A mezuzah (Hebrew: ???????? ? "Doorpost"; plural: ????????? ? mezuzot ) consists of a piece of parchment called klaf contained in the decorative box and written the Hebrew specific verses of the Torah (Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 and 11: 13-21). These verses consist of Jewish prayer Shema Yisrael , beginning with the phrase: "Hear, O Israel, God Lord is our Lord, God span> is One ". In the mainstream Rabbinic Judaism, a mezuzah was placed on the door of the Jewish house to fulfill the mitzvah ("Bible writings") to "write the words of God at the gate and the door of your house" (Deuteronomy 6: 9). Some people interpreted the Jewish law to ask mezuzah at every door in the house except the bathroom (which is not a living space), a laundry room and a cupboard, if they are too small to qualify as a room. Classroom games are prepared by a qualified steward ("softer stam") who have undergone training, both in studying the relevant religious law, and in a more practical part of sculpting feathers and practicing writing. The verses are written with an indelible black ink with a special feather made of feathers or, in the present rare case, bamboo. The parchment is then rolled and placed in the casing.
Video Mezuzah
Karaite dan Samaritan mezuzah
This article deals primarily on mezuzah as it is used in Rabbinic Judaism. Karaite and Samaria Judaism have different traditions.
In Karaite Judaism the deuteronomic verse "And you will write them on the doorpost of your house and your gate" ( Deuteronomy 5: 9; 11:20 ) is interpreted to be a metaphor and does not refer to Rabbanite mezuzah . So Karaite does not traditionally use mezuzot , but puts up a small plaque in the form of two Legal Tables with Ten Commandments. In Israel, where they might try not to make other Jews uncomfortable, many Karaites make exceptions and place mezuzahs on their doorposts as well. Karaite versions of mezuzah are installed on the doors of public buildings and sometimes also to private buildings.
The Samaritans interpreted the deuteronomic command as indicating each selected text from the Samaritan version of the five Books of Moses. It can contain a very sacred or an uplifting blessing or message. In the past they placed a stone placard bearing the Ten Commandments above the door of the house, some examples from the Byzantine period (4th to 7th centuries) and the Early Muslim period (7-11 centuries) now displayed in the Museum of Israel in Jerusalem.. Today a Samaria Izuzah is usually made of marble, wooden plates, or a piece of parchment or high-quality paper, where they write selected verses from the Torah of Samaria. This they place above the door of the house, or inside the house, in the entrance hall or in a prominent place on the big wall. This is mezuzot found in every household of the Samaritans and also in the synagogue. Today some Samaritans will also use the Jewish-style mezuzah case and place in it a small written inscription Samaritan, the text of the Samaritan Torah, written in the Samaritan alphabet. The more like mezuzot is at home, the better it is considered.
Maps Mezuzah
Put mezuzah
According to halakha , the mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door or doorpost, in the top third of the doorpost (ie, about shoulder level), in approximately 3 inches (8 cm ) from the door openings. Care must be taken not to tear or damage the parchment or the words above it, as this will cancel the mezuzah , which is considered Torah. Generally, halakha requires mezuzot to be embedded within 30 days of moving to a rented house or apartment. This applies to Jews living in the Diaspora (ie, outside the Land of Israel). For a house or apartment purchased in the Diaspora, or residence in Israel (owned or rented), mezuzah is immediately affixed after moving. The reason for this difference is that there is an assumption that when a Jew lives in Israel, Israel will remain its permanent residence, whereas a home in the diaspora is temporary. Mezuzot is a very special thing and must be carefully guarded and in accordance with Jewish law and tradition.
Where the door was wide enough, many Ashkenazi Jews tilted mezuzah so that the top slanted toward the room where the door opened. This is done to accommodate the various opinions of Rashi and his grandson, Rabbeinu Tam, whether it should be placed vertically (Rashi) or horizontally (Rabbeinu Tam), and also to declare that God and the Torah (which mezuzah symbolizes) enter the room. A compromise solution has been suggested by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher.
