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mezuzah

Tractate Mezuzah 1:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

It is not permitted to write mezuzoth on ‫אין כותבין מזוזות לא על גבי עורות‬
the skins of ritually unclean cattle or on
‫בהמה טמאה ולא על גבי עורות חיה‬
skins of ritually unclean wild animals. It is
permitted, however, to write them on ‫טמאה אבל כותבין על עורות נבלות‬
skins of nebeloth and ṭerefoth, and there is ‫ועל עורות טרפות ואין חוששין שמא‬
no need to consider the possibility of their ‫עורות לבובין הם‬
having been pierced at the animal’s
heart.1There was a heathen practice to
remove the heart from an animal while it
was still alive and offer it as a sacrifice.
Rabbinic law regards such an animal as an
idolatrous offering (cf. Mishnah ‘A.Z. 29b,
Sonc. ed., p. 145) and forbids its entire use,
including the skin.

Tractate Mezuzah 1:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

It is required to leave [a space of ] one line ‫צריך להניח שיטה אחת לכל צד‬
on every side [of the text of the mezuzah],
‫כדברי רשב״א‬
according to R. Simeon b. Eleazar.

Tractate Mezuzah 1:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

If a hole was made in the place of the ]‫נקבה במקום[הכתב פסולה במקום‬
script it is unfit for religious use; but if it
‫הריוח כשרה עשא הווין זיינין זיינין ווין‬
occurred in the margin it remains fit.
If the letter waw [in a mezuzah] was ‫כפופים פשוטים פשוטים כפופים‬
shaped like a zayin or vice versa, curved ‫פתוחים סתומים סתומים פתותים או‬
letters like straight-lined letters2e.g. an ‫ששנה אותיותיה או שנכתבה עברית‬
ordinary kaf like the final kaf. or vice versa,
‫הרי זו פסולה‬
open letters closed3An ordinary mem like
the final mem. or vice versa, or if the shape
of its letters had been altered [in any other
way], or if it was written in [obsolete]
Hebrew, it is unfit for religious use.

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Tractate Mezuzah 1:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

A magazine for straw, a wood-shed [and ‫בית התבן בית העצים בית האוצר הרי‬
any] storage room are exempt [from the
‫אלו פטורים רפת הבקר פטור אם היו‬
mezuzah].4Only dwelling-houses are subject
to the obligation. A stable for cattle is ‫הנשים נאותות בו חייב הצריפים‬
exempt, but if women make use of it5In ‫והבורגנין והלקטיות והבורסקיות הרי‬
which to adorn themselves; but if they use ‫אלו פטורים מן המזוזה‬
any of the structures for bathing it is exempt
(cf. Yoma 11a, Sonc. ed., p. 48; Y.D.
CCLXXXVI, §2). it is liable. Cone-shaped
huts,6[Used by watchers in a field or by
hunters; Krauss, Talmudische Archäologie, I,
p. 6.] travellers’ stations, field
sheds7[Krauss, Lehnwörter, p. 226, and
Talm. Arch. I, p. 276, n. 81, reads
hilaḳṭiyoth. Maimonides understood the
term to mean ‘summer-house’, thatched on
top and open on the four sides. More
probably it was used for stacking hay, etc.,
where it was dried by the wind.] and
tanneries are exempt from mezuzah.8They
are not dwelling-houses.

Tractate Mezuzah 1:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

A bath-house is exempt, but if a dwelling- ‫בית המרחץ פטורה אם יש לה בית‬
house adjoins it the outer doorway is
‫דירה פתח החיצון חייב‬
liable.

Tractate Mezuzah 1:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

A corner doorway that has only one ‫פתח שבזוית אין בו אלא מזוזה אחת‬
doorpost, [or] a doorway made in [a
‫פתח שהוא עשוי בנסרים אין בו אלא‬
structure of ] boards which has only one
doorpost is liable. R. Eliezer b. Jacob ‫מזוזה אחת חייב ר׳ אליעזר בן יעקב‬
declares it exempt. ‫פוטר‬

Tractate Mezuzah 1:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

Arched doorways are exempt, but R. Meir ‫הכיפין פטורות ר׳ מאיר ור׳ יהודה‬
and R. Judah declare that they are liable.
‫מחייבין אבל הכל שוין שאם היה‬
All, however, agree that if they have the
[usual] structure below9Being four ‫הבנין מלמטה והכיפין מלמעלה הרי‬
handbreadths wide and reaching to a height ‫אלו חייבות במזוזה‬
of ten handbreadths (cf. ‘Erub, 11b, Sonc.
ed., p. 69). and the arched section above
they are liable to mezuzah.

