How to choose the right Mezuzah cover

By Aaron Shaffier

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.

Today 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.