Blessing for Attaching a Mezuzah: Full Text and Installation Guide
Everything needed to affix a mezuzah to a home: the blessing text with vowels, the side, the height, and the order of operations.
Affixing a mezuzah is a small moment that transforms an apartment into a Jewish home. One blessing, a few minutes of action, and a mitzvah that accompanies the home on every entrance and exit. This page compiles all that is needed: the full blessing with vowels, the step-by-step procedure, and answers to frequently asked questions.
The mezuzah contains a parchment scroll with verses from the Torah.
Inside every mezuzah casing lies a klaf, a parchment on which a Sofer Stam (a Torah scribe) writes by hand, using special ink and in Stam script, two passages from the Torah: Parshat Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and Parshat V'Haya Im Shamoa (Deuteronomy 11:13-21). In these passages appears the commandment "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates," which is the source of the entire mitzvah.
On the back of the card is written the name Shaddai, an acronym for Shomer Daletot Yisrael (Guardian of the Doors of Israel), and when the card is rolled, the name faces outward.
The mezuzah case is the decorative cover seen on the doorpost, and the kosher scroll is the heart of the mitzvah. Tshura's mezuzah cases are sold without a scroll, so the text and level of embellishment can be chosen according to custom and budget.Mezuzah Scrolls (Klaf) In the handwriting of the author, with the consent and recommendation of the great minds of the generation, available here on the website alongside the verses.
The blessing for affixing a mezuzah
Holding the mezuzah opposite its place on the doorpost, and recite the blessing while standing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לִקְבֹּעַ מְזוּזָה. (the blessing appears in its original Hebrew)
Immediately after the blessing, the mezuzah is affixed, without interruption and without speaking between the blessing and affixing.
When you are determining how many mezuzahs are in a row in the same house, you recite the mezuzah blessing only once, on the first one, and you have the intention for all the others.
How to affix a mezuzah, step by step
Scroll the card
Scroll the card from end to beginning, so that the writing is inward and the name "Shaddai" on the back of the card faces outward.
Mezuzah inscription
Insert the rolled card into the slot with it straight and the scribe's head facing upwards.
The location
On the right side of the entrance, at the beginning of the upper third of the opening's height, close to the outer side of the jamb's thickness. On a standard door, this is around 1.40 to 1.60 meters from the floor.
The Blessing
We bless the blessing of the determination in the text above.
The determination
Attach the mezuzah firmly, using screws or strong, stable adhesive. Ashkenazi custom: At a slight angle, with the top of the mezuzah leaning inward into the house. Sephardi and Mizrahi custom: upright and straight.
Laws of Mezuzah: In Which Doorways is it Affixed
The mitzvah of mezzuzah applies to any residential room opening that is at least four by four cubits, approximately two by two meters. A mezzuzah is affixed to the front door, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, balconies, and any opening used for dwelling, except for bathrooms and washrooms. Even an opening without a door requires a mezzuzah if it has two doorposts (sides) and a lintel.
In Israel, it's customary to affix a mezuzah immediately upon entering a home, even a rented apartment. For special openings, such as arches without a straight frame or partial openings, it's advisable to ask a rabbi.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mezuzah Placement
On the right side of the entrance. At the entrance door: to the right of the one entering from the outside. In interior rooms, determine based on the direction of entry into the room.
The bottom of the mezuza is at the beginning of the upper third of the doorway's height. On a standard door, this is around 1.40 to 1.60 meters from the floor.
A parchment handwritten by a certified Sofer Stam, with kosher ink and in Stam script. A printed parchment is not kosher. It is customary to have mezuzot checked by a Sofer twice every seven years.
According to the length of the parchment. The mezuzah case dimensions on the website indicate the appropriate parchment length: 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, or 30 cm. Common parchments for home use are 12 or 15 cm long.
Every doorway that requires a mezuzah, meaning most doorways in the house except for bathrooms and showers. In an average apartment, this typically amounts to five to ten mezuzahs.
A beautiful mezuzah for every doorway in the house
The Tshura Mezuzah Collection: Colors, Designs, and Sizes for Every Scroll.