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Tractate Mezuzah 1:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה א׳‬

City gates, the gates of open ‫שערי העיר שערי הרחובות שערי‬
places10Where people assemble for special
‫העזרות הרי אלו פטורים ושל הלשכות‬
prayers or to discuss public matters. and the
gates of Temple Courts are exempt.11[But ‫שהיו במקדש היו פטורות מן המזוזה‬
according to Yoma 11a, Sonc. ed., p. 47, city ‫והלשכה של בית הפרוה שהיתה בית‬
gates require a mezuzah.] [The doorways ‫דירה לכהן גדול ז׳ ימים בשנה וסוכות‬
of ] chambers in the Temple were exempt
‫היוצרים הרי אלו חייבות במזוזה ור׳‬
from mezuzah, but the Chamber of the
Counsellors,12Reading lishkath parhedrin, :‫יוסי פוטר‬
one of the Temple chambers, in agreement
with Yoma 10a (Sonc. ed., p. 45). V and H
read: lishkath shel beth happarwah, ‘the
chamber of the Parwah house’, Parwah being
the name of its Persian builder (cf. ibid.
35a, Sonc. ed., p. 161, n. 6). which served
as a residence for the High Priest on seven
days in the year,13Before the Day of
Atonement (cf. ibid. 2a, Sonc. ed., p. 1).
and potters’ booths are subject to
mezuzah. R. Jose declares them exempt.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

The mezuzah is placed1lit. ‘written’. on the ‫המזוזה נכתבת על הימין בכניסתו מן‬
right-hand side of the entrance from the
‫השוק לבית שער וביציאתו מן החצר‬
street into the lodge, and [on the right-
hand side of ] the exit from the courtyard ‫לבית שער‬
into the lodge.2It refers to where the lodge is
in front of a courtyard and has two
doorways, one facing the street and the other
facing the courtyard.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If a garden has a doorpost where it adjoins ‫גננא שיש לה פצים מן החצר נותן דרך‬
the courtyard, the mezuzah is placed [on
‫יציאתו מן הגנה לחצר ואם יש לה בית‬
the right-hand side of ] the exit from the
garden into the courtyard; and if a lodge is ‫שער נותן מכאן ומכאן‬
attached to it,3Between the garden and the
courtyard, with doorways leading to each of
them. mezuzoth are to be placed on both
doorways [of the lodge].

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Tractate Mezuzah 2:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

Where small rooms open into a reception ‫קיטוניות שהן פתוחים לטרקלן נותן‬
room,4Access to which is gained only
‫דרך הנעלה ואם היה רגיל על כולם‬
through the small ones. the mezuzah is
placed on that doorway which is ‫נותן דרך כולם‬
customarily used.5So according to H. V’s
reading is corrupt. If they are all
customarily used, mezuzoth are placed on
all the doorways.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If a number of rooms have doorways ‫בתים לפנים זה מזה נותן דרך כניסתו‬
leading from one room to the other,6lit.
‫לכולם רבי יהודה אומר אם היה‬
‘rooms within one another’. mezuzoth are
placed at the entrance of each one of ‫הסולם מטלטל לארבע רוחותיו‬
them. R. Judah says: If the ladder is
movable on the four sides….7The sentence
is obviously incomplete. H reads: ‘If the
ladder is movable a mezuzah is placed at
every side’; but this also does not convey much
sense.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If a doorway leads from a roof [into a ‫פתח שהוא פתוח מן הגג נותן דרך‬
room], the mezuzah is placed [on the
‫כניסתו מן הגג אמר ר׳ נתן בר׳ יוסי‬
right-hand side of ] the entrance from the
roof. R. Nathan b. R. Jose said: In such a ‫בזה ב״ש מחייבין וב״ה פוטרין‬
case Beth Shammai hold that the doorway
is subject to mezuzah and Beth Hillel hold
that it is exempt.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

In a booth that is set back8lit. ‘within’. ‫סוכה שהיא לפנים מן הגג נותן דרך‬
from [the edge of ] a roof the mezuzah is to
‫יציאתו מן הסוכה לגג ר׳ יוסי אומר מן‬
be placed [on the right-hand side of ] the
exit from the booth to the roof. R. Jose ‫הגג לסוכה‬
says: [On the right-hand side of the
entrance] from the roof to the booth.

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Tractate Mezuzah 2:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

In the case of a portico that is set back ‫אכסדרה שהיא לפנים מן הבתים ואין‬
from the rooms and has no other
‫לה יציאה ממקום אחר נותן דרך‬
exit,9Except through one of the rooms. the
mezuzah is placed [on the right-hand side ‫יציאתו מן האכסדרה לבתים ר׳ יוסי‬
of ] the exit from the portico into the ‫אומר דרך כניסתו מבתים לאכסדרה‬
rooms. R. Jose says: [On the right-hand
side of ] the entrance from the rooms to
the portico.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If an entrance serves as two doorways and ‫פתח שהיא משמשת שני פתחים וכותל‬
a wall [of not more than] one handbreath
‫רחב טפח נותן מזוזה אחת כדברי ר׳‬
in width [separates them], only one
mezuzah is to be affixed, according to R. ‫יהודה יותר מכאן שני מזוזות‬
Judah. [If the wall was] wider than that
two mezuzoth are required.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

