Breaking The Jewish Code Perry Stone

protect the home. The Talmud teaches that a proper mezuzah can bring long life and protection to the household. A Talmudic story tells of a king who gave a diamond to a rabbi as a present, and the rabbi, in return, gave the king a mezuzah, which insulted the king. The rabbi commented to the king, “I will have to hire guards to protect my home because of the gift you gave me, but the gift I gave will protect your home.” Affixing a mezuzah Just as there are very strict laws instructing scribes on writing and preparing sacred parchments, there are strict guidelines on how to affix a mezuzah and the prayers that should be prayed. First, the mezuzah should be attached on the right side of the door as you are entering a room. In Jewish homes, every door has a mezuzah except the bathroom or unless the door has been boarded up. The mezuzah is placed about shoulder height, underneath the door’s lintel. The Ashkenazi Jews place the mezuzah at a slight angle with the top facing toward the room. The Sephardic custom is to place the mezuzah at a vertical angle. It is also a custom to kiss the right hand and touch the mezuzah when entering the home. It reminds the person entering the house to keep God’s Word in their sitting down and in their rising up, in their coming in and their going out (Deut. 11:19). The prayer Before placing the mezuzah, a special prayer is prayed: