A mezuzah (Hebrew: מְזוּזָה 'doorpost'; plural: מְזוּזוֹת mezuzot) is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes. These verses are the Biblical passages in which the use of a mezuzah is commanded (Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21); they also form part of the Shema prayer. According to traditional Jewish law, a mezuzah must be placed on every post-and-lintel entrance to a residence, courtyard, or city. Since the time of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (c. 1215–1293), religious Jews have increasingly also placed mezuzot on the entrances to non-residential buildings such as synagogues and offices, and on each internal doorway of the home or building, with the exception of bathrooms (where the name of God is forbidden) and small closets. The klaf is prepared by a qualified scribe (sofer stam) who has undergone training, both in studying the relevant religious laws and in the calligraphic art of Ktav Stam. The verses are written in indelible black ink with a special quill pen made either from a feather or, now quite rare, a reed. The klaf is then rolled up and placed inside the case.
Etymology In the Bible, the word mezuzah only refers to the two 'doorposts' or 'doorjambs' of a door, the upright posts on either side of it which support the lintel, and appears in various contexts unrelated to any religious commandment or parchment. The word later acquired the modern meaning of piece of parchment in post-Biblical Hebrew due to the Deuteronomy commandment above requiring to write verses on doorposts.
The word's origin is disputed:
one accepted understanding derives mezuzah from the root zwz (ז-ו-ז) meaning 'motion' or 'shift' (Hebrew: זָז, romanized: zāz, lit. 'to move, deviate, shift'), describing a doorpost as the device enabling the door to move or shift. The root is unused in the Bible but is common in post-Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, and is considered to have existed in the language then. another accepted understanding derives mezuzah from the Akkadian word mazzāzu 'stand' (like the socle or plinth of a column or stele), from the Akkadian verb izuzzu 'to stand', describing a doorpost as the socle or stand of the entrance, as opposed to the moving part, the door which revolves – a description similar to its corresponding Greek translation σταθμός in the Septuagint, which in addition to 'doorpost' generally means 'something fixed, something standing' from ἵστημι 'to stand'. However, there is no example of Akkadian mazzazu specifically meaning doorpost and some researchers doubt that Hebrew mezuzah borrowed this word.
Purpose In the biblical verses where the mezuzah command is found, the purpose is educational, to constantly remind a person of God's commandments:
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. In later generations, though, the mezuzah began to be interpreted as an apotropaic device, protecting the house from forces of evil. A culture-comparative analysis suggests that the objects placed on domestic thresholds often bear the function of an amulet repelling the broadly understood evil. Some early Rabbinic sources (including JT Megillah 4:12, BT Bava Metziya 102a, and BT Pesahim 113b) explicitly witness the belief in the anti-demonic function of mezuzot. While some Jewish sources indicate that mezuzah is construed as a device protecting against divine anger, others vehemently reject such an interpretation. The belief in the protective power of mezuzah is prevalent in modern times as well. In the 1970s, after a series of terrorist attacks in Ma'alot, the representatives of Chabad started the campaign for the systematic checking of mezuzahs. The general assumption underlying the action was that adhering to the mitzvot would guarantee personal safety. According to various pieces of sociological research, approximately three-quarters of adults in Israel believe the mezuzah guards their houses.
Design The mezuzah must be written on parchment (klaf) by a specially trained scribe (sofer).
Additional inscriptions It is customary to write two inscriptions on the back of the parchment:
the Hebrew word שדי (Shaddai) the phrase "כוזו במוכסז כוזו"
Shaddai, ["Almighty"] one of the biblical names of God, also serves here as an acronym for Shomer Daltot Yisrael, "Guardian of Israel's doors". Many mezuzah cases are also marked with the Hebrew letter ש (Shin), for Shaddai. "כוזו במוכסז כוזו" is a Caesar cipher—a one-letter shift—of the third, fourth, and fifth words of the Shema, "Adonai, Eloheinu, Adonai", "The Lord, our God, the Lord"; it is written on the back of the case, opposite the corresponding words on the front. This inscription dates from the 11th century and is found among the Hasidei Ashkenaz (medieval German Jewish mystics). The Sephardic custom (minhag) leaves out the phrase "כוזו במוכסז כוזו", and only the Hebrew word שדי (Shaddai) is written on the back of the mezuzah. This follows the Shulchan Aruch and the writings of the Rambam. The Ashkenazi custom of writing both phrases, however, was supported in the writings of the Remo. (Yoreh De'ah 288:15) In this regard it is worthwhile to refer to the often cited passage from Rambam's Mishneh Torah which states:
It is a common custom to write [God's name,] Shaddai, on the outside of a mezuzah opposite the empty space left between the two passages. There is no difficulty in this, since [the addition is made] outside. Those, however, who write the names of angels, other sacred names, verses, or forms, on the inside [of a mezuzah] are among those who do not have a portion in the world to come. Not only do these fools nullify the mitzvah, but furthermore, they make from a great mitzvah [which reflects] the unity of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, the love of Him, and the service of Him, a talisman for their own benefit. They, in their foolish conception, think that this will help them regarding the vanities of the world.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
