Do I need a mezuzah for my house? Where shall I attached the mezuzah?
The following information on mezuzahs will attempt to answer these questions should you decide to order a mezuzah online.
The mezuzah (plural – mezuzot) is a piece of dried skin of a kosher (conforming to Jewish Law) animal upon which are written two sections from the Bible: one section from Parashat "Shema Israel" – (Deuteronomy 6, Love the LORD Your God), and the other from Deutronomy 11. The skin is then rolled like a scroll, inserted into a mezuzah cover or case, and attached to the right side of the doorframe. This mitzvah (commandment) originates from Deuteronomy 6:9 – "Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
Observant Jews recite the verse "Shema Israel…" (Deuteronomy 6: 4) multiple times during the day and night. It contains the basic essence of being Jewish: maintaining constant contact with the Creator all throughout the day, in every thought and action.
The person who writes the mezuzah is called a "Sofer sTaM." "S" for Sifrei Torah (Bible books), "T" for Tefilin (a set of small cubic leather boxes painted black, containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, with leather straps dyed black on one side, and worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers), and "M" for Mezuzot.
For Jews the mezuzah is a reminder of their unique mission in Creation and their faith in the Creator. The mezuzah symbolizes the Creator's providence over the Children of Israel and their houses. On the back side of the mezuza, the scribe writes the name "Shadai" (one of the names of God). It is also the initials of "Shomer Daltot Israel".
When one is about to fulfill the commandment of setting a mezuzah he will need the following:
1) A kosher mezuzah scroll for each one of the rooms in the house or business that require one.
2) A mezuzah cover or case to insert the mezuzah into. The size is not significant, but it should be big enough to cover the entire scroll.
3) A measuring tape and a pencil to mark the mezuzah's location.
4) A hammer, nails or screws, or a double-sided sticky tape.
5) A Sidur – (a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers) or a note with the Blessing of the Mezuzah (a blessing which is read out while installing the mezuzah).
Before setting out to buy mezuzahs you first need to calculate the quantitiy needed. In most cases, any doorframe that leads to a room requires a mezuzah. A room for this matter is a space not smaller than 2 by 2 meters, bordered by four walls. It can be a corridor, hallway, or even a storage room. Doorframes without a door (like passages between rooms, or a staircase also need mezuzahs.
Toilets, and temporary rooms (like a sukkah) do not need a mezuzah. A shed which is located outside the house and is not smaller than two by two meters needs a mezuzah. If the objects stored in the room are useful and people frequently enter to take them out and use them the mezuzah should be installed with a blessing. But if the storage room is very rarely opened the mezuzah should be installed without a blessing.
Gates of gardens and entrances to cities and countries need a mezuzah.
The doorframe of a guard's hut at the entrance of a house does not need a mezuzah because it is not intended for residence. Nor do an exterior staircase or an animal pen.
A public bathhouse doesn't need a mezuza but a dairy barn, a chicken coop, a granary and a wine cellar do need. But some claim they don't.
A house or a garden where a non Jew is also living does not need a mezuzah.
Horizontal doors set into the floor leading to a cellar do not need a mezuzah, only vertical, standing doors.
A house rented overseas, during a period of less than 30 days, does not need a mezuzah.
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