There are multiple reasons why someone inside or outside Judaism might want to look for information about what a mezuzah is. Regardless of these reasons, in this article, we will talk about what they are, and the symbolism they carry inside the religion, as well as talk about something very specific about them: cases.
What is a Mezuzah?
First of all, a mezuzah (also commonly known as mezuza) can be described as a decorative case that contains a Klaf, which is a piece of writing that contains verses from the Torah or rituals related to Judaism.
A Klaf is often written by an experienced and trained scribe, as mentioned over here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaf, since it is believed that words written by hand do carry out the power of God, and the words written in the Klaf are made out with respect and admiration, in comparison to the words that are printed by a machine.
The word mezuzah comes from doorpost in the Hebrew language, and they are commonly placed in the entrance of a house, near a door, or on it. However, they can also be placed in highly concurred areas, like a kitchen, living rooms, or bedrooms.
However, some families might place them on tables near candles, to keep them in places where they know for sure family members hang out. Because Klafs are placed inside of cases designed by highly skilled craftsmen, they are highly pleasant to the eye as well, so some families might have more than one around for the sake of decorating a room, but it all depends on each family.
Overall, its symbolism and importance make it an object that is more important than just decoration, and that is why it so important for the Jewish culture.
Its Symbolism
There’s something you need to know about a mezuzah, and that is they are usually are hanged slanted, and they are hardly hanged straight pointing towards the sky. This is because of an occurrence that happened during the 11th century, in were two famous rabbis discussed whether a mezuzah should point towards God (vertical) or hanged slanted like famed religious documents.
Generally speaking, a mezuzah represents the separation between the outside world and the safety and sanctitude of a home. It is also a representation of the covenant between Jewish people and God, and their duties towards him.
Some people might even claim a mezuzah to be one of the many representations of the Jewish identity as well, while others also believe that it is capable of protecting a home and its residents from harm, so it works as a protective charm against evil forces.
This also includes people that might want to approach a person or members of a Jewish family for bad reasons. These people are commonly referred to as evildoers, agents of the devil that want to take advantage of members of the Jewish community or cause them to harm for any possible reason.
According to Judaism, life in its totality is considered a very good thing, and although life itself was born from chaos, as God claimed in Gen. 1:10, “It is good”. However, evil does have many forms in Judaism.
Among these forms, evil can be linked to things like natural disasters, and events that could cause pain, sadness, and anguish to the life of human beings. It is also heavily linked to sin and immorality. Thus, a mezuzah is meant to keep all that is considered evil inside Judaism away from the house of those maintaining a heavy connection with God itself.
Of course, not a lot of members of the Jewish community believe in the powers of the mezuzah, but it is reassuring to do so since it brings a certain level of peace to all Jewish families.
Nowadays, the mezuzah remains one of the most popular belongings inside the Judaism religion, and for Jewish people, it represents their belief and culture.
That is why it might not be wise to use a mezuzah if you and your family are not part of the Judaism religion since it might be rude to them and the covenant they have with God itself.
Choosing a Case
An important part of the process of getting a mezuzah is choosing a case for the Klaf. The case is what protects the Klaf from harm, and allows it to remain in a good shape for as long as possible.
There are many different options out there. Some are great to be hanged outside since they can provide a higher level of protection, while others are better to be hanged inside the house because of their simplicity and pricings. It is up to you to decide which cases are best.
Considering the style of your house, and your own taste is one good way to approach the process of purchasing a mezuzah case. If you visit Aisenthal Judaica – Mezuzah Cases, you will have an idea of the options you can go for.
The creation of a case is pretty much considered a form of art inside Judaism since it requires skills and senses that are highly related to the Jewish culture. The Klaf that is protected by the case must be created by the hands of a certified scribe as well, but they often contain printed examples of what a Klaf should look like for reference.