Most Sephardic, Mizrahi and non-Ashkenazi Jews put vertical mezuzah, though Spanish and Portuguese Jews live in countries where the majority of Ashkenazim Jews usually place them on their sides.
The procedure is to hold the mezuzah on the place to paste, then read the blessing:
- ???????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ?????? ????????, ?????? ??????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ???????? ?
- Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, asher qideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu liqboa 'mezuzah.
- Blessed are you, Lord, our Lord, the King of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with his
, and orders us to add mezuzah <.
Every Jew can read his blessing as long as he is mature enough to understand the meaning of mitzvah . After blessing, mezuzah is attached.
Every time through the threshold, many people touched the finger into mezuzah as a way of showing respect to God in a simpler way than to say prayers.
When applying some mezuzot , it is enough to recite a blessing, before applying the first one.
Examine the parchment
Many devout Jews of all Jewish denominations have qualified scribes examining mezuzot parchments for disability (such as small tears or faded writing) at least twice every seven years. This work can be done by a softer (scribe) or by anyone with similar training. The softer one can also create a new mezuzot parchment that conforms to the Jewish Law.
Mezuzah cases
The order to affix the mezuzah is widely followed in the Jewish world, even by religiously disobedient Jews. While an important part of the mezuzah is the clause, or parchment, and not the case itself, designing and producing mezuzah cases has been elevated to art forms for centuries. The Mezuzah case is produced from a variety of materials, from silver and precious metals, to wood, stone, ceramics, tin, and even polymer clay. Some mezuzah case dealers will provide or offer to sell copies of text that have been copied to the paper; this is not a halal (legitimate) mezuzah, which should be hand-written onto a piece of parchment by a qualified clerk.
Additional inscriptions
It is very common to write two inscriptions on the back of the parchment:
- the Hebrew word ??? ? ( Shaddai )
- phrase " ???????????? ? "
Shaddai , ["Omnipotent"] one of the biblical names of God, also works here as an acronym for Shomer Daltot Yisrael , "Israel Door Guard". Many cases of mezuzah are also characterized by the Hebrew letter ? ? (Shin), for Shaddai .
"span dir =" rtl "> ???????????? ? " is a Caesar cipher - one letter shifted - from the third word, fourth, and fifth Shema, "Adonai, Eloheinu, Adonai" , "Lord, our Lord, Lord"; it is inscribed on the back of the case, as opposed to the corresponding words on the front. This inscription dates back to the 11th century and is found among Hasidei Ashkenaz (medieval Jewish German mysticism).
According to Sephardic (minhag) habits, the phrase " ?????????????????????????" is forbidden, and only the Hebrew word ??? ? ( Shaddai ) written behind mezuzah. This practice is supported by Shulchan Aruch and Rambam's writings. However, Ashkenazi's habit of writing both of these phrases is supported in Remo's writings. (Yoreh De'ah 288: 15)
In this regard, it is important to refer to the frequently quoted section of Rambam Mishneh Torah which states:
It is a common practice to write [God's name,] Shaddai, outside a mezuzah across the empty space remaining between two aisles. There is no difficulty in this, because [the addition is done] outside. However, those who write the names of angels, other sacred names, verses, or forms, on the inside of the mezuzah are among those who have no part in the world to come. Not only do these fools cancel the mitzvah, but furthermore, they make from the great mitzvah [which reflects] the unity of the name of the Holy One, praise Him, His love, and His ministry, a talisman for their own benefit. They, in their foolish conception, think that this will help them about the pride of the world.
Use of amuletic from mezuzah
Cultural-comparative analysis shows that objects placed at the domestic threshold often bear the amulet function of hitting the widely understood crime. In fact, early rabbinical sources explicitly witnessed the belief in the anti-devil function of the mezuzah. This is the case in eg. JT Megillah 4:12; BT Bava Metziya 102a; BT Pesahim 113b. Further analysis of the biblical and rabbinic texts (interlinear texts) Deuteronomy 6, 11, Exodus 12, Mechilta de-rabbi Ishmael 7,12 and BT Menahot 33b, 43b) show that mezuzah is interpreted as a means of protecting against anger divine.
