Skip to main content

Thought for the Day: Hilchos Mezuzah Are Not In Mishna Brura

One of the frustrations I had when beginning to learn Mishna Brura was his the references out to other sections of the Shulchan Aruch.  "The nerve!  I came here to learn Jewish Law... now teach it to me, please.  Sheesh."  I was even more annoyed that there was no Mishna Brura on those other sections, meaning they were essentially closed to me and (in my mind), the Mishna Brura was failing in its appointed task.

There is a term used in computer support: PICNIC -- Problem In Chair, Not In Computer.  I was actually correct in my assessment that the Mishna Brura was failing in its appointed task.  The problem, however, was that I had appointed it that task.  The Mishna Brura failing to accomplish a task that I, in my vast wisdom had assigned to it.  Fortunately for me, the Mishna Brura was patient with me and continued to forge ahead; gently, yet firmly, instructing me that Orach Chaim is only the introduction.  Gently, yet firmly, demonstrating that my wisdom was not so vast after all.  HaShem also helped me, not so gently, but granting me three wonderful teenagers.  I don't struggle so much any more thinking my wisdom is vast.

The rosh kollel of the Dallas Area Torah Association also helped me.  It was an offhand comment, but it made a lasting impression.  The english translation of the Mishna Brura was just coming out and he commented, offhandedly, that someone whose Hebrew skills were not good enough to learn the Mishna Brura has other things he needs to learn before the Mishna Brura.  It shouldn't have surprised me, as I would say the same thing about someone who doesn't know differential geometry who wants to do quantum gravity research.  None the less, I had never thought of language as anything but, well, a language; what possible difference could that language make to one's comprehension of a subject.  Ah well... wrong again.  That led me to work very hard to learn Hebrew; and that opened whole new worlds for me.

A close friend and chavrusa for many years is planning a move to warmer climes.  Of course he wanted to learn/review hilchos mezuza.  When starting any new endeavor, laying a firm foundation is crucial to building a secure structure.  He and I have (finally) learned enough Mishna Brura and gemara to not faint straight away when we realized that we would have to travel to a new clime ourselves: Yoreh Dei'ah, beginning with siman 285.

The Taz explains fulfilling a mitzvah m'di'oraisa by affixing a mezuza, one is also affording oneself a measure of heavenly protection.  He brings sources that go so far as to say that the level of protection provided by a mezuzah is in the realm of "neis nigla"/open miracle.  One component of that comes from, and is the source for, the minhag to touch the mezuzah both going out and coming into the house.  Doing that reminds one that the One, Baruch Hu is overseeing every detail of our lives and further reminds of us our obligations in Torah and mitzvos.  The inspiration is rejuvenated with the passage through each doorway.  That level of awareness changes the household to the point that the home is protected even while everyone is asleep.

A mezuzah is only required on a wholly Jewish owned house; if the Jew is in partnership with a goy, there is not requirement for mezuzah.  The Shach explains because of a danger that the goy will think we are doing some sort of witchcraft.  The Taz waxed philosophical (again), and says it is because the mezuzah is about protecting us for long life, and that's only relevant to Jews.

Doesn't everyone want long life?  When the Torah says, "long life", it means life that is truly long... without end; it means not this world, but olam habah.  That comes from doing mitzvos; which brings us back to the beginning; the way to lay a proper foundation for any new home is to build it on Torah and Mitzvos; the stuff of eternity.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for the Day: Love in the Time of Corona Virus/Anxiously Awaiting the Mashiach

Two scenarios: Scenario I: A young boy awakened in the middle of the night, placed in the back of vehicle, told not to make any noise, and the vehicle speeds off down the highway. Scenario II: Young boy playing in park goes to see firetruck, turns around to see scary man in angry pursuit, poised to attack. I experienced and lived through both of those scenarios. Terrifying, no? Actually, no; and my picture was never on a milk carton. Here's the context: Scenario I: We addressed both set of our grandparents as "grandma" and "grandpa". How did we distinguish? One set lived less than a half hour's drive; those were there "close grandma and grandpa". The other set lived five hour drive away; they were the "way far away grandma and grandpa". To make the trip the most pleasant for all of us, Dad would wake up my brother and I at 4:00AM, we'd groggily -- but with excitement! -- wander out and down to the garage where we'd crawl

Thought for the Day: David HaMelech's Five Stages of Finding HaShem In the World

Many of us "sing" (once you have heard what I call carrying a tune, you'll question how I can, in good conscience, use that verb, even with the quotation marks) Eishes Chayil before the Friday night Shabbos meal.  We feel like we are singing the praises of our wives.  In fact, I have also been to chasunas where the chasson proudly (sometimes even tearfully) sings Eishes Chayil to his new eishes chayil.  Beautiful.  Also wrong.  (The sentiments, of course, are not wrong; just a misunderstanding of the intent of the author of these exalted words.) Chazal (TB Brachos, 10a) tell us that when Sholmo HaMelech wrote the words "She opens her mouth Mwith wisdom; the torah of kindness is on her tongue", that he was referring to his father, Dovid HaMelech, who (I am continuing to quote Chazal here) lived in five worlds and sang a song of praise [to each].  It seems to me that "world" here means a perception of reality.  Four times Dovid had to readjust his perc

Thought for the Day: אוושא מילתא Debases Yours Shabbos

My granddaughter came home with a list the girls and phone numbers in her first grade class.  It was cute because they had made it an arts and crafts project by pasting the list to piece of construction paper cut out to look like an old desk phone and a receiver attached by a pipe cleaner.  I realized, though, that the cuteness was entirely lost on her.  She, of course, has never seen a desk phone with a receiver.  When they pretend to talk on the phone, it is on any relatively flat, rectangular object they find.  (In fact, her 18 month old brother turns every  relatively flat, rectangular object into a phone and walks around babbling into it.  Not much different than the rest of us, except his train of thought is not interrupted by someone else babbling into his ear.) I was reminded of that when my chavrusa (who has children my grandchildrens age) and I were learning about אוושא מילתא.  It came up because of a quote from the Shulchan Aruch HaRav that referred to the noise of תקתוק