Mezuzah Blog

Could this too be a product of the tough economy?  Lately I have noticed that a lot of people reach our website searching for terms like “free printable mezuzah” or “printable mezuzah scroll“.  Of course, we don’t have any such item to offer because we very much believe that every Jewish home needs to have Kosher Mezuzahs.

I think that what is happening is that people are finding the picture of our Kosher Mezuzah Scroll, printing it out, and using it in place of a real Mezuzah.  I am a bit disturbed by this and its not for the reason you think.

I actually would love to offer a free printable Mezuzah scroll!  As it is, we hardly make anything off of the Kosher ones.  The dollar is really low now and the scrolls are getting more and more expensive.  We have to put a whole lot of effort into obtaining scrolls that are truly Kosher at a price that is somewhat affordable (the really good quality scrolls cost around $70).  Then we have to put more work into checking each scroll in our workshop to make sure that it is 100% Kosher.  Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to personally stand behind the product.

If we could offer a free downloadable Mezuzah scroll, we could focus our energy on selling the Mezuzah covers which have a much higher profit margin and don’t require nearly as much effort on our part to obtain.  But then we would be defeating the primary goal of our website which I started originally as an effort to get Kosher Mezuzahs into the hands of Jewish people all over the world.  So you can imagine that I am disturbed to see that people are printing the picture of our Kosher Mezuzah and using it as a Mezuzah scroll.

So today I made a new page that I think will eventually rank quite high in the search engine results when someone searches for things like “printable mezuzah”.  The page explains briefly why we can’t offer such a product and refers the visitor to our Kosher Mezuzah scrolls.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

Google just came out with a new service called Knol.  It seems their idea is to make a sort of Wikipedia that is written by individual authors instead of by community collaboration.  With Wikipedia, there can only be one ariticle on any given subject, and it is the job of the community to maintain it in an accurate state.

The Idea of Knol, is to allow anyone to write on any topic.  Over time, the articles that are accurate and informative will rise to the top through community ranking and commenting.   This ultimately allows authors, who publish under their real name, to establish credability in their field.

I am very excited about this.  I love to share what I know with others.  I think this Knol thing is going to become a really great platform to do it.  Here are my first two contributions:

Judaism

Mezuzah

I get this question all of the time. The answer is that it depends on how you use your laundry room. If it is a pretty tidy room which has a washer and dryer, then you would put a Mezuzah.

If your laundry room is generally piled up with loads of dirty, smelly laundry. Then you would not put a Mezuzah. This is because it would be considered disrespectful to put a Mezuzah there. The same law applies to a bathroom.

Of course, we are assuming that your laundry room has the minimum 36 square feet that any room needs to be obligated in a Mezuzah. We are also assuming that the laundry room has some sort of door frame. If it doesn’t meet both of these requirements, it is not obligated no matter how immaculate it might be.

In my last post I showed you our new product, the fabric Mezuzah. Afterwards I was thinking that a lot of you may be wondering how you can put a fabric Mezuzah on your front door without it getting ruined.

The answer is that you can’t. You see, I always forget that a lot of people who stumble across this blog don’t know that you need to have Mezuzahs on pretty much all of the doors in your home. Many think that a Mezuzah is just for the front door. The fabric Mezuzah is perfect for the door to the living room or to a bedroom. In fact many of the Mezuzahs that we sell aren’t really intended for outdoor use.

As I was thinking about that, I got an email from a customer asking something similar. I thought that the answer might be interesting for everyone so here it is:

Hello:

I purchased my original mezuzahs from a scribe in Florida several years ago and am replacing the Mezuzah on our front door due to the fact that it got wet-despite being in a clear lucite cover. I recall the scribe telling me that the clear covers are best for the Mezuzahs. However, I would like to purchase at some point a case-both for decorative value and physical protection of the scroll. Is there any reason not to purchase a cover that is not clear?

Many thanks,
Mark R.

Here’s what I answered him:

Dear Mark,

Every situation requires a different kind of Mezuzah cover. For example, a Mezuzah which is in the direct sunlight should not be in a clear cover. The direct sunlight will dry out the parchment and cause it to become brittle and break. Such a door should have a cover which is light colored and made of something that doesn’t heat up such as plastic or wood. A mezuzah which is inside of a bedroom, say a Mezuzah which goes to a walk-in closet should also not be clear, because the scroll cannot be exposed in a place where people get undressed.

