Why do I need a Kosher Mezuzah ? which Mezuzah to buy ? How do I know if a Mezuzah is Kosher ? Where and how should I place a Mezuzah ? all the answers and more in this brief Mezuzah guide.

About the Mezuzah

Mezuzah is a nickname from the bible to the doorposts, and is a must at any Jewish home. The Mezuzah resembles the Jewish connection with G-d and remids us to keep his ways. The Mitzvah of placing a Mezuzh is mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy 6:9 : "Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates". According to the Jewish tradition, the Mezuzah protects the house and the people who live in it, and it is common to check the Mezuzahs of the house when problems arise. The acronym on the Mezuzah is the hebrew letters Shin Dalet Yud - Shomer Daltot Israel - Keeper of the doors of Israel. In the story of the Exodus from Egypt, when G-d decided to punish the egyptians with the Tenth Plague of the first born sons, he ordered the Jewish people to mark their doorposts with sheeps blood in order to protect them.

The Mezuzah contains two passages from the Torah, book of Deuteronomy : 'Shema Yisrael' - "Listen Oh Israel..." and 'Vehaya Im Shamoa' - "And it shall happen if you obey ...". According to the Halacha (Jewish religious laws) we should put a Mezuzah on each doorpost of the house, except for bathrooms and very small rooms. All the Mezuzahs in the house should be checked by a certified Rabbi every three (3) years, and if found faulty should be replaced.

Technically speaking, The Mezuzah is a square parchment made from Kosher animal skin, usually cattle. The text must be handwritten by a certified Jewish scribe, called Sofer Stam, using a quill and special black ink. Each letter must be written carefully and precisely according to the Halacha, for even one letter written incorrectly invalidates the Mezuzah. Moreover, the Scribe must keep certain religious rules, and write intentionally, for the sake of holiness, in order to make the matter, the parchment and ink - an holy article.

Mezuzah parchements and cases

So, we want to buy a Mezuzah. There is a variety of Mezuzahs available in the markets, from various sellers and in various sizes and prices, and seemingly, all are Kosher. But, the Halacha has strict rules as to the way the Mezuzah should be written, and it is important to know them in order to buy a genuine Kosher Mezuzah (we do not want to mess with G-d).

What types of Mezuzah are there?

Basically the variations of the Mezuzah are the Size, Quality and Type of writing. The first two will affect the price and the variations are tremendous.

Size does matter - Typical sizes are 7, 10, 12,15 and 20 cm. The most common is 12 cm, and it is not recommended to get the 7cm size (or smaller) because it is so small and hard to write Kosher (that's also why its price is higher). Special sizes are also availble per order, and Orthodox Jews will usually go for the bigger sizes which are considered more kosher and beautiful.

Quality - 2 factors affect the quality - The quality of writing and the  material of the parchment. The graphic form, precision and placement of the letters is mostly important and the more precise and beautiful the writing is the more Kosher it is. There are three grades of writing fitness (or fineness) these are from the lowest to the finest : Bediavad (Fit after the fact), Le-chatchila (Fit from the outset) and Mehudar. Bediavad is a simple writing with some doubts, that a rabbi has ruled to be fit. Le-chatchila is better writing with no doubt of Kosherness, and Mehudar is the finest writing. Regarding the parchment (Klaf) material - There are two types, called Mashuach and Shlil. The Mashuach is prepared from Kosher cattle skin using a special coating technique and the Shlil is made only from calf skin (young cow). In terms of quality, The Shlil is better than the Mashuach and lasts longer. The Mashuach is easier to write and cheaper to buy but tends to wear faster and there is a risk that the letters and coating may break when rolling the parchment thus invalidate the Mezuzah.

Type of writing - There are number of traditions among the various Jewish communities, mainly Ashkenazi and Sepharadic types of writing (European and Eastern communities). The Ashkenazi type also divides to Beit Yosef script and Ari (Hassidic) script. We will not go into all the differences but basically the crowning - decoration of some of the letters is different.

Left : Making the parchment      Center : Jewish Scribe (Sofer Stam)       Right :Checking the Mezuzah 

Kosherness checking

After finishing the writing, the Mezuzah  is checked for Kosherness, to assure that all the letters are written correctly and according to the Halacha. This is done by an expert proofreader - a certifid Rabbi or another scribe, and also by a copmputer check - a scan using a computer program. Even if a single letter is written incorrectly, or if there is a missing or extra letter, the Mezuzah is invalid, non kosher.

How Do I know if the Mezuzah is Kosher ?

Well, that's a tricky question, but there are a few steps we can take before purchasing a Mezuzah. First, read carefully the description. The price is also a good indication, buying a cheap Mezuzah is probably buying a Non Kosher Mezuzah, as even the simplest handwriting takes about an hour work. Moreover, we can ask the seller about the origin and quality of the Mezuzah, if it is Klaf Mashuach or Shlil, what is the quality of the handwriting (bediavad, Le-chatchila or Mehudar) and how it was checked for Kosherness.

Placing the Mezuzah

The parchment is carefully rolled (not folded) from left to right, wrapped in nylon and placed in the Mezuzah case (Beit Mezuzah), where the letters SHADAY are pointed outward. The case should be affixed on the right doorpost (right side as one enters the room), at the bottom of the upper third of the doorpost, about shoulder height. The Ashkenazi Jews usually place the Mezuzah diagonally with the upper part tilted inward towards the room, and Sepharadic or Yemenite Jews place it vertically.. In case there is an opening between two rooms (like a lounge and balcony) we will put the Mezuzah according to the room that is mostly in use. The case should be fitted with nails, screws, glue or double sided sticker tape.

Roll it up   Place in case Mount on door  Say the blessing   

When fixing the mezuzah we should recite the blessing :

Barouch Attah A-donai, E-loheinu Melech ha-olam, Asher Kiddeshanoo be-Mitzvotav, ve- Tsivanu Likboa Mezuzah 

Translation : Blessed are you, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has made us holy through his commandments, and commanded us to affix a Mezuzah

Relevant Links :

Kosher Mezuzah Parchments

Handmade Mezuzah cases from Israel

Antique collectible Mezuzah cases

Related words : Mezuzah Mezuzot mezuzzah beit Shelil yosef Ari sefaradi Ashkenaz Ashcenaz Sefarad mezuzza mesusa stam scribe halakha halacha mezouza mezzouza mezzuzah mezzuza mesusot