Community Magazine December 2003

I s there a more recognizable icon in the Jewish home? Whether richly constructed with precious metals, carved from a rare stone or crafted from fine wood, the Mezuzah is the classic Jewish sym- bol. But for all the ornamentation on the exterior, the true value of this biblical commandment depends on what is inside. Among many of us however, there is much confusion regarding the impor- tant laws pertaining to the scrolls inside the fancy housings. This may explain why the counterproductive practice of spending lav- ishly on the housing while trying to find a bargain on the scrolls is so common. While we may all be qualified to judge the quality and suitability of a Mezuzah case, choosing the scroll to go inside is a far more difficult challenge. Take this short quiz to find out how much you already know about the Mezuzot in your home. 1. One who has already purchased a new Mezuzah should: A. Examine the writing for irregularities B. Bring it to a Sofer (scribe) to be checked C. Not allow the scroll to be opened by anyone for any reason 2. To get the best quality, one should buy a Mezuzah A. Direct from a sofer in Israel B. From a Judaica store C. From a friend with connections D. From a trusted local Sofer 3. A mezuzah with any sort of imperfection is totally invalid. A. True B. False 4. To get the best price, one should buy a Mezuzah A. Direct from a sofer in Israel B. From a Judaica store C. From a friend with connections D. From a trusted local Sofer 5. The most inexpensive Mezuzah scrolls are A. Identical in most respects to more expensive ones B. Written on cheaper, but halachicly acceptable paper C. Written in a less flowery print than more expensive ones D. Invariably of inferior quality print which renders them halachicly questionable. 6. A mezuzah exposed to the elements should be checked A. Twice in 7 years B. Every leap year C. Every other year D. Never ANSWERS: 1. One who has already purchased a new Mezuzah should: B. Bring it to a Sofer to be checked One of the greatest fallacies in the world of STAM (Scrolls, Tefilin and Mezuzot) is the assumption that “brand new” STAM do not have to be examined for Kashrut. The fact of the matter is that the most critical time to have your STAM checked is day one—before you put them into use. Even if your tefillin or mezu- zot were written by an expert sofer (scribe) it is not a guarantee that a human error has not slipped in. Even the best scribes in the world have been known to produce, although infrequently, an arti- cle of STAM containing an error in a word, letter or even a portion of the letter, which renders it passul—totally invalid. This does not necessarily indicate negligence of the sofer; the human mind can sometimes “deceive” the person himself. You may wonder, didn’t the scribe check his work. In fact, most sofrim concentrate on writ- ing only and do not check over their work. The articles are then sold in bulk to a merchant, who then sells them piecemeal to buy- ers. This is where the trouble starts. 2. To get the best quality, one should buy a Mezuzah D. From a trusted local Sofer The worst scenario is when the buyer is an individual who is not familiar with the laws of STAM and is purchasing either for his own use or doing a “favor” for others by reselling to them. Often, the individual takes one look at the articles and exclaims “What a nice writing!” True, it may look “artistic” but that does not neces- sarily mean that it conforms to Halacha, Scriptural law. This Halacha is what determines whether the articles are kosher or not and includes many technical aspects of the lettering, with all of their complexities. Only a scribe who is familiar with these laws and their practical applications can hold up a scroll to the required scrutiny. 34 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s xc Mezuzah Misconceptions RABB I MORDECHA I NAHEM , SOF ER STAM