Musing – Confessing the Mezuzah’s Impact On Me!

 Hebraic Musing – Confessing the Mezuzah’s Impact On Me!

Original published in 2011.

Just recently I routinely ‘kiss-touched’ the Mezuzah as I left the house and recited my little prayer “Thank you Lord for giving me Your commandments.”  And I found myself crying with tears of joy as I realized the change that has taken place in my life since we tacked those ‘little Jewish things’ to the door frames of our home.

A Hebraic Insight published a few years ago analyzed the Hebrew word for Sh’ma which is typically translated ‘Hear’.  And the prayer from Deut. 6:4 is recited at least 3 times a day by Jewish custom. "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."   In Hebrew – “Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.”  

And then the continuing verses 5-9 come to mind. 
“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.” Deut. 6:4-9 NIV

When we “hear” in this way we allow ourselves to concentrate on the significance of each mitzvah (good deed) with which we have been entrusted, and we remind ourselves that these are opportunities to reach out to God who has spoken to us.  Then, no commandment will ever seem small.  For example, take this commandment to remember His words: “Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deut. 6:9    And that “fixture” is called a Mezuzah.  Now I understand why my relatively new obedience to the Lord in affixing a Mezuzah on the front and side doors of our home has done a transformation in me.  As I enter and leave my home umpteen times a day I…
      - kiss my fingers and touch the mezuzah,
      - recite a prayer, “Thank you Lord for your commandments,” and
      - take a few moments to ponder the blessings I’ve received because of following His commands.

There are two distinctly different times in my daily life when I really need to be reminded of love and respect for my God:

1.      When I come home from a day in the world
            and want to be a blessing at home, and...

2.      When I am leaving home to spend time in the world
            and want to be a blessing to the world.

This has truly transformed my life since adopting this custom 15 years ago.

Points to ponder

Could we all use a few reminders of our good Lord’s commands as we go through life?

What do verses 5-9 in Deuteronomy tell us to be doing all day long?

Would Mezuzahs make good Christmas gifts?

Maybe I should close by selling mezuzahs!  (>:

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                       December 13, 2022
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”      InsightsByYosef.blogspot.com

Note – Updated from the original “Hebraic Musing” published 10/20/11