On the other hand, if a Mezuzah is on the entry to a dining room, you have much more leeway about what kind of cover you use because the scroll isn’t exposed to the elements. In such a case, it is preferable, if possible, to use a Mezuzah cover which exposes the name ‘Sha-dai’ which is written on the outside of the scroll. This is so that we will be reminded of G-d when we go through that door. Those cases which do not allow you to see the name of G-d on the scroll, generally have the letter ‘Shin’ on the them somewhere to remind us that the scroll inside, bears the name of G-d.

In any case (no pun intended), the most important thing is to choose a Mezuzah case which will properly protect the scroll and honor it.

Thanks for visiting our site.

Aaron Shaffier
MezuzahStore.com

This is one of the most common questions that we receive.  Unfortunately, there is no way for me to answer it completely in this post.  (Well, maybe I really could, but I would probably scare away all of our readers before it was done.)  So I am going to try to give some basic outlines.  As always, if you have questions you can email us or contact your local Rabbi.

The basic rule is every room in your house needs a Mezuzah except the bathroom. 

There are some exceptions.  The following rooms do not need a Mezuzah:

• A room which is smaller than 36 square feet.

• A room which is completely open and doesn’t have a door, or if door isn’t shaped in a way to need a mezuzah.

• A room which is used exclusively for a purpose which is not apropriate for a Mezuzah.  Such as a dressing room.

These are some rooms which do need a Mezuzah which you may not have thought of:

• Walk in closets (if they have 36 sq feet).

• Garage. (Usually needs 2 or 3 Mezuzahs.  One on the car port door, one on the door that enters the house and one on the door that enters from the side.)

• Study.

• French doors into living room or dining room each require a Mezuzah even if there are several of them in a row.

• Sliding glass door .

I was gonna write more now, but I think I will leave it at that before I put everyone to sleep.  If you have a question feel free to write or even better post it in the comments so I can answer for everyone.

When you browse around our website, you will find that we sell a very large selection of Mezuzah cases. There are so many different kinds, made of metal, ceramic, wood, plastic, etc. Also they range from very simple designs to cases with cartoon characters on them. This may lead a person to wonder, what does make a Mezuzah case Kosher.

In short, the rule is that pretty much anything can be used as a Mezuzah case. The only requirement is that the Mezuzah be affixed firmly to the door and that the scroll be protected.

Let me share with you this email that I received this morning,

Subject: Why Gentile-themed Mazuzah covers?

Hi,
Please explain your reasoning for carrying Mazuzah covers that are themed with things such as cartoon characters, dolls, etc. What are the Kosher requirements for Mazuzah covers? You say that you sell only kosher items because you sell only items you “believe in”. To me, this implies that you believe in the sanctity of the items you sell. Are Shrek, Popeye, etc. acceptable to God for covering sacred writings?

Thank you,
–Shannon (a Christian Gentile who prays for the Hebrew people, as the Bible says to)

Here is what I replied:

The Mezuzah cover has no holiness at all in Jewish law. It is simply a practical item to protect the Mezuzah scroll. You can decorate it however you like. Personally in my home, we do not use Mezuzah covers with characters etc (nor do I allow my children to play with such characters at all for that matter). But I don’t see any problem with it. In fact, I have had many situations in my store where a Jewish person who is not religious at all and otherwise wouldn’t bother to put a Mezuzah on their child’s door, purchases one because the child falls in love with one of the character covers.

In short, the way I see it is that if it is permitted by the Jewish Law, and it brings some Jewish people to fulfill a commandment that they may otherwise not do, it is a good thing.

Best wishes,

Aaron Shaffier
MezuzahStore.com

Kosher hot dogs, Kosher pizza, Kosher Mezuzahs. Which one of these doesn’t fit in? If you said Mezuzahs, you are in good company. All of the time people come into our store or call us or email us asking us what does it mean for a Mezuzah to be Kosher. We know that food is Kosher when it conforms to the rules of what a Jewish person is allowed to eat according to the Torah, but what makes a Mezuzah Kosher?

The word Kosher literally means proper and it can really be applied to anything. A business deal can be Kosher. A person could be a Kosher person etc. A Kosher Mezuzah is a Mezuzah which has been written on parchment, by an expert scribe, according to all of the rules that are detailed in the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch). Such a Mezuzah is what the Torah is referring to when it says, “You shall inscribe them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.”

