A mezuzah is a parchment scroll on which the Shema, the biblical passage declaring the oneness of G-d, is handwritten by an expert scribe. The Torah commands us to affix the mezuzah to every doorpost of our home as a constant reminder of our belief in G-d and His watchful care and protection over us.
But why every door?
Each room in our home has a specific purpose, houses certain activities, inspires particular moods or thoughts. Our inner selves, too, are comprised of many seemingly disconnected roles, responsibilities, emotions—even identities. We may sense a resulting feeling of fragmentation, a lack of direction and focus, which can drain our energy and zest for life.
The mezuzah reminds us that there is in fact a unifying force that binds together all of the disparate parts of our lives. That unifying force is our mission as Jews to reveal G-d’s oneness in the world.
As we traverse the thresholds of our lives—be they physical, intellectual, or emotional—we remind ourselves of the words of the Shema: “The L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.” By infusing a G-dly awareness into everything we do, and by using our G-d-given tools to make the world a brighter, kinder, more G-dly place, we unite the fragments of our lives—and of the world—under the cosmic, divine calling of Shema Yisrael.
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This video was produced for Lesson 2 of Simple Truths, a course by the Rosh Chodesh Society.
The Rosh Chodesh Society is a division of The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.
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