Mezuzah Handbook

Judaism is a faith not confined to synagogues: within the familiarity of our homes we also strive for spirituality. A mezuzah on the doorpost designates the home as Jewish, reminding us of our connection to G-d and our heritage, and serves as a source of Divine protection for the home...

The parchment scroll, written in the Torah's original Hebrew, contain two Torah sections: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21.

The mezuzah is placed in a case for protection. It is rolled from left to right, so that the Divine name Sha-dai written on the outside is visible....

A common misconception is that only the main enterance to the home requires a mezuzah. To properly fulfill the mitzvah, every room in the house or office should have its own mezuzah...

When purchasing a home, affix the mezuzahs immediately upon moving in. In a rented home, the blessings can be made on the 31st day...

The mezuzah is affixed on the right hand side of the door as you enter. It is positioned on an angle, with the top of the mezuzah pointed toward the inside of the room...

Prior to affixing a mezuzah the following blessing should be recited: "Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah"

Never use liquid cleaners because they may seep within the case and damage the parchment scroll. Mezuzah cases and mezuzah wrappings should be treated as genizah, which require interment after their use...

Mezuzahs should be checked twice every seven years to see if they have been affected by adverse weather conditions, or by folding (which can cause cracks in the letters), or if any other defect has occurred...

When a mezuzah that has been removed -- for checking, when renovations are being done, or for any other reason -- is remounted, the blessing should be recited only if the mezuzah was off the doorposts for at least one night...

As a rule, a mezuzah should not be removed from a doorpost, leaving the room or house without a mezuzah, unless it will be put back or replaced with another mezuzah.

We are generally accustomed to not seeing the mezuzah itself, but its case. Most of us do not fully realize just how much skill and labor goes into the writing of the actual mezuzah.