Many people say to me, “I am not careful to eat Kosher food, so why should I care if my Mezuzah is Kosher?” The first thing that I tell them is that if they are Jewish, they should absolutely be eating only Kosher food, but that being said, there are many differences between “keeping Kosher” and having Kosher Mezuzahs on the doors of your home.

 

A person has to eat to live. It is possible that a person is not ready to keep the Mitzvah of eating Kosher just yet, but they still need to eat something. The Mezuzah on the other hand only exist in order to fulfill God’s commandment in the Torah. I is the same Torah that proscribes how the Mezuzah is to be prepared. 

Keeping Kosher is something that requires a full time commitment. It is understandable that a person may not feel ready to take on this commitment. The Mezuzah, on the other hand is just something that you purchase once. Externally there is no difference between a Mezuzah which is Kosher and one that is not. The only difference is a bigger financial investment. But this is an investment that you make once and then benefit from for many years.

The Jewish people have a tradition that a proper Mezuzah protects the home and its inhabitants. Why would anyone give up on the opportunity to have such divine protection.

 

So when you go to get a Mezuzah for your home, make sure to purchase it from a reliable source. Don’t just go into any Judaica store and buy the cheapest thing they have. Get you Mezuzah from a certified scribe who will personally assure you that you Mezuzah conforms to the Torah laws and will bring blessing and protection to your home. 

You can purchase Kosher Mezuzahs which have been thoroughly inspected from our online store.

I often find that people are confused about the proper height for the Mezuzah to be placed on the door.  Many people like to put the Mezuzah up very high on the door near the top.  Some others will put the Mezuzah very low on the entrance to child’s room in order that the child will be able to reach the Mezuzah to kiss it.    

The Shulchan Aruch says that the Mezuzah should be at the “bottom of the top third” of the door.  If it is lower than that, it is invalid.  If it is higher it is still Kosher as long as a handbreadth remains between the top of the door and the Mezuzah.  (A handbreadth is about 3.5 inches.)  Based on this, if you put the Mezuzah very low on a child’s room, the Mezuzah is not valid.  If you place it a bit too high it is still Kosher as long as it is not right near the top. 

The ideal thing to do is to measure the door, divide by three, and place the Mezuzah in the exactly correct spot.  

 

EXCEPTIONS

There are some exceptions to this rule. 

1. If a door is very tall and the Mezuzah is going to be up above your head, the Mezuzah should not be placed in the top third.  Rather the Mezuzah should be placed at shoulder hight.
2. If the door is not rectangular such as an arch or any non-rectangular shape, the rules are more complicated.  Look out for a post about this in the near future.

 

 

 

• G-d said so.  The Torah records G-d’s commandment to place a Mezuzah with the words, “And you shall inscribe them on the doorpost of your houses and on your gates.”
• It reminds you of G-d’s presence.  Every time that you enter or leave a room in your home, you reach out and touch the Mezuzah (some even kiss their fingers after touching the Mezuzah).  When you see and touch the Mezuzah, you will be reminded that G-d is an important part of your life.  This will give you a great sense of peace and help you to strive to be a better person.
• It will remind your children that they are Jewish.  A child who kisses the Mezuzah every morning when she wakes up or every night when he goes to sleep will never forget that they are Jewish. 
• It brings Divine blessing to your home.  There is an ancient tradition that the name of G-d which is written on the outside of the Mezuzah (Sha-day) is an acronym for the Hebrew words, “Shomer Daltot Yisrael” - “He who protects the doors of the Jewish homes”.  From time to time I have the opportunity to go put up Mezuzahs in the home of a person who never had Mezuzahs before.  They usually call me back the next day and tell me that their home feels entirely different.  They feel a special sense of blessing.  This is what makes the Mezuzah and essential part of the Jewish home environment.
• Mezuzahs are fun.  The most important part of the Mezuzah is the scroll inside, but every Mezuzah scroll needs a Mezuzah cover.  This gives you an opportunity to do some home decorating.  There are hundreds of types of Mezuzah covers (or cases) to fit every kind of style.  You can pick a different one for every room for an eclectic look or you can put the same one throughout your home for a uniform, organized look.