About Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz served as Director of Programs for NCSY before becoming Associate Director of the Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services. Rabbi Abramowitz holds degrees in Jewish studies, communications and Higher Education Administration. Among his accomplishments, he authored NCSY's Torah on One Foot series of educational pamphlets and created negiah.org, the first abstinence web site for Jewish teens. Rabbi Abramowitz is the author of The Shnayim Mikra Companion on Torah, The Nach Yomi Companion volumes 1 and 2 on the books of the Prophets and the Writings, and The Tzniyus Book.

Recent Posts

Taryag: A Mitzvah a Day

Questions? Contact us at taryag@ou.org

PARSHAT Va'etchanan
MITZVAH COUNTER
Mitzvos to date: 423
Positives:178
Negatives:245
That can be performed today:182
Plus those that can be performed only in Israel:20

423. Knock, Knock: The obligation to put a mezuzah on one’s doors


Write them upon the doorposts of your house… (Deuteronomy 6:9)

“Mezuzah” as we use the term is something of a misnomer. The word literally means a doorpost, but we use it to refer to a small strip of parchment containing particular Biblical verses, which we affix to our doorposts as per this mitzvah. The mezuzah contains two passages, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (which includes the Shema) and Deuteronomy 11:13-21.

The mezuzah is placed on the right-hand side of an entryway, in the upper third of the doorpost. The accepted practice is to position the mezuzah at an angle with the top portion pointing inward. A mezuzah is placed on pretty much every room except a bathroom. A person does not have to affix a mezuzah to a dwelling for 30 days, so travelers do not have to worry about their hotel rooms. If a person moves out of a house or apartment and the next occupants are Jewish, he must leave the mezuzos for the next tenants (though they are expected to pay for them).

The basis of this mitzvah is to constantly remind us of God and His Torah. We are cognizant of the mezuzah as we enter and exit our homes and it serves as a reminder to keep the mitzvos.

This mitzvah applies to men and women in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Menachos (31b-34a) and in Yoma (10a-11b). It is codified in the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah 285. This mitzvah is #15 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos and #12 of the 77 positive mitzvos that can be fulfilled today as listed in the Chofetz Chaim’s Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar.



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