Mitzvahland Judaica

The  Mezuzah No, it’s not a Jewish doorbell. It’s a home security device called a  mezuzah , and it’s wired into the Ultimate Protection Agency. The software inside this gadget is a scroll with the words beginning, “Hear O  Israel , the L‑rd is our  G‑d ; the L‑rd is one.” Those powerful words sum up the mandate of a Jew: to infuse the world with G‑d’s oneness. Regarding these words, G‑d has commanded us, “And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your home, and on your gates” (ibid., verse 9). Hence the  mezuzah :  a parchment scroll inscribed with the verses of the  Shema  prayer is affixed to the right doorpost of every room in a Jewish home. Why a Mezuzah ? In addition to its role as a declaration and reminder of our faith, the mezuzah is also a symbol of G‑d’s watchful care. The name of G‑d,  Sha-dai , which appears on the reverse side of the parchment, is an acronym for the Hebrew words which mean “Guardian of the doo...

To understand the significance of the M ezuzah , we must first explore the text written in it. As we have said before, these are the two  Torah  portions:  Shema and  Vehayah . These two portions, along with a third, comprise the prayer  Shema Yisrael... –  “Hear, O’  Israel ...”– which every observant Jew recites every day at least twice, in the morning and in the evening. This is the main Jewish prayer , the first a child learns and the last a Jew utters before returning his soul to the Creator. Let us look closely into these portions of Torah . Shema Text Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our  G‑d , the L-rd is One. And you shall love the L-rd your G‑d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, when you lie down and whe...

How to construct a  Sukkah ? First, put together the walls and then after put the roof covering (Schach) on top. The roof is to be made from material that naturally grows. There is no preference to the material used for the sukkah walls, as long as they are sturdy and durable enough to stand up against the force of an average gust of wind. When sheets or canvas is used for the sukkah walls, its important to bind them together tight to the frame so no wind will knock them out of place. If the walls sway they are not considered to be walls that may be officially used. If the frame is constructed first, then the roof (schach) is placed on top, and after that the walls are put up, the sukkah is not considered to be fit for use. The walls would need to be built before the roof (schach) is placed on top for it be fit for use, but if the frame are at least (a handbreadth) wide, the roof may be placed on top before the walls are built. If the ...