Anyhoo....I thought I would write a little about the command God gives us to "bless" our homes. I am a firm believer in blessing the enviroment you live in. Seriously. I only want good and positive things roaming the halls of my home. I've lived in strife and chaos and I don't want to live at that address anymore, nor do I want them to visit either.
The Mezuzot is a beautiful way to express your belief and faith in the one true God of Yisrael. I have had a Mezuzah on my last 4 homes. In this house, I am going to put them inside too on all the bedroom doors, the kitchen, my office and all doors that lead outside (that would be 4)....so a total of 10. Whoa. That IS a lot. But that is ok....it will constantly remind me of what I need to be reminded of every second of the day - That I am a daughter of the King of the Universe. That I have a Father that loves me infinately and only has the BEST things planned for my life. That I have standards to uphold and that my actions should only bring honor to Him. Gosh - I sort of feel important. Not!!! Actually, I sort of feel humbled....like why would he pick a daughter like me to serve Him when He knows what a total screw up I am. Truthfully, knowing this makes me want to strive even harder to bring Honor and to serve Him however He sees fit. Truthfully, it pushes me beyond myself (which I desperately need to get away from) and towards Him. Like little baby steps for me and Him being in front of me with His arms outstretched saying "YOU CAN DO IT!!!! COME ON!!! I'VE GOT YOU COVERED!!!!!!" Isn't it awesome that when you look for God in your everyday life, that you will find Him. Even in an old delapitated farm house and a girl who bit off more than she could chew....oh well....If He is for me, who can be against me? Right??!!!
A mezuzah is a sacred parchment inscribed by hand with two portions of Torah. It is stored in a protective case hung on the doorposts of Jewish homes.
ParchmentThe parchment (klaf) come from a kosher species of animal.Why Hang a Mezuzah?
Inscribed by HandThe person who writes on the parchment is called a sofer (scribe). Scribes are trained to inscribe the mezuzah in the same manner and script as the Torah. Any mistakes make the mezuzah invalid.
TorahThe two portions of Torah written on the parchment are Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and Vehaya (Deuteronomy 11:13-21). Both of these Torah portions include the verse, "And you shall inscribe these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."
Protective CaseOnce the mezuzah is written, it is rolled from left to right and placed in a protective case.
In the Torah, God commands the Jewish people to hang mezuzot on their doorposts. Two Torah portions, Shema and Vehaya, include the verse: "And you shall inscribe these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) begins with "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." The Shema reminds us that God is always present in our lives, and that we should keep God's words constantly in our minds and in our hearts. The Shema tells us that one way to do this is by writing them on the doorposts of our house. Vehaya (Deuteronomy 11:13-21) assures us of God's compensation if we fulfill his commandments (mitzvot).
It is a Torah commandment to hang mezuzot on our doorposts. Mezuzot, in turn, remind of God's presence and of our duty to fulfill God's commandments.
Blessing on Affixing a Mezuzah
Before affixing a mezuzah to a doorpost, the following blessing is recited:
The blessing is only recited once (usually on the front door) for all the mezuzot in the house . After reciting the blessing, no words are spoken until all mezozot are hung throughout the house.Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu likbo-a mezuzah.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who sanctifies us with holy commandments and commands us to fix a mezuzah.
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