Mezuzah is a Hebrew word meaning “doorpost”. Today, it also refers to a scroll of parchment that is rolled up and hung on the doorposts of Jewish households.
The scroll contains passages from the Torah written in Hebrew. These passages include parts of the Shema. On the other side of the scroll is written one of G-d’s names.
The scroll is placed in a decorative container. Often, these containers have the Hebrew letter ‘shin’ on them, the first letter of the name of G-d written on the scroll.
A mezuzah should be hung on the doorpost of every living space in a house, as well as the entrance door. In some communities, a mezuzah might also be hung on other buildings where people spend a lot of time, like offices or schools, as well as synagogues.
The mezuzah can have many meanings. Some people believe a mezuzah gives special protection to the people who live in the home where it hangs.
For some, it marks Jewish homes as distinctive. For some, it is a reminder to keep a Jewish home.
Some people have the custom of touching the mezuzah and kissing their hand every time they pass by one.
Text adapted from English Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0.
Mezuzah affixed at the entrance of synagogue at Chennamangalam North Paravur, Kerala, India. Photo by Anoop Santhakumar on Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0.
