Mezuzah with an inserted text scroll at the entrance to the sacred space, donated by a Jewish woman from Volkmarsen who lives in the USA. The mezuzah - attached to the doorpost - is intended to remind the inhabitants of a house of Jewish tradition and to protect the house and its inhabitants.
Fotos: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
This mezuzah contains a text scroll. Metal, glass ca 17cm, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Mezuzah means ‘doorpost’ and refers to a writing capsule used in Judaism. This goes back to several passages in the Torah: ‘You shall write (these words) on the doorposts of your house and on the gates of your city.’ - Deut. 6:9 and Deut. 11:20
According to this, the corresponding two passages from the Shema are written by a specially trained scribe (safer) with a non-metallic writing instrument (quill) on a parchment (klaf), with the word אֵל שַׁדַּי (Shaddaj) on the back, and rolled up and placed in a small container on the doorpost. The container can be made of metal, ceramic, wood, glass, stone or plastic. Many mesusot are inscribed with the Hebrew letter (Shin). This also stands for Shaddaj.
The mezuzah is placed within arm's reach in the upper third of the right-hand doorpost as seen from the outside, inclined so that the upper end faces the room. This arose from a discussion among Jewish scholars as to whether the mezuzah should be placed vertically or horizontally; as a compromise solution, the inclined position was agreed upon.
According to another explanation, the mezuzah hangs at an angle to express the fact that only God can make things completely right (straight), but not people, whose actions always remain incomplete (crooked). There is also the idea that the direction of the upper end of the mezuzah towards the room imitates the inclination of the upper body when entering the room.
Some devout Jews kiss the mezuzah when entering a room by bringing the fingertips of their right hand to the mezuzah and then to their mouth.
Secular traditions have also developed from the mitzvah of the mezuzah. For example, it is common for the installation of the mezuzot to be combined with a housewarming ceremony. Particularly beautifully designed mezuzot are also popular gifts.