The Mezuza: A Reminder, At Your Doors and At Your Gates

One of the most seen and least understood commandments, which the L-rd gave to the Jewish people, is the specially encased parchment which they have been placing on the doorposts and gates of their homes and places of work, commonly known by the Hebrew term, Mezuza.
This is the small decorative case which is seen outside the doorways of many homes where Jews live or had lived. They are made from various materials ranging from plastic or wood to silver or even gold with precious stones.
Some people think that if one buys a mezuza case and writes a simple message or prayer to slip inside that fulfills the requirement of G-d s word. In fact even though it is a nice thing to do this is not at all the Biblical commandment of placing the mezuza. It is even likely that this seemingly positive act, is not only wrong, but the Torah forbids it.
The placing of a mezuza not a superstition or good luck charm. It is a clear commandment from G-D. The parchment must be from a kosher animal prescribed by Torah Law. In addition the wording of the specific inscription must be written by a certified scribe called a Sofer . He writes specific verses from the Torah onto the parchment, with a real feather tipped pen. Each letter of each word has to be written in an exact way, just like in a Torah Scroll. If even the tip of a letter is missing or if the ink cracks after it dries, the whole mezuza is invalid and useless. Even an exact photocopy is not acceptable. Only an actual Sofer can produce a Kosher Mezuza. Just like eating Kosher food has specific guidelines which the Children of Israel must follow, so to does their observance of the commandment of putting the mezuza on all the door posts of the home and place of work (except the restroom and washroom).

Given the information above, one might think that the casing of the mezuza is not important or overrated. Perhaps we should only cover and protect this specially written parchment anything we want to just to make sure that it is taken care of and forget about it. This isn't so.
The whole idea, which is consistent with all forms of Judaic art and practical items is endearing G-d s commandments to us. We live in human forms that react to aesthetics. If something is attractive we are more likely to give it honor or care. Even if a mezuza is wood or plastic it can be aesthetically pleasing. Even more so if it is made of fine sterling silver or gold. Artistic work also increases the quality of the attraction to make the following of the Torah more pleasant.

The real difference between the mezuza and all other forms of practical Judaica, except for Tefillin, is that G-d clearly tells us in the Torah, that it is a reminder that we must put in our doorways and our gates. Some people are insulted by this explanation. They feel there is nothing in this world to be reminded of. With all respect to the feelings of those people, as physical beings we do need to be reminded of one thing: That G-d is here! When we see the mezuza case, knowing what is inside it, we actively remember The Holy One and his commandments. We must not only remember him when it is convenient or think we really need Him in case of an emergency. He gives us life and everything around us. The least we can do is the positive action of remembering that it is all from Him.

Kosher parchment for a mezuza and other holy writings by a sofer, such as Tefillin and even Torah scrolls, can be obtained from us at our Tradition Gifts from Israel (TGI) site.

TGI also has a special selection of mezuza cases. Please accept our invitation to see them by just clicking here: