Commandment: To affix the mezuzah to the doorposts and gates of your house
Where does it come from: Deuteronomy 6:9 - my Confirmation study Bible lists it this way: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts" (it's a New International Version). OK, so let's backtrack, shall we? That's not super helpful...
When we go backward a little bit, it looks like it's referring to the Shema, which according to the handy dandy notes in my Bible is "Hebrew for 'Hear.' It has become the Jewish confession of faith, recited daily by the pious"... technically speaking, "the pious" recite it twice daily - as well as apparently (according to Wikipedia) one's last words and something that should be said by kids before they go to bed. Thanks for lumping those two thoughts together, Wikipedia. Gosh.
Anyways, the Shema (as cited here) is: "Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One"
The interesting part (maybe just for me) is that it's directly followed in my study Bible by this verse: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength"
You may be asking "why is that interesting?" - a good question. Back in the day when I was a Christian, there was this song that we sang at Bible camp and all that fun stuff and it went "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might and love all of mankind as you would love yourself" and then it continues to some evangelical-ly stuff that I won't rewrite here because it isn't entirely relevant if you ask me (and I totally get to decide given that I'm the one writing this here blog ;))
I just find it kind of interesting. The thing that Judaism has taught me so far (even I have said the Shema once or twice - usually at Synagogue on Yom Kippur. Scratch that, always at Synagogue on Yom Kippur) is about stressing who God is and something that I picked up from Christianity is to love God with all that I had. Granted, Christianity got me with a catchy tune, which is actually something I'm not crazy about Christianity for personally. Why? (I could hear you asking!) I can remember many, many times that someone would be speaking at whatever kind of thing it was and soft, emotional music would play in the background. I get that I should give this practice a bit of a break, but I always found it... manipulative, I guess. So there. I said it.
How might you follow this?: Modern Jews put a mezuzah on their doors - mezuzahs containing blessed scrolls inside them that have the Shema on them. I absolutely adore walking around in obviously Jewish apartment buildings where there are beautiful, different mezuzahs on most, if not every door frame.
Why might this have been commanded in the first place?: I would guess to keep it on people's minds who God is and why it's important to keep paying attention to this and other religious commandments. I like watching (typically) more traditional Jews walking into a place with a mezuzah - they kiss their hand and touch the mezuzah. And I just like watching it. I think it's kind of a cool thing to do.
What are some benefits to following this today?: I suppose it couldn't hurt to remember who God is. Although, if you lean towards the Athiest way - that obviously wouldn't apply. So in that case, I think it's a cool way to culturally stand and be counted. It's like Atheist leaning Christians with crosses in their homes or even an heirloom bible. I think it could be a sweet tradition to follow.
I bought a mezuzah in Tzfat (Israel) and was pretty happy about it. Or was it in Jerusalem... dang I can't remember. Either way I bought it in Israel and I'm happy to have it. I don't have it on my door - at least not yet - but I feel like I have no business putting it up. Plus I don't have the scroll yet and I definitely don't feel comfortable putting it on my doorway without the prayer in it. Which is probably silly because I'm not religious. In any case, that's the whole point, isn't it?
I also bought a mezuzah necklace (this time definitely in Tzfat) and love wearing it. It has the blessed prayer inside it and is a little cylinder on a chain. I absolutely love it - it's kind of cool to keep it close to my heart (well, relatively anyways). I kind of like participating in something that my dad did, his parents did, that their parents did way back in Europe and all the way back.
What are some drawbacks to following this today?: Honestly I'm not sure there are many drawbacks, if any. I know that some people don't want to wear their faith or their cultural background on their door, advertising it to anyone who comes over to their house. It's a cool option to have though. I'd like to put mine up one day. It's a beautiful little piece of art and I quite like having it, even though I haven't used it accurately yet.
How about you? Do you have a mezuzah? Why or why not?
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