Why is a Mezuzah so expensive ?
Should I buy a Mezuzah in a gift shop?
How important is it to have a beautiful case for my Mezuzah?
I have a small case very dear to me. Is it possible to find a parchment to fit in it?
A. The mezuzah is the mark of a Jewish home which welcomes the owner, his family and his guests at the threshold.
Inside a mezuzah case, we find a parchment on which is written a passage of the Torah containing the first two sections of the Shema: The first part, "Listen Israel, our God is Hashem, our God is one." This section bids Jews to wake up and to be aware of the oneness of God.
The second section is an appeal to love God with all of our means; both our strength and spirit, and to accept His commandments.
Q. Why is a Mezuzah so Expensive ?
A. Mezuzoth have more stringent Halachoth1 than Torah scrolls. Each mezuzah is written with care and attention since even one letter missing or incorrectly shaped renders the whole mezuzah unfit. Unlike a Sefer Torah, a mistake in a mezuzah cannot be corrected.2 The reason for this Halacha is because each letter must be written in consecutive order.
There are many halachoth regarding the proper shape and formation of each letter that is written in the mezuzah. It is not possible to write a proper mezuzah unless one diligently studies these Halachot.
The natural parchment has to be specifically prepared and lines pressed in it as a guide for the letters.
It takes a skilled Scribe three hours to write one mezuzah.
All of the above cause the price of mezuzoth to be expensive.
Q. Should I Buy a Mezuzah in a Gift Shop?
A. Some gift shop owners are very responsible but the fact is that over 75% of the mezuzoth that are brought to be checked are found totally unfit for performing the mitzvah3 of mezuzah.
There are many mezuzoth on the market not even written by hand or on parchment. Others are written on coated parchment which deteriorates quickly causing the ink to crack and fall off the parchment, therefore rendering it unfit.
Q. How important is it to have a beautiful case for my mezuzah?
A. It is very important to beautify a commandment because execution of the commandment alone does not always lead to feeling a personal connection to the mitzvah. When beautifying a mitzvah, one feels a personal connection to the commandment. The emphasis, however, should be placed on the parchment and not solely on the outside case because the parchment is the mezuzah and not the case.
Q. I have a small case very dear to me. Is it possible to find a parchment to fit in it?
A. Yes, but because it is difficult to write such a small size mezuzah in a correct way, you should have a guarantee that the parchment you will purchase is kosher.
1 Halacha/halachoth: The normative way to perform a commandment according to the consensus of the Jewish sages. Most of these decisions are recorded in the Mishna and Talmud.
2Unless it is correctly immediately at the time of the mistake.
3 Mitzvah: Hebrew term for commandment