Checking Mezuzos

The Institute for Dayanim And under the auspices of Beis Horaah in memory of Baruch and Bracha Gross Noach 5778 380 Dear Reader, This week’s article discusses the obligation to check one’s mezuzos. Every how often must the mezuzah be checked? To In this week's parashah, which extent does the obligation depend on weather conditions? Parashas Noach, we learn Must a new beracha be recited upon returning the mezuzah to of the terrible power of the doorpost after checking? Must the mezuzah be replaced in human creation, and of the interim? These questions, and others, are discussed in this the great tragedy of this week’s article. power being used for the This week’s Q & A addresses the question of finding money in a bad. We learn this from yeshiva. the Generation of the Disperson. Checking Mezuzos The Torah describes the Generation of the The beginning of the rainy season—please G-d it should be Dispersion as a generation so—gives us an opportunity to discuss the laws of mezuzah, and of building and creation, a specifically the laws of checking one’s mezuzos. generation that sought to The basic obligation to check one’s mezuzah derives from create a city and a tower, weather-related factors. As we see, given conditions including and to make a name for rain, humidity, and sun, there is a certainly possibility that a itself. The end of the mezuzah will become invalid over time. Due to this concern, and generation is known: The given the fact that even a small smudge can render a mezuzah people were scattered invalid, there is an obligation to check mezuzos regularly. across the world, their In the present article we will discuss the obligation to check power neutralized by one’s mezuzos. How often must the mezuzah be checked? To their dispersion. what extent does the obligation depend on weather conditions? Must a new beracha be recited upon returning the mezuzah to From the punishment the doorpost after checking? Must the mezuzah be replaced in meted out to the the interim? These questions, and others, are discussed below. generation, we can derive that the primary The Obligation to Check flaw of the people was in the power of speech. Based on the Gemara (Yoma 11a), the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 291:1) rules that a private mezuzah must be checked ØØ twice every seven years. It is therefore proper practice to check After Hashem blew the the mezuzah approximately once in three-and-a-half years. breath of life within The custom in Frankfurt was to check the mezuzos every Adar man, Onkelos translates Sheini of a leap year, which falls seven times every 19 years, to that he became a ruach ensure the fulfillment of the obligation. memalela – a ‘speaking The Mateh Efraim (581:10) and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch spirit.’ The capacity of (128:3) add that those who are meticulous check their mezuzah speech is the essence of once a year, in the month of Elul. human power. So as not to burden the public (which would discourage people Given the power of from taking responsibility), for a public building Chazal lowered speech, man is charged the bar, and obligated checking the mezuzah only twice in fifty with the mission of years. This, too, is ruled by the Shulchan Aruch. This halacha returning his speech to refers to a fully public building (belonging to the state or the his Creator, directing city), and not to a mere partnership (Pischei Teshuva 3, citing it upwards in praise, Chasam Sofer 283). thanks, and prayer for The obligation to check one’s mezuzah applies to all of one’s needs. mezuzos. The Pischei Teshuvah (1) writes explicitly that unlike other cases of checking (such as for certain types of infestation The power of speech in foods), in checking mezuzos one cannot rely on a sample is the power of forging of one’s mezuzos (checking three and thus assuming that the a relationship with others are also fine). Rather one must check all the mezuzos in Hashem, and of seeing the home. that relationship in all parts of life: For all of While most Poskim assume that the halachos above apply even our experiences and to mezuzos of today, some authorities state that if a mezuzah is kept in a glass tube or wrapped very well with plastic wrap, pleasures, we recite a as many do today, and there is no reason to fear that the blessing to Hashem. By mezuzah was stolen, and is not exposed to the elements and means of speech He is does not even touch the wall, the requirement to check regularly with us always. no longer applies (see Shulchan Gavoah, Yoreh De’ah 291:1; The Generation of Halichos Shlomo 1:4; Devar Halachah 52). the Dispersion took By contrast, where the mezuzah is exposed to extreme weather the power of speech, conditions, such as exposure to rain, to sprinklers, to direct and misused it for the sunlight, and so on, one must check the mezuzah more often opposite purpose. Rather than the mandatory twice in seven years (Aruch Hashulchan than turn to Hashem in 291:1). This also applies if the doorposts are painted and prayer, they turned to the mezuzos were not removed (see Shut Iggros Moshe, Yoreh Hashem in war; rather De’ah 1:183 who states that one must remove mezuzos prior than ask for their needs, to painting). they deemed themselves, Finally, Teshuvos Maharil (94) writes that in case of misfortune self-sufficient, desiring (for an individual or his family), it is proper for a person to only to “make a name check his mezuzos. Taking Down a Mezuzah for themselves.” Of course, in order to check a mezuzah it needs to be taken down, and later replaced after checking. For a time, the doorpost Fittingly, they lost the gift is left without a mezuzah on it. Does one need to ensure that of Lashon Ha-Kodesh. he has another mezuzah to place on the doorpost while the Created in the form of mezuzah is being checked? And is a new beracha recited upon the Divine, man, just like replacing the mezuzah? Hashem, is able to create Checking the mezuzah does not necessarily entail a lengthy worlds with his speech. procedure. The Chasam Sofer (as cited by the Pischei Teshuvah, The power of creation, loc. cit.) states that the obligation to check mezuzos does not however, is limited to the require an expert. Even somebody not expert in writing mezuzos Holy Tongue, the very is qualified to check them. The reason for this is that a mezuzah letters that Hashem used that becomes invalid generally has telltale signs: smudged ink, in the act of creation. wet parchment, stains, and the like. However, it is not sufficient After their sin, the people to merely scan the mezuzah. Rather each word—and each letter, of the Dispersion were in fact—must be carefully checked. no longer worthy of the If a person only takes down a mezuzah for a short period, to power. Their speech was check it and then replace it on the doorpost, he does not have relegated to the level of to place a different mezuzah on the doorpost in the interim foreign languages. (Da’as Kedoshim 291:1; Emek Beracha, Mezuzah 11). The lesson for us is Likewise, upon re-placing the (same) mezuzah on the doorpost, no beracha is recited. Although the Pischei Teshuva (289:1) that our power of notes a doubt concerning this matter, he compares it to taking human creation must be off one’s tallis and then putting it back on (though he suggests channeled in our speech a distinction), so that for the Ashkenazi community no new – in any speech, but in beracha is recited. This is also the agreement of most Poskim. particular in the power of the Holy Tongue, Longer Procedures with which we are able to create worlds with our While the process of checking a mezuzah can be short, it is Torah and Tefillah. certainly recommended to take mezuzos for checking to an expert, which can take a day, or even several days in some Our prayer is that we cases. What should be done then concerning keeping a mezuzah should indeed merit on the doorpost, and concerning reciting a beracha? to avoid any negative speech, and that our The beracha question is the easier of the two issues. speech should be directed When a mezuzah is removed for a significant time—certainly if solely for the sake of removed overnight, and even if only for several hours—a new positive construction, in beracha is recited when it is re-placed. This is in keeping with Torah, prayer, and good the comparison, as noted above, with taking off one’s tallis: deeds. even if a person intends to put the tallis back on, if taken off for several hours a new beracha is required. Of course, if the existing mezuzah found to be owned by its Jewish owner, and therefore not disqualified, and a new mezuzah is needed, a obligated in mezuzah. One must realize that by beracha is recited over the new mezuzah even doing so he is runs some risk that someone if it is placed immediately. A new mezuzah may actually take possession of his house and requires a new beracha. The same applies to beis din would rule that the other person is the a disqualified mezuzah that was fixed, which is true legal owner.

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