In my new job delivering dry cleaning, I’ve noticed many of the houses have an odd little decoration on the front door frame.
They’re about 5 inches long, and mounted to the doorframe at about a 15 degree tilt from vertical. Sometimes they’re wood, sometimes metal. Several have had tiny scrolls with what looked like Hebrew script on them (which is why I think it’s a Jewish thing).
I wondered why I had never noticed them in my other delivery jobs until I realized that pizza is hardly kosher, so I probably have never delivered pizza to a devout Jews’ home.
It’s called a mezzuzah. It does indeed have a little prayer scroll inside. It’s sort of like an amulet for protection. It’s from the Biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Jews put a sign (lamb’s blood?) on the door posts of their homes so the Angel of Death would spare their first born sons.
They’re called mezuzahs. They’re portions of Torah attached to doorways in the house (with the exception of the bathroom). You touch it when you’re going into or leaving the house, as a reminder of G-d and his promises.
Well, your pizza may not be kosher, but my family was never Jewish enough to keep kosher, and we still had a mezzuzah on the front door.
There is a scroll inside with a Hebrew prayer on it, the exact text of which escapes me at the moment. It’s all about remembering to keep the Commandments and respect G-d, but I’m sure someone more observant than me would have a hissy fit if I reproduced it here.
I’m surprised you haven’t seen one until now, given your location…there are some really beautiful ones out there. The latest artsy trend in mezzuzahs seems to be fused glass, which is one of my favorite art media ever.
Yeah, here in Chicago, on Devon Avenue, we have Tel AViv Kosher Pizza a couple of blocks away from a Domino’s which advertises that they use only halal meat. In between, there is a Kosher Chinese restaurant. I love America!
“Hear O Israel, G-d our Lord is G-d the Only One
You shall love G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your power. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children and you shall speak about them when you dwell in your house, when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you arise. You shall tie them as a sign on your arm and as a head ornament between your eyes. you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your home and your gates.”
The Mezzuzah actually contains two paragraphs, both of which mention the commandment to place them on the doorpost. The first of them, from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (with the “doorposts” line being in verse 9).
The second paragraph written therein is from Deuteronomy 11:13-21, since verse 20 reads as follows: “Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
The origin is (as already noted) the Biblical commandment to write “these words” on the doorposts of your house. The words are in fact written on parchment, rolled into a little scroll, and placed in a container that is affixed to the doorpost (on the right side as you’re coming in.) While the scrolls are pretty similar from one to another, the little container can be very decorative. We have one made from a white stone from Israel, for instance.
Most Jews will have at least a mezzuzah on the front doorway to their dwelling (house or apartment); the more traditional practice is to affix one to every door that leads outside; and the most traditional practice is to affix one on inner doors as well (excluding only the doors to the bathroom.)
The Bible itself does not cite a “reason” for this commandment. Most interpretations suggest that the original meaning probably tracks back to the Exodus story, when the Jews had to mark their doorways with blood. This interpretation usually goes further to suggest that the ritual is an ancient way of saying: don’t hide your Jewish ethnicity, put it on the doorpost where everyone can see.
Over the centuries, there grew up superstitions about the mezzuzah, such as protecting the house from illness, bringing good luck, etc. And there are stories about how a famous rabbi’s child became ill, and he checked the mezzuzah and sure enough found that a letter on the scroll had faded, and so repaired it and the child got well. Such superstitions are generally downplayed today, and the mezzuzah is recognized as an affirmation of Jewish identiy.
I’ve only noticed these in Montgomery County, MD. Most of my previous delivery jobs were in Virginia. I usually spend more time at houses delivering pizza, so I’m sure I would’ve noticed them sooner.
I’ve seen much variety in the ones I’ve seen. Some are simple pieces of wood with a single Hebrew letter on them. Another depicted a three-story house with a couple of kids playing out front and the same letter on the roof. Another was a metal vine with the scroll entwined within.