Walking through an exhibit on Senegal in The Field Museum in Chicago, my family and I were surprised to see a familiar Jewish ritual item – a Mezuzah. In an exhibit on door post totems, it was included among a Mother Mary statuette, a personalized family nameplate, an elaborate metal doorknob, a mini totem pole, and a lock with a depiction of a protective God to watch over the house. The exhibit made clear just how unusual it was to affix a prayer to a doorpost. While there were other spiritual locks, none compared to our own.
The instructions on how to affix a Mezuzah come from this week’s Torah portion, Vaetchanan. In Deuteronomy 6:9, the Torah states: “And you shall write them upon the posts of your house and on your gates.” The language seems to imply that originally they were written directly on the doorposts and gates. The most common practice is for a scribe to write the words on a scroll, which is rolled up into the wood, metal, or stone box to put on the door. Each room of the house is supposed to have one, excluding the bathrooms. The Mezuzah goes to the right of the doorway, about two-thirds of the way up, leaning into the house. This can be confusing inside your home, where it is unclear if you are coming or going.
Often, I get called in to help with the prayers. I do this with great pleasure, but in truth the ritual does not require a rabbi, just a hammer, nail, screws if needed, or just double-sided tape. The only prayer is, “Baruch Atah… Leek’boa Mezuzah,” “Blessed are you.., for affixing the Mezuzah.” This week’s Torah portion is a reminder about how old the ritual is and how important it has been for our community.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex