Walking on, he saw the mezuzah which was fixed on the door-frame and he placed his hand on it, saying to them: “Now what is this?” and they replied: “You tell us, then.” He said, So, they took hold of him and as they were …Again he sent another cohort ordering them not to enter into any conversation whatever with him.

3 Soldiers were sent to arrest him, but they abandoned their task, indeed converting to Judaism instead. In a famous story, the Talmud relates how the Roman convert Onkelos fell afoul of his uncle, the Roman Emperor, because of his conversion to Judaism. The Talmud also advises that we should place the mezuzah on the outer handbreadth of the doorpost so that the whole house will benefit from its protection. Home but also from the time they leave the house until they return home: “Not only is a man protected in his house, but G-d protects him both when he goes out and when he comes in, as it is written, ‘G-d shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, etc.’ ” The Zohar explains that the mezuzah protects the inhabitants of the house not only in their

In the words of Rabbeinu Asher, …it may seem as if one intends to make for himself a talisman for protection! Rather, he should perform the mitzvah correctly to fulfill the word of the Creator, Blessed Be He, and He will guard us and be our shelter on our right side.

Nevertheless, our Sages revealed to us that in the merit of our obedience, special protection will be bestowed upon us. For this reason, Hashem required that we place mezuzot on our innermost rooms.Ĭlearly, as with every mitzvah, one’s primary intention in affixing a mezuzah should be solely to fulfill Hashem’s commandment. Therefore, Hashem commanded that we place a mezuzah on our doorways, so that as weĮnter our home, His presence will be in front of our eyes always, and we will not swerve from the proper path. When a person is away from the prying eyes of others, he may struggle to overcome his yetzer ha-ra.

The great kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Alshich of Tzefas explains: The ever-present mezuzah is also a reminder that even though in the innermost chambers of our home we may be hidden from human view, Hashem is aware of our deeds. This will motivate him to regain full awareness and follow the paths of the upright. Thus, he will awake from his sleep and his obsession with the vanities of time, and he will recognize that there is nothing which lasts for eternity except the knowledge of the Creator of the world. The Mezuzah is one of the primary physical symbols of Judaism. It is an expression of our love for Hashem and a reminder not to stray from Him.

Guarding his obsession