The mezuzah is placed in the upper half of ‫המזוזה ניתנה מן החצי ולמעלה דברי‬
the doorpost;10lit. ‘from the half and
‫ר״מ ר׳ יהודה אומר מטפח ולמטה‬
above’. Another reading is: ‘on the upper
third’; cf. the ruling in the name of Samuel ‫ומטפח ולמעלה‬
in Men. 33a (Sonc. ed., p. 208). so R.
Meir. R. Judah says: [It should be placed]
below the handbreadth [from the top of
the doorpost] and above one handbreadth
[from the bottom].

Tractate Mezuzah 2:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If one made a groove in the wall at a ‫חקק בכותל והרחיק טפח ונתנה הרי‬
distance of [not more than] one
‫זו מזוזה כשרה יותר מכאן פסולה‬
handbreadth [from the doorpost], and
placed [the mezuzah] in it, the mezuzah is ‫חקק במקל ונתנה הרי זו פסולה נתנה‬
valid. [If the distance] was greater than ‫בשפופרת תלאה אחר הדלת אחר‬
that it is invalid. ‫המזוזה ר׳ מאיר מכשיר ור׳ יהודה‬
If one made a groove in a stick and put the
‫פוסל‬
mezuzah in it, it is invalid. If one inserted
[the mezuzah] in a tube and hung it up
behind the door [or] behind the
doorpost,11Hanging the stick on the
doorpost. R. Meir declared it valid, but R.
Judah declared it invalid.

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Tractate Mezuzah 2:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

A new house is subject to the obligation of ‫בית חדש כיון שגמרו חייב במזוזה‬
mezuzah as soon as it is completed.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

One who lodges in an inn in the Land of ‫הדר בפונדק בארץ ישראל שלשים יום‬
Israel for thirty days is subject to the
‫חייב במזוזה השוכר נותן מיד ובחוצה‬
obligation of mezuzah, and if one rents [a
house] he must affix [a mezuzah] ‫לארץ הרי זה פטור והשוכר נותן‬
forthwith. Outside the Land of Israel, [one ‫לאחר שלשים יום‬
who lives in an inn] is exempt, and one
who rents [a house] must affix [a mezuzah]
after thirty days.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

[A Jew] who rents a house from a Gentile ‫השוכר בית מן הנכרי ומן הכותי נותן‬
or from a Samaritan must affix a mezuzah
‫מזוזה מיד וכשיצא יטלנה והשוכר‬
forthwith, and when he quits he must
remove it; but if one rents a house from an ‫מישראל יתן מזוזה מיד ואם נתן לא‬
Israelite, he affixes the mezuzah forthwith ‫יטול‬
and when he quits he must not remove it.

Tractate Mezuzah 2:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

One who buys a house from a Gentile or a ‫הלוקח בית מן הנכרי ומן הכותי חייב‬
Samaritan is under the obligation of
‫במזוזה ומישראל הרי זו בחזקתו‬
putting a mezuzah, but [if he bought it]
from an Israelite it is presumed [to have
been provided with the necessary
mezuzoth].

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Tractate Mezuzah 2:15 ‫ט״ו‬:‫מסכת מזוזה ב׳‬

If one buys a brick-mould from a Gentile, ‫הלוקח מלבן מן הנכרי לא ידליק עד‬
he should not heat it before he had
‫שיבדקנו שהמזוזה נבדקת אחת לכ״ה‬
examined it.
[The scroll in] the mezuzah should be ‫שנה דברי ר״ש ר׳ יעקב אומר עד זמן‬
examined once in twenty-five years, ‫מרובה אבל הכל שוין שאם היה‬
according to R. Simeon. R. Jacob says: A ‫מעביר ממקום למקום שצריכה בדיקה‬
much longer time [may be allowed to
‫כיוצא בה מוכנות מים שברשות‬
intervene]. Both, however, agree that if it
was transferred from one place to another ‫הרבים נבדקת אחת בשבוע ושברשות‬
it requires examination. ‫היחיד אחת לכ״ה שנה דברי ר׳ מאיר‬
In like manner, water-tanks12lit. ‫וחכמים אומרים אחד זה ואחד זה זה‬
‘machines’. H has mogeroth, ‘stores’. in a
public domain must be examined once in
‫הכלל כל מקום שהוא בת ראש נבדק‬
seven years, but those situated in a private ‫אחת בשבוע ושאינו בת ראש נבדק‬
domain once in twenty-five years, :‫אחת לכ״ה שנה‬
according to R. Meir; but the Sages say: In
either case the general rule is that wherever
there is a top cover13Reading with H beth
instead of V’s bath. the examination takes
place once in seven years, and where there
is no top cover the examination takes place
once in twenty-five years.

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