Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Mezuzah
Inside a small rectangular case affixed to the doorway leading into a Jewish home, you
will find a small piece of parchment with delicate Hebrew writing – the text of the
Shema. The concept of mezuzah harks back to the time of the exodus from Egypt, when
the Israelite slaves were commanded to smear the blood of the paschal lamb on their
doorposts so that God would pass over their houses and not inflict the plague of makat
bechorot (killing of the firstborn) on them. The mitzvah (commandment) itself is written
in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:9 and 11:20:
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U’ktavtam al mezuzot beitecha u’visharecha.
Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The word mezuzah means doorpost, and in ancient times an abbreviated version of the
Shema actually was carved into the doorpost of a house. Later on, the present version of
the Shema was written on parchment and attached to the doorpost, and eventually it was
placed in a hollow reed. That ultimately evolved into the mezuzah cases that we see on
doorposts today.
A mezuzah
klaf
(parchment
scroll):
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Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
91