Browsing the archives for the Putting up your Mezuzah category

Mezuzah on an Archway

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4 Jan, 2010
Aaron
Archways

People frequently ask, “How high up do I put the Mezuzah on an arch?” This is a bit of a complicated question. First let’s make sure we understand the question. A regular door is rectangular in shape. The Halacha requires that the Mezuzah be placed at the ‘bottom of the top third’ of the door.  This means that you measure the door, divide by three and place the Mezuzah just above the one-third-from-the-top line.  You can read more about this here.

A problem arises with making this calculation with an arch.  What do we consider to be the top of the arch?  The most obvious answer would be to say that the highest point of the arch is the top and measure from there.  The problem is that according to Halacha, a door has to be at least 4 Tefachim-hand-breadths wide in order for it to be obligated in a Mezuzah.  At the highest point of an arch, it has not width at all because it is a single point on a curve.

Because of this, we never measure the height of an arch from the highest point.  How then do we arrive at the proper calculation of where to put the Mezuzah?  There are two opinions.  The most widely accepted opinion is that we measure from the first place that you can square out 4 Tefachim.  (The most commonly accepted estimation of a tefach is 3.16 inches.)  This is the first place that the door is wide enough to be considered a door and therefore this is the top of the door.  We measure down from that point to the ground and divide by 3 to arrive at the height where the Mezuzah should be.  This is the most commonly accepted opinion.

According to some others, including Chabad, we use a different calculation based on the Rambam.  The Rambam rules in the case of an arch that we consider the the place where the arch begins to curve as the top of the door.  This is as long as the straight part of the arch is at least 10 Tefachim high.  10 Tefachim being the minimum hight that a door needs to be in order to be obligated in a Mezuzah.  According to this opinion, we measure from the floor to the place where the curve starts.  We divide this by three and put the Mezuzah at the ‘bottom of the top third’ of the straight area.  In theory you could have an arch where the straight part is 3 feet high and the round part is 5 feet high.   According to this opinion, you would put the Mezuzah a bit more that 2 feet from the ground.  This would mean that the Mezuzah would be about knee hight.



http://mezuzahstore.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/04/mezuzah-on-an-archway/

Where to put a Mezuzah on an arch

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Jan, 2010
Aaron
Archways

Here’s a question I recently got by email:

Shalom.
There is a wall with an arch that runs from one end of my house across to the other end with living areas on both sides. When going through the arch toward the back of the house I’m entering the den, kitchen, and breakfast area. When going through the arch toward the front of the house I’m entering a living room and dining room. Should I have mezuzahs at the right of the arch on both sides?
Debra

Here is what I answered:

Dear Debra,
You only put the Mezuzah on one side. The main way to determine which side is by assessing the natural flow of traffic through the house when entering from the front door. It sounds from your email like it is more common to go from the living/dining room to the den/kitchen first. If that is the case then you would put the Mezuzah on the right side as you enter the kitchen/den.

Blessings,

Aaron Shaffier



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Can a non-Jew put up a Mezuzah?

3 Comments
3 Mar, 2009
Aaron
Learn about Mezuzahs, Putting up your Mezuzah

I frequently get asked if Gentiles can affix Mezuzahs to their doors.  Here is what I answered recently to one such inquiry. 

Dear Friend,

This is a question that I get very frequently.  It always makes me so happy to hear from people who are not Jewish and want to put up a Mezuzah to honor God.  

Generally Judaism recognizes two systems of law for mankind.  The basic ‘7 laws of Noah‘ apply to all of mankind.  The Torah, with its 613 laws, is a special system that God has instituted for the nation of Israel who he chose to be a ‘nation of priests and a holy people’.  

Just like one would not expect the average person to live up to the same spiritual standards as a priest, so to God does not demand from most people to live up to the extra high standard that he demands from His ‘nation of priests’.

The Mezuzah is one of the 613 laws that are were given to the Jewish people in the Torah to help them live up to this standard.  Therefore, non-Jews are not in any way obligated to put up a Mezuzah.  

If a non Jew wants to voluntarily keep any of the Torah laws in order to attain a closer relationship with God, they are permitted to do so.  

In the case of the Mezuzah, the only concern is that you respect the holiness of this article that contains the original name of God in Hebrew.  It cannot ever be taken into an unclean place (such as a bathroom for example).  And if it ever becomes damaged and needs to be disposed of, it must be taken to a synagogue where they have a box for holy items that need to be disposed of.  It will then be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

For this reason, there are some Rabbis who discourage non-Jews from affixing a Mezuzah to their door.  But, if you wish to put up a Mezuzah, and you understand that you are taking responsibility to care for a holy object in the proper way, then there is no reason that you cannot purchase and put up a Mezuzah.

Whatever you decide, your desire to do something to come closer to God is certainly a sign that you are on the right track.  Keep up the good work.

God Bless,

Aaron Shaffier



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Replacing Mezuzah After Checking

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22 Dec, 2008
Aaron
Mezuzah and Tefilliin Checking, Putting up your Mezuzah

I recently got this question in the email:

If I take down multiple Mezuzot for checking, do I make a Brocha when replacing them.  I will not be placing them on the same door as they were taken down from as they were not marked to ensure this.  What happens if one has be replaced due to its being possul?

This issue always comes up when people have their Mezuzah checked.  The problem is that the answer is not so simple because there are several issues here, with multiple opinions involved.

Lets first deal with some more simple issues one by one and at the end I will suggest an answer to the emailer’s question.

1. Do you have to say a blessing when reaffixing a Mezuzah to the same door after having it checked?

There are several opinions regarding this.  Some say that you would say a blessing if the Mezuzah was down for 24 hours others say you say a blessing only if it was down for 30 days.  In this case, one should check with their local Rabbi to find out which custom they should observe.  In a case where this is not possible, the rule is that we are always conservative about saying a blessing in a case of doubt.  Therefore one would refrain from saying a blessing if the Mezuzah was down for less than 30 days.

2. Do you say a blessing when switching a Mezuzah from one door to another?

Yes.  Assuming that the new door is obligated in a Mezuzah according to all opinions.  That is to say it has an actual door that opens and closes and that doorway leads to a room that has more that 36 square feet and is used as a living space.

3.  If the scribe finds something Passul (not kosher) in the Mezuzah and fixes it, do you say a blessing when re-affixing the Mezuzah to the same door?

First see answer to #1 regarding how long the Mezuzah was down.   If the Mezuzah was down long enough it will require a new blessing in any case and this question becomes irrelevant.

Let’s assume though that you took the Mezuzah down and brought it straight to the sofer and he found something passul, fixed it and now you are ready to put it up on the same day.  In this case, you must ask the sofer if the problem that he found was definitely passul according to all opinions or if he was just fixing something to make it better or to make it Kosher according to more opinions.  If the sofer says that it was definately passul, you would make a blessing.

Based on all of the above:

In a case like the one described in the email the best thing to do would be to take one Mezuzah that you know was not on the front door and affix it to the front door saying a blessing.  When you say the blessing, have in mind that it should exempt all of the other Mezuzahs.  Then without interrupting, proceed to affix the rest of the Mezuzahs.

 

 



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Mezuzah on a Horizontal Door?

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Dec, 2008
Aaron
Learn about Mezuzahs, Putting up your Mezuzah

Here is a question that I got recently in the email:

My first floor ceiling now has a horizontal opening say .8 metres by .8
metres with a hatch bordered by a frame. When the hatch is opened you can
grab the loft ladder and access the loft. Does the hatch need a mezuzzah.
Can you place a mezuzah on the horizontal.

Here’s my answer:

Dear Sir,

Any door that is horizontal is exempt from a Mezuzah.  In fact I have the same kind of hatch in my home here in Israel.

Be well,

Aaron Shaffier
MezuzahStore.com



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Jews have no right to put up Mezuzahs in the USA.

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11 Jul, 2008
Aaron
Mezuzahs in the News, Putting up your Mezuzah

That is what the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week.  The ruling came in a case where Lynne Bloch of Chicago, put up a Mezuzah on the door to  her condo.  The home owners association at Shoreline Towers said that it was a violation of their rule against displaying items on the doors in the hallway.  It seems that a game of cat and mouse followed with the association removing the Mezuzah and Ms. Bloch replacing it and so on.  The jist of the decision was that the association has the right to make rules of this sort, as long as the are not specific to any religion.  You can read more about the decision here and here.

My question is, why can’t a home owners association in say a gated community do the same thing?  They would essentially be able to make a no Jews allowed rule in this way.  You can almost understand the logic in a condo where the association maintains the hallways and they are saying that they want a uniform look etc.  But the fact is that when you live in a gated community or even in many planned communities, there is also a home owners association that tells you which colors you can paint  your house and how tall you can let your grass grow etc.   I would love to hear the opinion of some lawyers out there if they think that this ruling could also apply to the communities that I mentioned.

Continue Reading »



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Can you relate?

1 Comment
7 Jul, 2008
Aaron
Putting up your Mezuzah

I recently came across this post at a blog called Kintropy in Action

Last week, I finally got around to hanging the Mezuzahs around the house. We’ve only been living here 6 years, and we bought the Mezuzahs 4 years ago. So last week, the day before we were interviewed by a reporter for a Jewish Newspaper, Robert and I decided it was time to hang them…

I got a kick out of it.  You won’t believe how many people write notes on their orders saying something like, “Please make sure my order arrives by Friday.  My in-laws are coming for the weekend and I don’t want them to know that we still don’t have any Mezuzahs after a year”.



http://mezuzahstore.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/07/30-days-to-put-up-mezuzahs/

Does a Laundry Room Need a Mezuzah?

4 Comments
5 Mar, 2008
Aaron
Learn about Mezuzahs, Putting up your 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.

Neat Laundry Room
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.

Dirty Laundry Room would not need a Mezuzah.

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.



http://mezuzahstore.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/05/does-a-laundry-room-need-a-mezuzah/

How to choose the right Mezuzah cover

1 Comment
27 Feb, 2008
Aaron
Learn about Mezuzahs, Purchasing Mezuzahs, Putting up your Mezuzah

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



http://mezuzahstore.com/blog/index.php/2008/02/27/how-to-choose-the-right-mezuzah-cover/

Which Rooms Need a Mezuzah?

3 Comments
6 Nov, 2007
Aaron
Learn about Mezuzahs, Putting up your Mezuzah

Confused

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.



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