mezuzah

Or me·zu·za

[muh-zooz-uh, muh-zoo-zah, muh-zoo-zuh]

noun

plural

mezuzoth, mezuzot, mezuzos. ,

plural

mezuzahs .

1. Judaism.,  a parchment scroll inscribed on one side with the Biblical passages Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21 and on the other side with the word Shaddai (a name applied to God), inserted in a small case or tube so that Shaddai is visible through an aperture in front, and attached by some Jews to the doorjambs of the home.

mezuzah

/ məˈzʊzə, məˈzʊzə, -ˈzuː-, məzʊˈzɑ /

noun

1. a piece of parchment inscribed with biblical passages and fixed to the doorpost of the rooms of a Jewish house

2. a metal case for such a parchment, sometimes worn as an ornament

Word History and Origins

Origin of mezuzah¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Hebrew məzūzāh, literally, “doorjamb, doorpost”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mezuzah¹

from Hebrew, literally: doorpost

Example Sentences

Around his neck he wears as a pendant a mezuzah, which contains a small scroll with verses from the Torah.

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"Every house in a Jewish town has a mezuzah on the door, which is like a little tube with a little Torah scroll inside and when you come through, you touch it."

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Many Jews have removed mezuzahs - the small Torah scrolls - from their doorposts, or they have covered them with duct tape out of fear of reprisal.

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Other combatants travel with mezuzahs, small boxes containing biblical Scriptures meant to be hung outside Jewish residences, to affix to Palestinian homes.

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There’s been talk of blending in better: covering skullcaps in public and perhaps hiding mezuzahs, the traditional symbol on doorposts of Jewish homes.

Read more on Seattle Times