Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Halakhah הֲלָכָה
Our parashah contains the source for the mitzvah of placing מְזֻזוֹת (mezuzot) on our doorposts.
וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
And you shall write them on the doorposts (mezuzot) of your homes and on your gates (Devarim 6:9)
The Gemara explains this pasuk.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ״ — אֶחָד שַׁעֲרֵי בָתִּים וְאֶחָד שַׁעֲרֵי חֲצֵירוֹת וְאֶחָד שַׁעֲרֵי מְדִינוֹת וְאֶחָד שַׁעֲרֵי עֲיָירוֹת יֵשׁ בָּהֶן חוֹבַת מִצְוָה לַמָּקוֹם, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.״
Our Rabbis taught: “On your gates”—the gates of houses, courtyards, cities, and towns, are all obligated in the mitzvah of mezuzah, because the Torah says: “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your homes and on your gates.”
What’s inside a mezuzah?
A mezuzah scroll contains the Shema: its first paragraph (Devarim 6:4-9) and second paragraph (Devarim 11:13-21).
Where does a mezuzah go?
When you are facing the entrance of a doorway, the mezuzah goes on the doorpost that’s to your right. It belongs at the beginning of the top third of the doorway (Menahot 33a, Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 289:2). This might be lower than you think, so use a measuring tape for exact placement!
Which doorposts need a mezuzah?
Only permanent structures, which is why we don’t put a mezuzah on a sukkah, or if we go camping in a tent (Yoma 10b). Rambam explains that every room should have its own mezuzah (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah 6:10). However, bathrooms don’t get mezuzot.
Straight or diagonal?
The Shulhan Arukh (289:6) writes that a mezuzah should be positioned vertically, which is the custom of many Sefardi communities. The Rema recommends positioning a mezuzah diagonally to try to fulfill the opinion that it should be vertical and the opinion that it should be horizontal. Many Ashkenazi communities do this.
-------------------
-------------------
