By Jeffrey D. Land
 | I had bought a beautiful blue Mezuzah while touring Israel six years previously. I knew that it was good, a $5 price tag and an honest-faced proprietor had assured me of this...
22 Comments Posted
Seven and a half dollars!?! How and where did you get them so inexpensive?!
|
Nice story, and inspiring to experience along with you the shift from "who are these chassidic kids telling me my mezuzah is no good" to "ok, go ahead and put up kosher mezuzahs throughout my house." It's a huge leap of faith, particularly in our generation, of "don't tell me what to do." In Chabad, so many of us have these hurdles to leap over for years (or so it seems) as we transform ourselves from "American Jew" to "Jew, who lives in America." After being with Chabad for over 35 years (35?) I still come across things inside of me that need fine tuning (ok, real tuning, not just fine...).
As for that super hero? A brightly colored cape? A big "M" on his chest ? (Mezuzah Man?) a mask hiding his true identity? Hardly...our super hero sports a simple black hat (yarmelke included) a plain black suit, tzitzis, and a beard (big or small, red, black or grey..) The big "M"? That stands for "MITZVAHS" and it's engraved in the hearts of every Jew, you, too!
|
""Those little scrolls of parchment are a covenant with G-d which protects our homes and loved ones. "
I guess most of the Jews of eastern Europe and the Chabad House in Mumbai must have had traf mazusot. At least that was said to have been the basis for the slaughter in Ma'alot in 1974.
Or have the rules and expectations changed?
|
A little reasoning, please. Mezuzot offer protection. If you walk into a construction zone without a helmet, you're not being responsible. But even a helmet can't protect you from a steel girder falling twenty feet.
|
So now must I ask the proprietor of the local Jewish store to provide me a document stating the Mezuzah he sells to me is authenticated, and if not, my purchase price will be returned or replaced with the "real thing?" He will most likely quit stocking the Mezuzahs, and give me an Israel address for writing to in order to make a purchase, and which will triple the cost and still not prove my purchase is genuine. Life should not be so complicated.
Have a nice day :-).
|
Everyone tries to make business but with G-d you can't make business only mitzvahs.
|
to replace all the mezuzot in ones homes might be too expensive for some people to do. How much do you reckon the cheapest kosher ones are in u.k money at todays prices?
|
Those little chassidelach were pretty eloquent, and had a lot of presence of mind.
And the author is to be commended for letting himself be talked in.
At $7.50 these were obviously subsidized by some good soul who wanted to help him decide to do the mitzva right.
Too much ignorance about the mitzva as can be seen by other comments on this post.
|
What an awesome story. I live in the Riverside area of Southern California. I couldn't imagine too big of a Jewish population here. One Sunday I was cleaning my driveway, I look up and an older van is pulling in. I could see the black hat through the windshield and thought "that looks iike a Chassidic from Williamsburg." Out of the van comes a dear man and his wife Tzipora with Challah in hand. Before I knew it I was putting on Tefillin, studying weekly and they have been on our lives ever since. It is awesome to have found Judaism 3000 miles from Brooklyn in Chabad of Riverside.
|
Are we trying to put logic on this mitzvah? Are we capable of really knowing the full depth of reasoning or meaning behind a mitzvah? In our state of exile are we capable of seeing the full scope of any act? I want to react to my own pain and the pain of all those involved but I also still want to feel trust in the ways we have been given by the Holy One. For me in these moments just as I can not fully comprehend the Depth of the Holy One in Torah or Mitzvah, nor can I comprehend the depth of what is happening around me or in Life.
Shalom to All!
|
most people, especially in america, buy mezuzahs and believe they are kosher--they nail them to their doorposts with complete faith.
|
I am grateful to read about the heart of the Mezuzah, a symbol of the covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. I also appreciate the ‘change in heart’ of Jeffrey D. Land – it appears to me G-d cherishes a broken and contrite heart - in his relationship with the amazing G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thank you.
|
"If" you put on a kosher mezuzah "then" G-d will protect your house? That's like, 'If you're good, I won't punish you, and maybe you'll even get a candy.' Is that really who G-d is? Is that all a mezuzah is? Is that who the People of Israel are? This is the "scandal". G-d, take us out of this exile!
|
With respect to the reader response regarding mezuzah case prices:
I wrote the article about 30 years ago for (discontinued) 613 Magazine when $5 was about the going rate for a simple mezuzah case containing rolled-up paper.
