Is There A Mezuzah In The House?

Oh it took me so long to get the mezuzahs up in my house.  Everytime I would say the Shema I was reminded that I was not meeting this commandment.  It was disturbing to me because it  was something relatively easy to do--buy the mezuzahs and scrolls and hang them on the doorposts of the house. 

I was blessed unexpectedly last week,  Sar Shalom had mezuzahs and scrolls available for purchase.  I purchased as many as I needed.  As I left the building I quietly thanked HaShem for helping me meet this mitzvah. 

The following day, I set myself up with the blessing to recite when affixing a mezuzah in one hand, my trusted hammer and nail in the other.  To the front door I go.  My daughter cheering me on.  Was that trepidation in her voice?  After several failed attempts at driving the nail into the wood, and in the process hitting the ceramic mezuzah case so hard that I break it, and get a piece of ceramic stuck in my finger.  I come back into the house and retrieve the electric drill from under several items that were on the bottom of the pantry closet.  Why the pantry closet?  I store it there so I can get it in a hurry.  Ok, I'm in denial.  My daughter is looking at my bleeding finger and wishes I would let my son-in-law do this.  It's nothing I say and move on.

Back at the front door, I once again realize that the drill is  a wonderful invention.  In minutes the new mezuzah (I purchased more then one) is on the doorpost of the front door and I am feeling quite accomplished.  I proceed to place one in several other rooms of the house.  The drill is my friend and I am feeling confident that I will be able to get to the back door before dinner time.  Not. 

Here it is now several days later and there are still 3 doorposts in need of mezuzahs.  I am promising myself that tomorrow it will get done.  Notwithstanding, I am blessed.

In the meantime, this is what I have learned about this mitzvah:

• Mezuzah literally means doorpost.
• Mezuzah also means the parchment paper where Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 are written.
• Mezuzah can also refer to the case holding the scroll.
• There are guidelines to how the scroll is written.
• There are guidelines to who can write the scroll.
• There are guidelines for inspecting the scrolls for damage twice in 7 years.
• There are many guidelines to affixing a mezuzah.
• There are guidelines for a mezuzah when you move.

Aside from all that, having a mezuzah up on my front door ia an affirmation for me that I am trying to live a Torah observant life.  Reaching up to touch the mezuzah as I walk into my bedroom is a reminder that I love the living Torah and that His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  It is much in the same way that I kiss the scriptures after I finish reading them. 

My beautiful grand daughter smiles from ear to ear as I hold her in my arms and help her reach up to touch the mezuzah by her bedroom doorpost.  She is so young and yet she seems to understand that it is a delight to obey His commandments.




Chabad.org is an excellent reference for learning about the mezuzah.  Just write mezuzah on their search engine.

Life Happens

Life happens.  When you least expect it there is life with a new challenge.  Sometimes the pain of life is gut wrenching.  It gets intense.  So it goes here.  My beautiful grand daughter has begun to heal after 2 weeks home from the hospital for a tethered cord release.  The weeks leading up to her surgery were busy with meeting her daily needs.  Endless hours with little sleep.  She is blessed to have wonderful parents, who are completely devoted to her. 

Me,  well, I play a supportive role.  I assist.  Yes, I'm up at the wee hours with them.  But I'm the grandma and I can't help myself.  Love in action.  I think that's what I like to call it.

My blog took a back seat as I took this test in our family's walk of faith.  The Hebrew word for faith is emunah and it means both faith and faithfulness. 

Once again our family, both natural and spiritual came to our side to support us with prayers, good food and warm hearts.  Prayers went up from Texas, New York, Florida, Puerto Rico, and where ever else our spiritual family happens to be.  I can't tell you how much that has meant to us.  Words can't express it.  We know the power of prayer. 

We have seen HaShem turn things around in moments in response to prayer.  Each time we have been about to head back to the hospital with the baby, He has intervened on her behalf.  We have seen His hand at work as He calmed her retching stomach, soothed her back pain, helped her keep down fluids, abated a rising temperature, and more.  It has been a rough go, but He is faithful.

Rabbi Mark makes this analogy, faith is believing the vitamin will help you.  Faithfulness is taking the vitamin every day.   We trust/believe that our Heavenly Father listens to us and answers prayer.  We pray.  Faithfulness.  With each testing our faith is strengthened.  Because He is sovereign, it is His will we seek. 

We know, "It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.  Lamentations 3: 22-23.

The baby has begun to heal and slowly things are coming around to normal here.  We continue to trust in HaShem for all good things.  We trust in His Word.  We accept His sovereingty in all areas.  And we believe in His love for us.

In the midst of this testing, we celebrated Shavuot on May 27, 2012, which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Sinai.  Like thousands of others, I stayed up all night that Sabbath as the Torah was read at Sar Shalom.  Then on Sunday night we at Sar Shalom worshipped along with Ted Pearce as he led us into a highter place of praise. 

In the midst of our struggles there is refreshing in Yeshua.  There is Shalom in the Living Torah.