The Idea of Jewish Responsibility Story I listened to a debate between two parents about whether they should require their children to take upon themselves some responsibilities around the house. "Why should I give our child extra burdens?" one parent argued. "After all, we can well afford to hire someone to clean the house, do the laundry and mow the lawn. Let them enjoy a care free childhood. They'll have plenty of responsibilities later on in life." The other parent disagreed: "I want our children to feel a sense of accomplishment and ownership in our home life. That's why I feel it's important that we delegate part of our homemaking responsibilities to them." Rabbi Yaakov Lieder, Educator
Mezuzah The mezuzah must be hand-written by a competent scribe on specially prepared parchment with the specific types of quill and ink mandated by tradition. The mezuzah scroll is then rolled from left to right and placed right-side-up in a protective case. The mezuzah is affixed on the right doorpost, at the bottom of the top third of the doorpost. For the front door, the right doorpost is the doorpost to the right of the person entering from the street. In internal doorways, it is the doorpost to the right of a person entering in the direction towards which the door opens. The Blessing is said once prior to mounting all the mezuzahs in the home.
Baruch Atah A-do-nai Elo-heinu Melech haolam asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu likboa mezuzah. Blessed are you, G-d our G- d, King of the Universe, Who has made us holy with his mitzvahs and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.
The mitzvah of affixing mezuzahs is completed. The home proudly displays its Jewish identity, and tapped into this unique spiritual connection. The mezuzah is a holy object that must be properly maintained to retain its holiness. At least twice in seven years, mezuzahs should be taken down and be professionally checked to ensure that they are intact. The mezuzah is one of the few mitzvot (divine commandments) for which the Torah states its reward. In this case, the reward is long life for oneself and one's children: And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts ("mezuzot") of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged upon the land which the L-rd swore to give to your fathers for as long as the heavens are above the earth Deuteronomy 11:20-21
According to the Tosafot and the Shulchan Aruch, the main function of the mezuzah is to protect the house from evil.
Beit Rayim Family Education Steven Greenwood, Facilitator
January 30th, 2011