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A mezuzah ( "doorpost"; plural: mezuzot) is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew language 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 ( and ); they also form part of the Shema Yisrael prayer.
According to Halakha, a mezuzah must be placed on every post-and-lintel entrance to a residence, courtyard, or city. Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 286ff. Since the time of Meir of Rothenburg (), 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. Shu"T Maharam #108
The klaf is prepared by a qualified scribe (" sofer stam) who has undergone training, both in studying the relevant religious laws, and in the more practical parts—i.e., carving the quill and practising writing. The verses are written in indelible black ink with a special quill pen made either from a feather or, now quite rare, a Reed pen. The klaf is then rolled up and placed inside the case.
In later generations, though, the mezuzah began to be interpreted as an Apotropaic magic device, protecting the house from forces of evil.Franz Landsberger, THE ORIGIN OF THE DECORATED MEZUZAH, Hebrew Union College Annual, Vol. 31 (1960), pp. 149-166 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.
El 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 (Shin), for Shaddai.
"" 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 , and only the Hebrew word ( 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 Moses Isserles. (Yoreh De'ah 288:15)
In this regard it is worthwhile to refer to the often cited passage from Maimonides Mishneh Torah which states:
It is a common custom to write God's Shaddai, on the outside of a mezuzah opposite the empty space left between the two passages. There is no difficulty in this, since the outside. Those, however, who write the names of angels, other sacred names, verses, or forms, on the inside of 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 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.
Most Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews and other non-Ashkenazi Jews affix the mezuzah vertically, though Spanish and Portuguese Jews living in countries where the majority of Jews are Ashkenazim usually place it slanting.
Any Jew can recite the blessing, provided they are old enough to understand the significance of the mitzvah. After the blessing, the mezuzah is attached.
When affixing several mezuzot, it is sufficient to recite the blessing once, before affixing the first one.
In Karaite Judaism the Deuteronomic verse "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your houses and your gates" () is interpreted to be a metaphor and not as referring to the Rabbanites mezuzah. Thus Karaites do not traditionally use mezuzot, but put up a small plaque in the shape of the two Tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments. In Israel, where they might try not to make other Jews feel uncomfortable, many Karaites make an exception and place a mezuzah on their doorpost as well. The Karaite version of the mezuzah is fixed to the doorways of public buildings and sometimes to private buildings, too.
The Samaritans interpret the deuteronomic commandment to mean displaying any select text from the Samaritan version of the five Books of Moses. This can contain a blessing or a particularly holy or uplifting message. In the past they placed a stone plaque inscribed with the Ten Commandments above the house door, some examples dating back to the Byzantine Empire (4th–7th century) and Early Muslim (7th–11th century) periods being now shown in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Nowadays a Samaritan mezuzah is usually made of either marble, a wooden plate, or a sheet of parchment or high quality paper, on which they inscribe select verses from the Samaritan Torah. This they place either above the house door, or inside the house, in the entrance hall or at a prominent place on a large wall. These mezuzot are found in every Samaritan household as well as in the synagogue. Today some Samaritans would also use a Jewish-style mezuzah case and place inside it a small written Samaritan scroll, i.e. a text from the Samaritan Torah, written in the Samaritan alphabet. The more such mezuzot there are in the house, the better it is considered to be.
On reading a news report of the mezuzah dispute, Chicago alderman Burton NatarusHoward Dakoff, "Why I Opposed the Mezuzah Ban", Chicago Jewish Star, November 4, 2005, p. 4. drafted an amendment to the city's municipal code which made it illegal for a renter or owner of an apartment, house, or condo to be prohibited from "placing or affixing a religious sign, symbol or relic on the door, door post or entrance."Municipal; Mark Fitzgerald, "Mezuzah muckraking gains legal huzzahs", Editor & Publisher, October 2005, p. 13; "Chicago Law Inspired by 'Jewish Star' Articles May Go State-wide", Editor & Publisher, January 26, 2006. Although there was opposition,Editorial, "Give peacemaking a chance", Chicago Sun-Times, September 2, 2005. it became law in Chicago that December. The first such legislation in North America, it included a maximum $500 fine for its violation.
