What is the purpose of the mezuzah?

The purpose of the mezuzah that you see on doorways of Jewish homes is to hold the text inside. In Deuteronomy Chapter 6 we are commanded: “Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה alone. You shall love your God יהוה with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

 According to The Origin Of The Decorated Mezuzah by Franz Landsberger, enclosing the commandment in a case began sometime in the Middle ages. Before that, the commandment may have been writton on scrolls and stored in niches in the doorway, or even carved into the doorframe.

 So, the Mezuzah case holds “these instructions” – the Shema in Hebrew, (You shall love your God יהוה with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might), along with the text that follows about teaching them, reciting them, binding them, and writing them on the doorposts of your house and gates.

 Since having a Mezuzah is a mitzvah (a commandment), there is a blessing for hanging it. If you are mounting one, we invite you to download the blessing from our site: https://www.jewjubox.ca/shop/p/mezuzah-blessing.

A Samaritan mezuzah above a doorframe.