With respect to the reader response that, “life should not be so complicated”:
I agree, but point out that certification is required even more today than 30 years ago at the time of writing, as Chinese silk-screen mezuzah parchments have recently made a debut in the US.
Additionally, purchasing a kosher certified Mezuzah from Israel should not “triple the cost” as they are generally competitively priced with other countries, unless:
- the mezuzah case contains the above-noted Chinese-printed parchment; and/or
- the mezuzah was received “free” at a Religious Institution dinner ceremony in gratitude for a large donation.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey D. Land,
(now known as Yosef Freedland)
|
I'm a community sofer (scribe) and check mezuzah scrolls for a living. Unfotunately the rate of fraudulent mezuzot being sold is high, I encounter them daily. There is a concept in chassidic philosophy called "ze leumas zeh" the more holy something is the more likely negative elements will arise. I explain this to my customers, that while there are many pious, G-d fearing scribes and mezuzah merchants, there is also real fraud going on. Many of the retailers of fraudulent mezuos are ignorant themselves and are simply passing on non kosher mezuzah scrolls from unscrupulous suppliers. It is very important to buy a mezuzah from someone you know and trust, such as your local rabbi or community sofer (scribe). There are many good internet sites for those who do not have a local rabbi or scribe (Hasofer.com, mysofer.com. esofer.com ,etc, etc). Yes, it is disheartening and outrageous that this phenomenon occurs, but being aware of the problem is the the first step in combating this problem.
|
instead of being cynical about such a beautiful mitzva why not appreciate the fact that G-D in his infinite kindness gave us a shield against the dangers that unfortunately exist in the world.Mumbai and Eastern europe are tradgedies that are incomprhensible.you use grand words to portray a ridiculous assertion. just because we can't explain certain things doesn't delegetimitize the countless stories where mezuzot have been proven to be a special source of divine protection. every mitzva creates a channel through which G-D flows his blessings. your question implies a general skepticsm about the power of mitzvot in general. learn. explore. but don't make judgements on things you are not qualified to judge.
|
It is a sad world ehen some of the Jewish people don't know the difference between the mezuzah and the case. And it it also sad that they are more concerned about the beauty of the case than the Kosherness of the parchment. Maybe for some, beauty is only skin deep after all.
|
I have just started to learn safrus (scribal technique) I second Rabbi Gutnick, having seen some of these scrolls myself. A sofer once told me of a time he opened a pair of tefillin to check them and found the word pasul (invalid) on the back of each scroll. Sometimes the fraud is not so egregious as printing and the bogus scrolls are sometimes on real parchment. An easy way of telling a fake mezuza at a glance, is if the horizontal parts of the letters are slanted. Also, the tops of the letters of one kosher line are on the same level
|
Dear Yisroel B. Yes I am skeptical, but I would ask you not to judge my skepticism too harshly until you "are qualified to judge". (Judging from facebook, you are much younger than my children.) Yes, there are stories of the power of mezuzot, tefillin, hamsas, and even petitions to the Rebbe. There are also stories, not as often told and retold of non-beneficial results of the observance of mitzvot. Some, such as the massacre at Ma'alot, which was probably before you were born, was blamed by some religious Jews on the non-kosher mezuzot in the school.
They may have been correct, but then again, they may have only been expressing their disdain for anything that they disagreed with.
All Jews are friends, even if some of them fall prey to fraud.
Shabbat Shalom,
|
A bunch of comments back, an anonymous poster asked where to get cheap mezuzot in the UK. I'm in the US, so I don't know about UK prices, but I know that you can get mezuzot for free, from "the Mezuzah Bank." (mezuzahbank.com) In order to get mezuzot from them, you need to place the request through your local Chabad rabbi. So if you aren't already in touch with your local Chabad, go to chabad.org/centers and make the connection!
|
"Life should not be so complicated." Yes Yosef Freedland, I did write those words, but it was simply more an expression, and not my actual outlook on life. per se.
Blessings and Shalom
|
|
| |
|
LOGIN
ASK THE RABBI
Read this article