Notwithstanding this legislation, in 2006, a federal court judge determined that the rule did not violate the Federal Fair Housing Act;Ruth Eglash, "The case of the confiscated mezuzah", Jerusalem Post, June 8, 2006; Editorial, "Judge: Jews Not Welcome", Chicago Jewish Star, September 8, 2006, p. 4. the district court upheld the opinion on appeal in 2008;Josh Gerstein, "Court: No Federal Right to Mezuzot at Condominiums", New York Sun, July 11–13, 2008, p.4; Dan Slater, "Mezuzah Suit Sparks Ruckus, Impassioned 7th Cir. Dissent", Wall Street Journal Law Blog (July 11, 2008); "Judges rule on Jewish lawsuits. The Hallway mezuzah: Unjustified accommodation or intentional discrimination?" Chicago Jewish Star, July 18, 2008, p. 1. in 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago reversed the 2008 decision,"Supreme Court contender mulls mezuzah bias case against condo board", Chicago Sun-Times, May 13, 2009; "Possible Court Pick is Used to Dueling on Bench", Washington Post, May 16, 2009; Courthouse News Service, November 17, 2009; Kenneth E. Kraus, "Court takes a new view of FHA, mezuzah case", Chicago Jewish Star, November 20, 2009, p. 4; J. Schwartz, "Fight Over Jewish Symbol Heads to Trial", New York Times, November 21, 2009; Lynne Bloch, Helen Bloch and Nathan Bloch v. Edward Frischholz and Shoreline Towers Condominium Association, No. 06-3376, 7th Cir. U.S. Court of Appeals, argued May 13, 2009, decided Nov. 13, 2009. and the case proceeded. Meanwhile, records of the Chicago Jewish Star were unsuccessfully subpoenaed," Jewish Star objects to subpoena", Chicago Jewish Star, July 27, 2007, p. 1. and Illinois' anti-SLAPP legislation was applied.Debbie L. Berman and Wade A. Thomson, "Illinois' Anti-SLAPP Statute: A Potentially Powerful New Weapon for Media Defendants", Communications Lawyer, vol. 26, March 2009; "Fall-out from mezuzah case impacted by new law", Chicago Jewish Star, April 4, 2008, p. 1; "$36k award in SLAPP-mezuzah case", Chicago Jewish Star, August 7, 2009, p. 1. In 2011, a confidential settlement to the Shoreline Towers disputes was achieved."Families settle mezuzah dispute with Chicago condo", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 13, 2011.
In January 2006, a more narrowly focused amendment to the state's Condominium Property Act was initiated by Illinois Senator Ira Silverstein, the first such state law, which specifically prohibited Condominium Boards from creating "a rule or regulation that shall prohibit any reasonable accommodation for religious practices, including the attachment of religiously-mandated objects to the front door area of a condominium unit." That April, the bill was signed by Governor Rod Blagojevich, and went into effect January 1, 2007.
In 2006, a woman in a condo building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was instructed to remove the mezuzah from her hallway unit and threatened with a fine. After a lengthy legal battle, the condo association was found guilty of discrimination. In 2008, House Bill 995, an amendment to the Florida Condominium Act, modeled on the Illinois state legislation, became law.Joe Kollin, "Lauderdale condo bans religious symbol on doorposts", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 3, 2007; "Florida condo bans mezuzahs", Chicago Jewish Star, February 9, 2007; "Florida mezuzah ban ends", Chicago Jewish Star, April 20, 2007; Steve Lipman, "Mezuzah Standoff in Ft. Lauderdale", The Jewish Week, February 16, 2007, p. 25; D. Morris, "Richter Wins Fight to Keep Mezuzah", Florida Jewish News, April 13, 2007; "Florida gets a mezuzah bill", Chicago Jewish Star, May 23, 2008, p. 3; Florida.
In Texas in 2007, a couple living in Houston was instructed to "remove the item attached to your door frame" to avoid violating association rules."Illinois, then Florida – Is Texas next?", Chicago Jewish Star, April 3, 2009, p. 1; Jewish Herald-Voice, April 9, 2009; Jewish Herald-Voice, April 30, 2009. A legal battle ensued, during which a U.S. District Court judge ruled in 2008 on behalf of the condo association. Subsequently, the couple turned to Texas House of Representatives member Garnet F. Coleman. His bill to protect such religious displays, as introduced in 2009, was not adopted, but in June 2011 a slightly revised version (HB1278) was signed into law by Texas Governor Rick Perry."Texas gets a mezuzah law", Chicago Jewish Star, May 27, 2011, p. 1; Kate Shellnutt, "New Texas law defends residents' religious displays", Houston Chronicle, June 20, 2011; "Perry signs mezuzah bill", Chicago Jewish Star, June 24, 2011, p. 1; Texas House of Representatives, HB 1278 .
A bill designed to prevent mezuzah bans nationwide was proposed in 2008 (H.R. 6932) by U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler. It never became law.
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