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About Your Mezuzah: What's in the box?
A mezuzah is a specially written parchment scroll that contains portions from the Torah speaking of God’s oneness and other basic elements of faith. The mitzvah of mezuzah is performed by attaching this scroll (placed in a protective case) to every doorway in one’s home. The mezuzah reminds us of God’s presence when we are at home and when we travel out of our home. The mezuzah also provides protection for the home.
"And you will write these words on the entrances of your house and your gates." -God
The root of the word mezuzah is 'zaz', meaning 'movement.' The mezuzah is a reminder, as we move from place to place within our homes, as well as when we leave our homes and move through the world at large, to remember God is in all the many different places we may find ourselves. We build homes and live in them so that we may be protected from the elements. The mezuzah on our front door transforms a mere physical dwelling into a sacred space wherein we can nourish the values and truths that build strong families and healthy individuals. Affixing the mezuzah to the doors of our home elevates and sanctifies an otherwise temporary dwelling into a gateway to the eternal. The mezuzah, handwritten till today in the age-old specially prescribed manner and affixed to the right doorpost of every room in the Jewish home, contains the first two paragraphs of the Shema prayer: “Shema Yisrael” and “Vehaya im shamoa.” These texts declare the Unity of God and express God’s assurance to us of the reward and blessing that will result from our observance of the Torah’s teachings, as well as the results of not doing so. Our actions and choices make a difference.
The Biblical passages written on the mezuzah embody the fundamental convictions that:
• God exists and is one
• God knows everything that goes on in the world
• Our actions carry great meaning and we have responsibility for them
• God participates and actively guides everything that occurs in the world
When you leave the safety and protection of your home to face the outside world, you go with the kiss of the mezuzah on your lips. You take God along with you to whatever the day holds in store. It implies the courage and determination not to be swayed by place or circumstance and stand fast (be “affixed”) in our truth, a trait going back to the forefather Abraham. Abraham our forefather was called “Ha’ivri”. One of the definitions of Ha’ivri means “on the other side.” On a deep level, Abraham was called “Ha’ivri” since he had the strength to oppose (stand on the other side of) a world mired in selfishness and idolatry. Abraham stood up against mighty Kings of ancient times and was victorious. No force in the world be it physical or spiritual, could sway Abraham from his faith in God and his mission of bringing love, kindness and healing to the world.
Text courtesy of our Jewish Life Series partner.
Download our free mezuzah guide here: https://issuu.com/afikim/docs/mezuzah_book_jls_sept_2020?fr=sYjQyNjE4NjE3Mzk
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