Loved the joke by the way…
The story I heard regarding the placement of the muzzuzah was that it caused great division amongst the Rabbis of the time as to how it should be oriented. There were those who taught that it should be placed verticaly, pointing to G-d and those who taught that it should be horizontal, for our benifit. In the end, the only way they could agree was for both sides to comprimise and tilt it at 45 deg…
Gp
Thanks grim. Actually, I was going to post basically what you said. I spent a few minutes looking in The Jewish Book of Why and found this, along with the added info that this debate was during the Middle Ages. Further, the mezuzah (as spelled in TJBW) is to be hung on the right hand door post (mezuzah means doorpost) and should be in the upper 2/3 - around eye level. Current door jam widths usually necessitate something around 60 deg from horizontal.
Also, every door jam in living quarters “should” have a mezuzah. Note is given to “living quarters”. This means that closets, bathrooms (my father-in-law notwithstanding) and laundry rooms do not require one in that they are not living quarters. This also explains why office buildings do not have them.
To add to that…
One thing that is commonly taught to engaged couples before they are married is this story, that the Mezuzah’s 45 degree angle is the result of a compromise of two unreconcilable opinions, and that it should be taken as an object lesson: that the first thing they see as they enter their home is a symbol of compromise, and to thus always bear in mind how important it is to settle differences by that means rather than by less peaceful means.
Actually, this depends on your local Rabbi. When we bought our house last year, I asked if I should put one on the door jam for the laundry room. The Rabbi told me yes, since the room was large enough to use for things other than just doing laundry.
Also, FWIW, many families place their mezzuzos on their children’s doorposts a little lower than the others in the house. There are many people who have the custom to press their hand to the mezzuza and then kiss their hand. Having it lower helps the little ones do this without constant lifting.
Boy, this thread is a blast from the past. GilaB, I asked because I thought that maybe the mezuzah was only needed on the door leading to the outside. But from the other posts in here I see that it’s needed on other doors besides the outside door(s).
To go back to the movie mentioned in the OP:
in the movie “Train de vie” the jews try to escape the Nazis by having some dress up as german officers, and they pretend to be a transport train heading to a concentration camp. The mezuzah are placed near the train’s entrance doors, at an angle, and (for camouflage) are covered by swastikas. Which makes for the comical sight of a (fake) german officer touching the swastika with his hand and then putting his fingers to his lips before entering the train.
I haven’t seen the movie. (But I will soon ;))
Ordinarily, one would never see a muzuzah on a railroad car. However, I guess these people would have needed to eat and sleep on the train before they reached their destination, thereby making it their “living quarters”.
[continuing the hijack] Another story on mezzuzoth, with the faint scent of a UL:
My best friend grew up Orthodox in Midwood, Brooklyn, and although his observance is now a rather peculiar amalgam, he recently placed a mezzuza on the doorpost of his newly-opened retail shop. As I’m looking at it, he volunteered that the deal with the angle goes back to the Crusades. Prior to then, mezzuzoth were vertical, and generally carved right into the doorpost. As the Crusaders were sacking Jerusalem, they’d take a chisel to each mezzuzah to turn it into a cross. Afterwards, the rabbinate met and determined that henceforth mezzuzoth should be on an angle so that they could not so easily and obviously be turned into crosses.
Now, my friend comes from a pretty well-educated family and is usually right on these things, but I’m willing to believe that this story isn’t quite the Real Thing. Takers?
Has anyone mentioned yet that each mezzuza should be checked twice every seven years? This is done so that any letters that are faded, etc. can be corrected. In fact, if some type of major problem (like illness, failing business, etc.) strikes a family, often one of the first things that the family will do is to have the mezzuzos checked.
Minor nitpick: In the vast majority of cases, mezzuzos that have become unfit due to cracking of letters cannot be corrected, but must be replaced. Only if the cracking occurs in the last seven words can it be corrected.
Zev Steinhardt
Spritle, you guessed correctly, the characters in the movie made the train their “home” (moved everything they could onto it) during their journey to escape the nazis.