This week, Rabbi David Woznica reflects on the meaning and importance of a specific mitzvah: the mezuzah.
The Mezuzah: Does it Stay or Does it Go?
You’re moving to a new home. Do you leave your mezuzot or take them with you? It may surprise you to learn that if a Jew will be occupying your former home, it is appropriate to leave them. If someone who is not Jewish will be the new occupants, or you are unsure, you should remove the mezuzot. The reason is that someone who is not Jewish would not see the mezuzah as a religious or sacred object and may, understandably, remove it and discard it improperly.
What makes the mezuzah a sacred object is that the parchment inside (klaf in Hebrew) contains God’s name and passages from the Torah. Therefore, if someone who is not Jewish likes the look of the mezuzah (for decoration), it is actually allowable to leave it for them, as long as the parchment is removed.
If you’re curious as to which doorposts a mezuzah is to be affixed, read tomorrow’s Daily Kavanah.
— Rabbi David Woznica | [email protected]