CCAR RESPONSA
Contemporary American Reform Responsa
71. Casing of a
Mezuzah
QUESTION: A member of the Adath Israel Youth Group
has collected some seashells. After cleaning the shells, they will mount them on a piece of
walnut and insert a kosher scroll to form a mezuzah. Would it be improper or violate
Jewish law to use seashells as the casing of a mezuzah? This is a fund raising effort of
the Youth Group (Rabbi John Adland, Lexington, KY)ANSWER: The
commandment of the mezuzah is found in Deuteronomy (6.4 ff; 11.13 ff). The text deals
with affixing a mezuzah on the doorpost. Later discussions turn to three questions, the
nature of the text, the way in which the text is written, the places which do or do not require a
mezuzah. The text itself has always included the appropriate paragraphs from
the shema (Deut. 6.4-9; 11.13-21), which was inscribed on a piece of parchment rolled up
in such a way that the text was on the inside, while the empty portion of the parchment faced
outward (M. Mezuzah, 2.10; Sof. Mezuzah 1.1; Shab. 108a; Yad Hil.
Tefillin Umezuzah V’sefer Torah; Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 271). The laws, at
least in the Talmud, were a little more lax about writing a mezuzah than writing a
Torah. It need not be copied but could be done from memory (Men. 32b), however, it had
to be completely accurate and no letter could be missing. The text itself must always
be handwritten, be free of errors and be inscribed on parchment (M. Men. 3.7). Originally
it could be written in any form as long as it did not imitate the decorative practices of pagans
(Franz Landsberger, “The Origin of the Decorative Mezuzah,” Hebrew Union College
Annual, Vol. 31, pp. 157 f). The pattern for a mezuzah called for a twenty-two line
document with the material on each line specified, so the first line began with the word
shema, the second with adonai and the third with had’varim, etc. Although
if written differently, it would be (bedivad) acceptable as long as the text was accurate
(Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 285). In the early Middle Ages additional material
was often included on the back of the mezuzah as there was no prohibition against that.
The name of God, Shadai was inscribed there and that became common practice (Kol
Bo 90, Yad Hil. Telifin, Umezuzah Vesefer Torah 5.4). It is interesting to note
that Maimonides did not disapprove of this practice which has remained current to this day. On
some mezuzot we find longer names of God added (J. Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic
and Superstition p. 148). From Gaonic Times until the late Middle Ages, the
names of angels were sometimes added to the text side especially by Ashkenazic Jews. This
practice is first mentioned by Judah Hadassi. It was considered normal by the Mahzor
Vitry and the Sefer Hapardes (V. Aptowitzer, “Les Noms de Dieu et des Anges dans
la Mezouza,” Revue des Etudes Juives, Vol. 60, p. 38 ff). Maimonides and others
vigorously fought against this practice and by 1300 it had disappeared. The works of Aptowitzer
and Landsberger provide examples of specific angels as well as the placement of their names in
the text. The use of angels enhanced the feeling that a mezuzah possessed
special power to ward off evil spirits. A hint of this was already found in the Talmud (A. Z.
11a; Men. 32b f; Gen. Rabba 35.3). Various medieval figures felt that the
mezuzah possessed protective powers. Among them were Rashi, Meir of Rothenburg,
Solomon Luria, Isaiah Horowitz, etc. (Rashi to Men. 33b; Meir of Rothenburg, Responsa,
#108; Shelah, Vol. I, 187a). The use of the name of angels represented a
difference of custom between Askenazim and Sephardim. The Northern Europeans favored the
practice while Maimonides and those of the Mediterranean Basin opposed it vigorously
(Yad Hil. Tefillin Umezuzah Vesefer Torah; 5.4). The custom eventually
disappeared. There was a problem about exposing the name of God, Shadai, if
the room was occupied by children, was a bedroom, etc. Moses of Coucy, therefore, covered the
word, Shadai, with a bit of wax (Sefer Mitzvot Hagadol Aseh #23), while
the Shulhan Arukh and its commentaries suggest that under those circumstances it might
be wise to cover the entire mezuzah (Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 286.5). This led
to mezuzah cases which had hinged openings over the word
Shadai). There are lengthy discussions of the place which required a
mezuzah as well as how it is to be affixed to the door (Sof. Mezuzah 114
ff). Maimonides lists ten places which require or should not have a mezuzah (Yad
Hil. Tefillin Umezuzah Vesefer Torah). The Shulhan Arukh follows a similar
pattern. In the discussion of how the mezuzah should be affixed, some mandated a
vertical position while other commentaries prefer a horizontal position. Isserles suggested the
slanted position now customary as a compromise between these two points of view. It is placed
on the right hand door as one enters the house slanting inward with the upper portion pointing
outward. Relatively little is said in the traditional literature about the casing of the
mezuzah. Landsberger suggests that the original way of affixing a mezuzah to the
door was by inserting it into a hole which had been drilled in the doorpost (Sof. Mezuzah
1.10; M. Mez. 2.10; Yad Hil. Tef. 5.6; see also F. Landsberger, op. cit., p. 152 f).
In addition, it was suggested that the mezuzah be placed in a reed or similar protective
covering of wood or metal (Sof. Mezuzah 1.10). Only slowly did the mezuzah
container become decorative and Landsberger feels there were virtually no decorated
mezuzot until the seventeenth or eighteenth century (Landsberger, (op. cit., p. 162
f). In the last few centuries, a wide variety of decorated mezuzot have evolved with
abstract decorations, floral designs, animals as lions, griffins, as well as Hebrew inscriptions of
various kinds (Wolpert and others). The traditional literature, as well as artistic
practice during the last century, indicate that there are no restrictions on the decoration of the
casing of the mezuzah. It would be permissible to use an animal shell as any other form
of decoration. The young people should be encouraged in this project which shows imagination
and should add beauty to the mezuzah.August 1986
If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.