What is a Mezuzah? And why do you need one?

A mezuzah is usually attached in the doorpost of a Jewish home. It also contains a small parchment scroll wherein the Shema prayers are handwritten in the Hebrew language by a scribe. It is crucial for the Jews’ home to have a hanging mezuzah scroll at the doorpost because it will determine that, a Jew owns that home. This Mezuzah parchment is very helpful because it will always remind those Jewish people inside the home about their connection to the Lord God and of course to His Kingdom.

What Does A Kosher Mezuzah Contain?

A simple container that was decorated elegantly and attractively contains the kosher mezuzah parchment scroll. It’s not that important where the scroll is placed, wherein the parchment scroll is extra critical compared to its case. As you can see, this mezuzah scroll contains the first two verses of the Shema prayer that was handwritten in Hebrew by a scribe. These verses will begin with the “Hears o Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” which are the eternal phrases. All of these selections consist of God’s instruction on affixing this mezuzah, which says, “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates.”

All of these phrases are being written by the veteran scribe that undergone law training including this mezuzah parchment scrolls writing. The expert scribe will also write all the verses of Shema prayer including those of God’s instructions that must be written with the words orderly and with an extraordinary intention.

Each letter written in scroll must be written by the scribe correctly and adequately formed. Even a tiny crack or any letters were miswritten will invalidate the power of the whole verses written in this scroll. It also invalidates the whole verses in this mezuzah if the verses are all printed. Hence, it is imperative for you to buy your mezuzah parchment from a reliable and trusted retailer or scribe.

On the other side of this parchment scroll, it is a must for an expert scribe to write down the name Sha-dai, which is believed as another name of the Lord God. The 3 letters comprising God’s name will form an acronym of a Hebrew word that has the meaning of “Guardian of the doorways of Israel.” The mezuzah case has the letter shin as its decors because the name of the Lord God, Sha-dai starts with shin letter.

What is the Best Place to Hang a Mezuzah Scroll?

You are required to hand your kosher mezuzah scroll on every doorpost of your house’s doorways. You can exclude hanging a mezuzah parchment in the doorpost of your small closets and bathroom. And to answer your question, this mezuzah must be hung on the right part of your doorpost and the top third of your doorway. Your mezuzah scrolls must be placed right-side up of your doorpost and must have the slanting form for the mezuzah’s top face the entrance of your house or room.

What Does “Mezuzah” Means?

The Jewish people’s religion, which is Judaism, is not really considered as a synagogue. The Jews are doing their best to reach the familiarity, spirituality, and the comfort of all the people living in a Jews’ home. Through the use of this mezuzah scroll hanging on the doorpost of every doorway of the Jews’ home will remind all the people who will enter in there that they must walk the path to the Godly life and to do that, the sacred Hebrew Bible will always there to accompany you wherever you are.

According to the sages, this mezuzah scroll can protect all the inhabitants of the Jews’ homes where it was hung. The inhabitants will always be safe – whether it’s outside or perhaps the inside of the Jews’ house. Many people are comparing this mezuzah in a veneer called helmet that protects us from the risks, which might likely happen to utilize wherever you go.

According to the teachings in Talmud, while the inhabitants of the Jews’ home are relaxing inside and they don’t have the guards that will protect them, the protection of God, which is included in this mezuzah parchment, can protect the inhabitants from the outside dangers and risks. In short, the power of the Lord God will protect the inhabitants anytime and anywhere.

The Lord God also stated, as written in Hebrew Bible, that a person who precisely observes the mezuzah’s mitzvah will have a more prosperous and extended life, similar to his or her successors. As stated by the Deuteronomy, “So that you will prolong your days and the days of your children.”

It is customary for all the Jews to touch and to take a look at this mezuzah scroll hanging at the doorpost before going inside the house. Some Jewish people kiss their fingertips as their way of asking the protection of the kosher mezuzah. With this, they are always reminded all day long that the presence of God constantly is with them, even if they are inside or outside of the house.

Checking the Mezuzah Randomly

For the Jews who have mezuzah scrolls hanging in their home, it is a custom for them to check their mezuzahs for about twice within 7 years or every year prior to the High Holidays’ celebration. You must check this mezuzah you have purchased even if it was bought from the reliable and trusted sources and is found as a perfect kosher, because there are some instances that the mezuzah you purchased had some human errors, have problems such as cracks on the letters, or even worse when a single letter is missing. These problems might probably appear to your purchased mezuzah. And checking your mezuzah must be done by a veteran scribe.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the kosher mezuzah is commonly handwritten by a professional scribe in the Hebrew language. The parchments written on the mezuzah scroll are derived from the verses of the Shema prayer. On the opposite side of the scroll, you usually see the Hebrew letter, Shin. It is because this letter represents that first letter of Sha-dai, which is one of the different names of the Lord God. The primary purpose of purchasing a mezuzah parchment scroll is to stay protected from the evil elements such as the evil eye that might harm you even if you are inside or outside of your house.