Mezuzah



=**Michael Baker and Austin Kong**=

Pictures
Mezuzah Casing [|http://3beesug.com/catalog//catalog/images/mezuzah-12039m.jpg]

Mezuzah Text []

Mezuzah on Doorpost []

Sources and Research
1. Includes casing and the Mezuzah scipture. Mezuzah technically refers to the scripture but the casing is generally included with the word. 2. Mezuzah usually part of two main paragraphs in the Torah.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes [origin of phylacteries]. You shall write them on the **doorposts** of your house and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 11:13-21: "And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul...I will give you the rain for your land in its season...that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled. Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the LORD's anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you. Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children...when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the **doorposts** of your house and on your gates, that your days...may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth."

3. Considered important if you are follower of Judaism because it derives from the religion's holy text, the Torah. Main purpose of Mezuzah is to follow God's laws that are enforced in the Torah. 4. Mezuzah should be placed on every door of the household except for those that are considered dirty such as bathrooms and closet. Generally where people ate and slept. If not household, any permanent door should have a Mezuzah hanging except for those considered dirty. 5. Placed on right side of the upper one third level of doorpost or roughly eye level. The Mezuzah should be placed slanted at a 30 degree angle with the top part of Mezuzah pointing inside the room. 6. Say short blessing when the Mezuzah is attached to the doorpost:

'"Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah."'

7. Mezuzah custom: People who enter a home or a synagogue will touch the Mezuzah with their fingertips and then kiss the fingertips that touched the Mezuzah. Along with this gesture, they would also say a short prayer:

'"May God protect my going out and coming in, now and forever."'

8. If the family moves away, the Mezuzah stays on the doorpost if the next family moving into the house is Jewish as well. If the family is not Jewish, the Mezuzah is taken off of the doorpost. 9. On Mezuzah casing, there should be a small window that can be opened. In that opening, there should be the word, Shaddai, another word for God on the scroll that can be seen through the small window. The people touch the word, Shaddai, as part of the custom. 10. Shaddai contains three Hebrew letters. Shin, Dalet, and Yad- put together stands for "protectors of the doors of Israel." This is fitting match for Mezuzah. 11. Mezuzah Scroll must be written on kosher parchment and with a kosher quill. The scroll cannot be computer generated or written with a normal writing utensil. 12. Mezuzah helps remind people of the laws of God and his presence. Mezuzah also helps show that the household knows of God and believes in him. 13. Some people consider Mezuzah as a protection against evil due to previous events involving Mezuzah. Mezuzah generally is not a protection against evil, and the topic is debatable. 14. Scroll is checked for any fading of words twice every 7 years. Scroll cannot be used if there is mistake. Scroll contains 22 lines of kosher writing. 15. One of few mitzvot to have been mentioned a reward in the holy text if the action is made. From Deuteronomy 11:20-21:

"Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."'

16. Mezuzah cases are made of wide variety of styles. Any kind of style can be used as long as it forms a case for the scroll.

Glover, Kingsley. "Modern Jewish Customs As Possible Helps in Bible Study." __The Biblical World__. 1901: pp. 7-12. JSTOR. McCulloch Library, Saint Louis, Missouri. 10 November 2009. <[]> (Database) Found this source by searching "Mezuzah" on JSTOR Database. 3rd Result.

"Mezuzah: God's Word on the Doorpost." //Religion Facts//. 2/20/06. 11/10/09. [] (Website) Found this source by searching" Mezuzah" on Google. 2nd Result.

"Mezuzah: Symbol of a Jewish Home." //My Jewish Learning//.11/10/09. [] (Website) Found this source by searching "Mezuzah symbol" on Google. 3rd Result.

"Signs and Symbols." //Judaism 101//. 10/18/09. 11/10/09. [] (Website) Found this source by searching "Mezuzah" on Google. 3rd Result.

Robinson, Rich. "The Message of the Mezuzah." //Jews For Jesus//. January 1994. [] (Newsletter) Found this source by searching "Mezuzah scripture" on Google. 1st Result.

"Mezuzah." //Judaica-guide.com//. 11/10/09. [] (Website) Found this source by searching "Mezuzah" on Google. 6th Result.

Summary
The Mezuzah consists of a casing and the scripture itself that is found as part of the Torah. The casing is not made up of any particular style or material. Any style and materials can be used as long a casing that can fit and preserve the scroll is made. The casing can be very beautiful and show the extent of Jewish art when decorations and details are added to the casing. The use of different types materials such as wood, ceramics, and metals make the casing a true piece of artwork. Inside the casing, there is a scroll which consists of the scripture. The scripture tells how Moses told the Israelites through the will of the God to attach an ornament to a person's own doorposts and gates. The scroll is made out of Kosher paper and is written with a Kosher quill. The Kosher paper is made out of a Kosher animal such as a goat or lamb. The Kosher quill is made from a Kosher fowl such as a turkey or goose. The person with the Mezuzah usually must hire a Sofer or certified scribe to write the scripture in Hebrew without any mistakes. If the scripture has any mistake, the Mezuzah cannot be used.

The Mezuzah provides a great importance to the faith. It is stated in the Torah that followers of Judaism should attach an ornament onto the person's own doorposts and gates. Thus, the Mezuzah has the weight of the Torah. Most Jewish people attach Mezuzot in order to follow God's will. Not only is the Mezuzah mentioned in the Torah, there is even a reward for attaching a Mezuzah. From Deuteronomy 11:20-21:

"Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."'

It is mentioned that those who put up the Mezuzah will live longer and go to heaven. This is one of few rewards to have been mentioned in the Torah. Aside from the Mezuzah being important because it is found in the Torah, the practice of attaching a Mezuzah to the doorpost and praying to it every time a person walks by it shows the person's acknowledgment towards God. The practice also helps remind the person of God's laws and his presence. These practices help identify the person as a strong follower of Judaism and God.


 * Helena De Oliveira and Tori Peacock**


 * __Sources__**

Authentic Jewish Mysticism and Thought. 2008. 10 November 2009 <[ http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/SHIN.HTM ]http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/SHIN.HTM>. The letter "shin" -gods ability to change, though he doesn’t -inner fire

Chabad.org. Mezuzah Handbook. 2009. 10 November 2009 . -transparent case okay, but not in bathroom bedroom or place where babies are changed -shin or shaddai written on case -some people put on every door, some just on front.

Mezuzah Net. 2003. 10 November 2009 <[ http://www.mezuzah.net/index.html ]http://www.mezuzah.net/index.html>. -disagreement between rabbis = horizontal case -concentrate on whats inside.

World Book Online. Mezuzah. 2009. 10 November 2009 . -parchement inside -deutoronomy -usually orthodox jews


 * __Outer Appearance__**

This is a picture of a Mezuzah. It hangs at an angle due to the fact that two rabbis could not agree whether it should hang upright or horizontally. The argument was that they should not put it upright, as that was burying someone standing, but they should put it upright, because that is an active position, making the scroll alive. The Hebrew letter on the mezuzah case is "shin", and it symbolizes "flame bound to coal". This is believe to mean hidden power within, because a coal has a hidden flame, and the power of change in a god that doesn’t change. Mezuzah cases can be embellished, but it is important to remember that the scroll inside is the important part. Some transparent cases can be used, but they're not allowed in bathrooms, bedrooms, and rooms where babies are changed.


 * __Spiritual Meaning__**

For Jewish families, having a mezuzah in the doorway symbolizes spiritual presence; it is a simple reminder to keep God in your thoughts throughout the day. Most families put a mezuzah in the front door of their home, but there are also some who put one in every doorway of their house. When one passes through the door, they are meant to touch it and kiss their fingers to symbolize their love and respect for the Torah. In the Torah, the book of Deuteronomy states that respect of the mezuzah results in a long, prosperous life for you and your family.

//__The search engine we used was Google (images and web search) because we find it the easiest to use out of all the search engines. We clicked on the sites that were from official organizations about Judaism.__//