Mezuzah Mania

If you've been over to our house recently, you may have seen it. It's shriveled and deformed. I can't stop talking about it. It's my "Show and Tell" for any one who stops in. And now I'll show it to you:

Look closely, can you tell what it is? It's a Mezuzah. Or should I say, it was a Mezuzah. It was ruined in the rain. A Mezuzah is painstakingly written by an expert scribe using ink on parchment. It could last many years without needing more than a quick touch-up. That is, as long as it doesn't get wet.

Recently I assisted quite a few families in the area in affixing new Mezuzot. So I pull up to my driveway one day and I'm thinking about Mezuzot. As I get out of the car, I notice that one of the Mezuzot on the garage door is a strange color. It turns out that the rain had seeped into the case and soaked the Mezuzah! It was waaaay too late to do anything about it (other than order a new one).

So what's the upside? Well, I managed to salvage most of the other outdoor Mezuzot (only one other was also damaged beyond repair). In addition I now have a sample of a water damaged Mezuzah. After showing a few people how an unchecked Mezuzah could look, they were inspired to check their own Mezuzot and three damaged ones were replaced with new ones.

Bottom line is, I would like to share with you how to protect (as best as possible) the outdoor Mezuzot. First, be sure to get a case that is sealed on the sides and only opens from the bottom. Second, use a sealant or liquid nails to seal the sides of the case and ensure that moisture will not get in. Also, it's probably a good idea to take a close look inside the case of the Mezuzah every once in a while and make sure there is no water getting inside. It's best to get an opaque case - this will protect the Mezuzah from the powerful sun during the summer.

Speaking of Mezuzot, I came across this recently:

The world's largest Mezuzah!

Anyway, if your Mezuzah has not been checked recently (the Rabbis say it should be checked twice within seven years) I'd be happy to help! Give me a call and I'll arrange for them to be checked.