The world of the black mezuzah case: classic, elegant, luxurious, and does not get dirty
What is a mezuzah anyway?
Before we understand the advantages of a black mezuzah case, we need to understand what a mezuzah is. A mezuzah consists of a mezuzah scroll + a mezuzah case. The mezuzah case can be made of wood or any other material that protects the mezuzah scroll and can be installed on the right side of the entrance. What is written in the mezuzah? That is, what is written on the mezuzah scroll? The core of the mezuzah is a sheet of parchment made from the skin of a kosher animal, on which a Sofer STaM (an expert scribe in Torah scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzot) writes in a special script called STaM script two passages – “Shema Yisrael” and “Vehaya im shamoa.”
This mezuzah scroll is rolled from end to beginning and placed inside an elongated box called a mezuzah case. Recently, there has been a trend to put the mezuzah scroll inside a black mezuzah case because it is classic, elegant, luxurious, and does not get dirty. Especially for mezuzot that are outdoors, it is recommended to use a black mezuzah case that preserves its appearance. The black mezuzah case is not the core of the mezuzah but protects the mezuzah; it is its “home”. In fact, it is a container that holds the core of the mezuzah, which is the mezuzah scroll containing the two passages “Shema Yisrael” and “Vehaya im shamoa”, and so forth.
The great and profound commandment of the mezuzah is mentioned every day in the morning and evening Shema prayers. For thousands of years, Jews around the world recite “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
And it is brought in the Gemara (Menachot 33b, Avodah Zara 11) Rabbi Chanina said: Come and see that unlike the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is the attribute of flesh and blood, a king sits inside and his servants guard him from the outside, the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so; His servants sit inside and He guards them from outside, as it is said, “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now and forever.” And the Chasam Sofer explained in his responsa (Orach Chaim, Siman 136) that the mitzvah of mezuzah is hinted at in this verse, because when one goes out and enters through the doorway, the Holy One, blessed be He, guards him, and He is like a shadow that accompanies a person in his walk, and this is the meaning of the words “your shadow at your right hand.”
And it is brought in Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkunah 18, page 25) “This is the secret of the mezuzah (this is the secret of the mezuzah) that is said about it (as it is said) “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house” – mezuzah is written – ‘zaz mot’ (moving death)”; this is the language of the Zohar. That is, the mitzvah of mezuzah has the power to remove death.
And Mordechai wrote in the name of Maharam: “And I am certain that every house which is properly fixed with a mezuzah according to halacha, no harm can rule over it.”
The Kesef Mishnah writes, “When the mezuzah is written according to its correct form, it overlays the protection of the Holy One, blessed be He, over the house.”
How do you affix a black mezuzah case?
Many ask – how does one affix a black mezuzah case? The answer is that a black mezuzah case is affixed like any other mezuzah case – on the right side of the doorway at the entrance to the room or house, on the upper third of the doorpost side. Sephardim tend to affix the mezuzah upright, and Ashkenazim and Moroccan Jews tend to tilt it slightly diagonally. And if one affixed a black or any other type of mezuzah case on the left side of the doorway – it is invalid (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 285, Se’if 2) and it must be removed from the left side and affixed again on the right side.
The mezuzah must be firmly attached to the right side of the door so that it does not fall, for example with nails or glue. Before affixing the mezuzah, one should recite the blessing: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.” Even if several mezuzahs are affixed, the blessing is recited once for all of them.
It is necessary to study the laws to know in which room a mezuzah must be installed and in which it is exempt. Only a doorway that has two mezuzahs and a doorpost and faces a room measuring four amot (192 cm) by four amot is obligated in a mezuzah. There are cases where the doorway is exempt or is obligated in a mezuzah without a blessing upon affixing it. Therefore, if it is not clear, one should always ask a rabbi or someone knowledgeable in the halacha regarding the specific case. You can see
at this linkwhich room requires a mezuzah and which is exempt.
Mezuzah inspection – how often should a black mezuzah be checked?
There is no difference between a black mezuzah case or one of another color – all types of mezuzahs in the home should be checked at least every 3.5 years. A mezuzah affixed in a place belonging to many people, in a public area and not in a private home, should be checked at least every 25 years.
And even if it has been clarified that mezuzahs in the home only need to be checked once every 3.5 years, some Hasidic customs are to check the mezuzahs every year in the month of Elul.
It is also the custom of Israel that if there is some trouble or a sick person in the home, God forbid, the mezuzahs should be checked even if 3.5 years have not passed.
Important to know: All the protective virtues of the mezuzah exist only when the mezuzah is kosher according to halacha; therefore, one must purchase the mezuzah from a reliable store whose owners are known to be God-fearing. One should keep in mind that there are 713 letters in the mezuzah, and each letter can have several forms that may invalidate it, and if even one of the 713 letters is invalid, heaven forbid, the mezuzah is invalid by law.
How to preserve a mezuzah placed inside a black mezuzah case so that it does not become invalid?
One must be careful that the mezuzah scroll does not become invalid or erased. Therefore, when painting the house near the mezuzahs, whether it is a black mezuzah case or another color, the mezuzahs should be removed before painting so that the paint moisture does not damage the mezuzah. Also, when cleaning the doors, one should be careful not to clean near the mezuzah with water and cleaning agents because this causes damage to the mezuzahs and may invalidate them. And in the case of an outdoor black mezuzah case, even if it is not dirty and looks new, the mezuzah scroll should be placed inside a black mezuzah case that is weather-resistant so that sun heat and rain do not harm the mezuzah scroll.
