Why Jewish Mezuzah is So Important in Judaism Culture
The Jewish Mezuzah is considered the main protector of the home. It comprises Mezuzah scrolls, which have the famous religious Hebrew passages called Shema Israel. These passages are contained within the Mezuzah klaf or scroll.
Misunderstood symbol
While there are several predominant symbols across Judaism such as the Torah, Hamsa, Star of David etc. it is the Mezuzah, which remains the most misunderstood symbol of Judaism. The Mezuzah has its first mention in the Torah and these days of modern times, the Jewish Mezuzah graces doors of most religious Jewish families. Whether the Jewish family is Orthodox or Conservative, the Mezuzah is sure to be found at the doorsteps of their homes. If the Jewish family is fixing Mezuzah scrolls on their doorstep, they need to adhere to some rules before this.
Jewish Mezuzah origins
The Jewish Mezuzah has its origination during Biblical times. As per the Deuteronomy, it is stated that the Jewish Mezuzah be placed on the doorstep of the home. Hence, since the Jewish commandment asks for the Jewish families to perform this ritual, most religious families adhere to this practice. The literal translation of Mezuzahs is doorposts. Thus, it refers to the symbol writing as conveyed by God Himself. It refers to all the commandments, which God wrote on the doorposts of the Jewish families.
Parchment paper
The very first paragraph of the religious scriptures is written about the Shema Yisrael over parchment paper. This is what is referred to as per the Deuteronomy. As per the religious laws, the passages of Shema Yisrael in Jewish Mezuzah should be recited when the Jew lies down and wakes up from sleep as well. Through the week, these passages get repeated several times during religious prayers.
Mezuzah Parchment holder
The parchment holder of Jewish Mezuzahs holds a significant value. It is rolled upwards and then placed within a tube to place it over the doorpost. The holder itself can be made of different materials but the Mezuzah is comprised of metal, marble or even wood. The Mezuzahs can be expensive especially if they are made of expensive materials. However, to fulfill requirements of Mitzvah there is no prerequisite it needs to be expensive. These special Mezuzah cases are built for storage of the Jewish Mezuzah.
How to fix it
The Mezuzah needs to be fixed only to those homes, which are of a permanent nature and not the temporary types. Once the home owner moves into the new home, they need to fix the Mezuzah within a period of 30 days. If the person is staying in Israel, the Mezuzahs should be installed with immediate effect. The Mezuzah has to be placed over the top one-third portion of the doorpost and it can be placed slanted, vertically or inward. It all depends on the Jewish custom followed personally by the family. It is mandatory to place the Mezuzahs on the front doorpost although many families prefer to place the Jewish Mezuzahs on the outside of each floor, with the exclusion of the bathroom of course.
