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.