Mitzvot are reminders about how we should conduct our lives There is so much we should do to be good, productive people, to fulfill our mission. We need reminders to act with Kedusha, to listen to the Yetzer Tov thoughts and not the Yetzer Hara thoughts. So Torah has instituted many reminders throughout the day, week, month, year. There are also physical reminders. Mezuzah is a physical reminder to act with Kedusha, with G.dliness Mezuza contains the words of Shema The Mezuzah includes a scroll on which the Shema, the most important prayer, mantra of Judaism, is written. (Mezuzah is handwritten by a scribe.) The Shema talks about Hashem, it talks about keeping Hashem with us all day. It talks about passing the Torah to next generation. The Shema includes the concepts of knowing Hashem is One (everything is Hashem), and incorporating all of our actions to fulfill what Hashem wants from us wherever we are and at all times. (The Mezuzah and Tefillin contain the Shema, and thus, are reminders of this concept.) Mezuza as a reminder A Mezuzah is placed on the doorpost in any Jewish place, such as a Jewish home, office or school. When we see the Mezuzah as we walk around during the day, we are reminded of those important fundamentals of Judaism, and that should remind us that we should act with Kedusha in this place, or when going out of this place. The Rabbis have taught us that we should stretch out our hand and kiss the Mezuzah. When we do something physical, in this case, stretching our hand, it has a more lasting impression. (מקןם קביעת המזוזה ושאר דיניו)קיצור שולחן ערוך סימן י''א (1 ( מזוזה-יזכור אהבתו וכו' – )הובא בקיצור שולחן ערוך סימן י''א סעיף כ''ג (2 Resources CECE@Kinus 5777 Mitzvah Mezuzah or Just Mezuzah? Adapted by Chaim Miller; From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/704621/jewish/Mitzvah-Mezuzah-or-Just-Mezuzah.htm Write them on the doorposts of your house and broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Why did upon your [public] gates. Rambam omit this verse? -- Devarim 6:9 3. In Rambam's Halachic Code, the Mishneh Torah, the Laws of Tefilin precede the Laws of Mezuzah, and the Laws of Classic Questions Tzitzis follow later. Since the above What is the importance of mezuzah? (v. 9) assurance is the combined effect of all three mitzvos, why did Rambam not cite it Rambam: Every person is obligated to be after completing all three sets of laws, at extremely cautious about mezuzah since it is a the end of the Laws of Tzitzis (or, at the first universally binding obligation. Then, every time opportunity—the Laws of Tefilin)? that a person enters or leaves, he will encounter the Unity of G-d, the holy Name of The Explanation G-d... Our Sages said that any person who wears tefilin on his head and arm, has tzitzis on There are two quite distinct halachic obligations his garment, and has a mezuzah on his door is concerning the mezuzah. First, there is the assured that he will not sin..." (End of Laws of requirement to affix a mezuzah to any Mezuzah). appropriate doorpost on one's property. A second, entirely different obligation that one The Rebbe's Teachings fulfills with the mezuzah is not the consequence The Mezuzah (v. 9) of an effect which the person has on the mezuzah (its affixment), but rather an effect How are we to understand the following: that the mezuzah has on him. Namely, that when the person passes in or out of a door 1. Why does Rambam write here, "every upon which a mezuzah is affixed, the person person is obligated to be extremely becomes aroused to think about G-d whose cautious about mezuzah," and not, holy Name is written inside. "...cautious about the mitzvah of mezuzah"? Indeed, at the end of his Laws of It is this second aspect that Rambam is speaking Tzitzis, Rambam is particular to write, "A of here at the end of Hilchos Mezuzah, as he person should always be careful with states: "Every time that a person enters or the mitzvah of tzitzis." leaves he will encounter the Unity of G-d, the Holy Name of G-d." Therefore, it would be 2. The promise that "any person who wears incorrect to refer to this aspect of mezuzah as tefilin on his head and arm, has tzitzis on his the "mitzvah of mezuzah," since, technically garment, and a mezuzah on his door is speaking, the mitzvah of mezuzah is its assured that he will not sin," was taken by affixment, and here we are speaking of the Rambam directly from the Talmud in effect of the mezuzah on the person. So Tractate Menachos (43b). However, the Rambam writes that one should be "extremely Talmud quotes an additional verse to prove cautious about mezuzah" without any reference this