This blessing can be found on page 712 of Siddur Sim Shalom.

"The mezzuzah is a piece of parchment in which the first two paragraphs of the Shema are written. The parchment is then rolled, put in a small case and affixed to the right doorpost. A small opening is left in the case where the word Shaddai on the back of the scroll is visible. Some have interpreted Shaddai to be the initials of the words Shomer Delatot Yisrael, Guardian of the doors of Israel." (The Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, by Isaac Klein page 49-50)

In the Shema we are told that our relationship with God should continually be in our consciousness. We should be aware of our connection with the Almighty all of the time and in al places. The Shema says place markers as reminders and you will remember. You shall bind them as a sign on your arm and wear it as frontlets between your eyes and you shall write them on the doorposts of our home and upon your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:8-9). The rabbis in turn understood these dicta as the tephillin that is worn on the arm and on the head and the mezzuzah that is placed on the door.

We are told the mezzuzah should be placed on the top third of the doorpost on the right side as a person enters the room. It should be placed diagonally with the upper end tilted toward the house or inside the room and should be placed on every door with the exception of doors to bathrooms and door on or in a synagogue. (Shulkhan Arukh Yoreh e'ah 289) This bracha like many others is recited before the actual action takes place. Therefore, say the bracha and then affix the mezzuzah.

The power of this commandment is in the desire to structure our lives, direct our actions with intent and purpose. By placing reminders in our lives we become more aware. Pirkei Avot 2:19 reminds us, "know before Whom we stand." The mezzuzah assists us in that endeavor. By putting a mezzuzah on the doorpost it reminds us of the values we hold to be sacred as we come home and as we go out into the world.

We create homes that nurture and provide safety for all members of our family and we do so with the help of God. The strength we find within those walls should energize us to go out into the world and make it a better place. That is why there is no need to place a mezzuzah on a synagogue. The synagogue itself is a symbol of those values and it is the synagogue that has been built with that goal in mind. The mezzuzah reminds us to be careful as we enter our homes. The mezzuzah reminds us to take the love and care we have found at home and carry it to the outside world.

Finally, it s custom to kiss the mezzuzah as pass by it. Just as we kiss the tzitzit on our tallitot, just as kiss the torah as it passes before us during worship and just as we kiss the text as we are called to the Torah for an aliyah, we embrace the opportunity of making the commandments of the Torah a part of our lives.

Copyright © 2001 Rabbi Yohanan Stein. All rights reserved. 

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