathrooms, closets, laundry room, boiler room, and so forth, however, do not
require a Mezuzah.
The Mezuzah should be put up as soon as possible after moving in, and
not later than thirty days. A temporary residence, that is, a place we reside
in for less than thirty days, doesn’t require a Mezuzah; nor does an office or
place of business. A dormitory room, which a student considers a home away from
home, should have a Mezuzah.
When a family moves it should not remove its Mezuzot
from the doorpost if its knows that another Jewish
family will be moving in subsequently. (If the case is a valuable one, one can
substitute another case, but the ‘klaf’ should
remain.) If one knows that a Gentile family is to follow in that place of
abode, the Mezuzot should be removed, lest they be
considered useless and thrown away.
In the
How to Affix a Mezuzah
The Mezuzah is affixed to the right side of the door as one enters a
room. In other words, if your door swings open from hallway into bedroom, the
Mezuzah would be nailed to the right-hand doorpost as your face the bedroom
from the hall. This is so no matter whether the doorknob is on the right- or
left-hand side. It should be placed at the lower part of the top third of the
doorpost, which is generally about eyeball height for a six-foot-tall person.
It is affixed at a slant, with
the lower part of the container toward you as you face the right doorpost.
A Mezuzah contains אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim’s name and
therefore great pains are taken to see that it doesn’t fall. The case must be
securely attached at top and bottom rather than hanging by a nail from the top
of the Mezuzah. If the doorpost is too narrow to affix the Mezuzah on a slant,
it can be attached vertically, but still must be nailed or glued at top and
bottom.
Blessing for Affixing a Mezuzah
The ritual for affixing a Mezuzah is very brief and very simple,
especially so considering its enduring nature. Mezuzah in one hand, one recites
this blessing.
בָּרוּךְ
אַתָּה
יְהֹוָה ,
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר
קִדְּשָׁנוּ
בְּמִצְוֹתָיו
וְצִוָּנוּ
לִקְבֹּעַ
מְזוּזָה:
ואחר
שיקבענה
ינשקנה ויאמר:
זֶה־הַשַּׁעַר
לַיהֹוָה ,
צַדִּיקִים
יָבֹאוּ בוֹ:
Transliteration:
“Barukh ata יְהֹוָה Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kiddeshanu be-mitzvotav ve’tzivvanu likboa Mezuzah”.
English Translation:
“Blessed are You, יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ - the LORD our Eloheynu, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a Mezuzah”.
After reciting the blessing, all those
standing about answer “Amen”. Immediately the Mezuzah is nailed or glued to the
right doorpost. That is it a 30-second ritual that lasts the lifetime of tenure
in that place…
One final word about the
symbolic status of a Mezuzah. The parchment is
inscribed on only one side. On its reverse side, only one word appears: “Shaddai”, one of the names used for אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim. When the scroll is rolled properly, the “Shaddai”
is facing the eye. The Hebrew letters of “Shaddai”
are ‘shin’, ‘dalet’, ‘yod’ are also the initials of the phrase ‘shomer daltot yisrael’,
the ‘Guardian of the doors of
We should remember that the Mezuzah is a sign, and reminder of the Covenant, of our love and commitment and our willingness to create a Hebrew household. That, in itself, is sufficient!
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Note: “hebraicstudies”
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This
site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and
wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or
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Remember
what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via
several of our prophets...
“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;
“The More Torah, the More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who
gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts, be with you, and
please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim -
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with
you!
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