point: "A threefold cord is not quickly to it being a "mitzvah" at all. Resources CECE@Kinus 5777 Nevertheless, he writes that "a person is various allusions1) that "the Torah equated it to obligated to be extremely cautious about all the mitzvos" (end of Laws of Tzitzis). And this mezuzah," stressing that there is indeed a will lead a person not to sin. halachic obligation here for a person to make himself aware of the content of the mezuzah as However, in the case of mezuzah, it is the he enters or leaves a room, allowing himself to mezuzah itself that affects a person, and not be affected by it (see Taz on Shulchan Aruch, merely the holiness it emanates or the message Yoreh De'ah, beg. ch. 285). it projects (which are secondary qualities). And that is why Rambam chose to stress the Based on the above, we can now answer the assurance against sinning specifically in his Laws other two questions posed earlier: of Mezuzah. Rambam mentions the assurance against For the same reason, Rambam also omitted the sinning (through observing the precepts of Talmud's reference to the verse, "a threefold tefilin, mezuzah and tzitzis) specifically in his cord is not quickly broken." For this verse Laws of Mezuzah for, of these three precepts, stresses that the three mitzvos protect a person mezuzah makes the most powerful contribution collectively, with each mitzvah having a similar to the assurance. This is because the effect that effect, and the verse also indicates that it is the tefilin and tzitzis have of reminding a person mitzvos themselves that provide the protection. about G-d (thus deterring him from sin) are So, since Rambam did not rule in favor of any of secondary effects of these mitzvos, whereas in these points, he omitted the verse from the the case of mezuzah, it is the mezuzah object Laws of Mezuzah. itself that arouses an awareness of G-d: (Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 29, p. 61ff.) In the case of tefilin, Rambam writes: "The holiness of tefilin is great, and so long as a FOOTNOTES person has tefilin on his head and his arm, he 1. will be humble and G-d-fearing" (Laws of Tefilin 4:25). I.e., it is not encountering the actual For example: a.) A person ties knots to remind him of tefilin itself that deters a person from sin, but things; so too, the tzitzis are knotted to remind a person of rather the holiness which the tefilin emanates the mitzvos (Tur, Orach Chaim 24); b.) The Hebrew word (a secondary effect). tzitzis has the gematria (numerical value) of 600, which when added to its 5 knots and 8 strings alludes to the 613 Likewise, in the case of tzitzis, it is not Biblical mitzvos (Rashi to Menachos 43b); c.) encountering the tzitzis object itself that deters Thetechailes (blue coloring) in the tzitzis reminds a person a person from sin, but rather seeing the tzitzis of the sea, which resembles the sky, which reminds a (merely) reminds a person of the fact (by person of the Throne of Glory (Menachos ibid.) Resources CECE@Kinus 5777 The Significance of Mezuzah By Alexander Poltorak http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/310885/jewish/The-Significance-of-Mezuzah.htm The fundamental importance of the mezuzah to in their appointed times, Tefillin which are donned Judaism is underscored by the story of Ruth, the only during the weekdays and not on Shabbath or grandmother of King David and archetype of all Holidays, and Tzitzith which is mandatory only righteous proselytes. In explaining the laws of during the daylight, etc. conversion to her, one of the first things her Furthermore, Tefillin and Tzitzith are only mother-in-law Naomi said was: obligatory to men after bar mitzvah, while women and minors are exempt from them. One of the It is not the practice for daughters of Israel to most important mitzvoth, brith milah (the dwell in a house that has no mezuzah. covenant of circumcision) is only applicable to men. The mitzvah of Mezuzah, on the other hand, Ruth replied: applies to every Jew – man, woman and child, at all times (furthermore, according to some Wherever thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people authorities, this is a unique commandment which shall be my people, and thy G-d my G-d. one continues to observe even after he leaves his Thus, in accepting the precept of mezuzah, Ruth bodily existence ). accepted the G-d of Israel and embraced her new nationhood. The Reminder In a simple sense, mezuzah is a reminder of the As one of the most visible and powerful symbols faith and the Unity of G-d, as reflected in its of Judaism, mezuzah serves as a reminder of the content: basic tenets of the Jewish faith.