The belief in the protective power of the mezuzah is also prevalent in modern times. In the 1970s after a series of terrorist attacks on Ma'alot, representatives of Chabad-Lubavitch began a campaign for systematic examination of the mezuzah. The general assumption underlying that action is that following the mitzvot will guarantee personal safety.
Finally, according to various sociological studies, about three-quarters of adults in Israel believe that mezuzah are literally guarding their homes.
Legal battles in the US.
The Jewish practice of applying mezuzah to the entrance of rare housing units is challenged in the United States or Canada, and to date there have been no legal cases that set a precedent on the subject.
Illinois
In Chicago in 2001, the 378-unit Shoreline Towers condominium association adopted a rule prohibiting "mats, boots, shoes, carts or anything... outside the entrance of the unit", which the 2004 vote council interpreted for to be absolute. Relying on association rules, Shoreline Towers management moved the mezuzot condo tenant's condos, producing letters from Jewish groups that failed to protest the rule. The complaint by the tenant Shoreline Towers was then submitted to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Illinois Attorney General, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, accusing housing discrimination on the basis of religion and seeking damages. Meanwhile, newspaper reports indicate that Shoreline Towers is not the only condominium association in Chicago with such restrictions, although one of them immediately agreed to change the rules.
While reading a news report about the mezuzah dispute at Shoreline Towers, Chicago city council member Burton Natarus, like other Jewish observers in progress, was disappointed with the ban. He composed an amendment to a city code that made it illegal for tenants or owners of apartments, homes or condominiums to be prohibited from "placing or affixing religious marks, symbols or relics on doors, doors or entrances." Despite opposition to such a move , it became law in Chicago in December. The first law in North America, including a maximum fine of $ 500 for violations.
Without prejudice to this law, continuing court action concerns separate complaints against Shoreline Towers as his government affects mezuzot. In 2006, a federal court judge ruled that the condominium association rules did not violate the Federal Fair Housing Act; The District Court upheld opinions about appeals in 2008; in 2009, the US Court of Appeals for Circuit 7 in Chicago reversed its 2008 decision, and the case continued. Meanwhile, during the dispute, records of the Chicago Jewish Star (who have reported the case) were unsuccessful, and for the first time the Illinois anti-SLAPP law was applied. In 2011, the settlement of a secret dispute at Shoreline Towers was finally reached.
In 2006, a narrower amendment focused on the State Condominium Property Act was initiated by the Illinois Senator Ira Silverstein, the first state law first.
Florida
In 2006, a woman in a 16-story condominium building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was ordered to remove the mezuzah from her aisle unit and was threatened with fines. After a long legal battle, the condominium association was found guilty of discrimination. In 2008, House Bill 995, an amendment to the Florida Condo Act that mimicked the laws of the state of Illinois, became law.
Texas
In Texas in 2007, the couple living in the Madison Park Houston area were instructed to "remove items attached to your door frame" to avoid violating association rules. A legal battle ensued, in which a US District Court judge ruled in 2008 on behalf of the condominium association. The couple then turned to Texas Representative Garnet F. Coleman. His bill to protect religious appearances, as introduced in 2009, was not adopted, but in June 2011 a slightly revised version (HB1278) was signed into law by Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Nationwide
The bill designed to prevent a nationwide ban on mezuzah was proposed in 2008 by US Congressman Jerrold Nadler (H. R. 6932). It never became law.
References
Bibliography
- "Documentary on various aspects of mezuzah".
- Alexander Poltorak. A Light to My Path: A Mezuzah Anthology .
- Dovid Zaklikowski. The Mezuzah Handbook .
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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