Mezuzah – means doorpost, door frame, and is a rolled piece of parchment inserted in a small case affixed on the doorpost of each Jewish home. Even Jewish hotels, shops and other institutions keep a mezuzah on their doorposts.

The Hebrew letter ‘Shin’ is written upon every mezuzah case, and on some cases also have the Hebrew letters ‘Dalet’ and ‘Yod’ . These three letters combined make out the name Shaddai, which means “the Almighty”

When a devout Jew walks through a door with a mezuzah on its doorpost, he first puts his fingers on the mezuzah and then touches his own lips. This action of touching the mezuzah and then the lips serves as a reminder to keep the Word of God upon one’s lips.

Inside the mezuzah case lies a small scroll of parchment containing two chapters from the Torah; Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and Deuteronomy 11:13-21. Scroll down this page to read the text in mention.

The mezuzah case should be affixed on the upper part of the right side doorpost and at an angle.

So why do people have a mezuzah on their doorposts? Because it is a commandment derived from the Torah.

”Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:9, Deuteronomy 11:20

This is the text rolled up inside the mezuzah.

”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9

”So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-21