Tag Archives: mezuzah cases
Mezuzah and Jewish Tradition
What is a Mezuzah?
Mezuzahs are a slim case with a prayer scroll rolled into it which can be found on the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes.
Generally, the Mezuzah is placed on the left doorposts – so when you exit a room the Mezuzah will be on the post to your left. The scroll is written on a special paper and handwritten in a specific style of writing
Some people will only place a Mezuzah on the post of doors that lead outside. However, traditionally you would place a Mezuzah on each room in the house except for the washroom.
Symbolism of the Mezuzah
The mitzvah is in the scroll rolled into the Mezuzah casing which contains a prayer called the “Shema” (Deut. 11:13-21). On the back of the scroll has G-d’s name written on it and on the Mezuzah case has the first letter of G-d’s name on it. There are different theories as to why we keep Mezuzot on the door posts. The most widely accepted is that G-d commands, in Deut 6:4-9, that the Jewish people remember his words and keep the Shema prayer close – both in mind and heart. So the Mezuzah is a symbolic representation of this agreement with God.
What Is a Car Mezuzah? A Modern Judaic Object
Recently, there are plenty of synagogues and Jewish shops selling a new modern Judaic object – a car Mezuzah. Plenty of Jewish people are starting to admire the various shapes and materials of car Mezuzahs that are being sold. However, what exactly is a car Mezuzah? To know what it is, you first need to understand what is a Mezuzah.
Before we talk about a Car Mezuzah…
A Mezuzah s affixed to door posts in Jewish homes. Originally, a Mezuzah is a roll of parchment which had been inscribed by hand with particular verses from the Torah, and is hung on door homes by the Jews. Hence, the origin of its name. There are however certain rules about the production of a Mezuzah. It needs to be inscribed on Kosher source of parchment, written by a trained Sofer Stam(inscriber), using a black inedible ink with a special quill, which contains to verses from the Torah, specifically the Shema (Deuteronomy 6: 4 -9) and the Vehaya (Deuteronomy 11: 13 – 21).
Mezuzah case – A Jewish Treat with a Modern Beat
On your first visit to your Jewish friends or relatives’ house you probably spotted the fact that every door frame in their house (except for bathrooms or small storage rooms) had a fixed rectangular case on it. For those of you who were silently wondering “what are those?” we’d like to reveal that the rectangular case that you saw is called “mezuzah” and fixing it on the doorframes is actually a Jewish mitzvah which is usually kept even by those who aren’t religiously observant.
So…what is a mezuzah?
The case that you see is actually the shell to the pearl that lies inside of it: the mezuzah contains a piece of parchment (called “klaf”), marked with the Jewish prayer “Shema Israel”. The parchment is written by a “sofer stam”, a professional writer who has been trained to execute the writing flawlessly. These writers are devout believers, who do their work very carefully, watching every letter and line in great reverence.
You probably noticed that many mezuzahs have the letters Shin-Dalet- Yod written on them. This letter combination functions as both a word and acronym: as a word it means one of God’s names (“Shadai”), which symbolizes God’s trustworthy promises and as an acronym it means: “Shomer dlatot Israel” – “Guardian of Israel’s doors”.
A mezuzah case – the ideal gift for every occasion
Each time we’re invited to celebrate the holidays with our friends or relatives, we soon enough become entangled in worries about the present we should get them. If your friends are Jewish, they will surely appreciate a beautifully designed mezuzah case. A mezuzah case doesn’t have to be a mere wooden box, it can be a true work of art. The variety is endless – mezuzah cases can be made of different kinds of metals, ceramics, stone and wood and have drawings or biblical verses inscribed on them.
My friend already has mezuzahs in his house. Should I choose a different gift?
Certainly not! The mezuzahs that people have in their homes are usually very simple and have no distinction what so ever. By buying your friend one or more Mezuzah cases you’ll bring more color and freshness to his or her home, as it will function also as a lovely eye pleasing decoration.
Check out a wide selection of Mezuzah cases made by Israeli artists!
You’re very welcome to pick one of these fine Mezuzah cases for your friends and relatives at an Israeli on-line store – go to Canaan Online. If you wish, you can also add to your gift a special card with a Hebrew blessing, free of charge. All you need to do is ask!
