Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 287

Siman 287

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אֵין הַפֶּתַח חַיָּב בִּמְזוּזָה, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יֵשׁ לוֹ שְׁתֵּי מְזוּזוֹת וּמַשְׁקוֹף.
1 What doorway needs a mezuzah? A doorway does not require a mezuzah unless it has two doorposts and a lintel.
ב בַּיִת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מְזוּזָה מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן, וְכִפָּה כְּמִין קֶשֶׁת עַל שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת בִּמְקוֹם הַמַּשְׁקוֹף, אִם יֵשׁ בְּגֹבַהּ הַמְּזוּזוֹת י' טְפָחִים אוֹ יוֹתֵר, חַיָּב. וְאִם אֵין בּוֹ י' טְפָחִים, פָּטוּר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַשְׁקוֹף. הַגָּה: וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן פֶּתַח שֶׁאֵין לוֹ גֹּבַהּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים, דְּפָטוּר מִמְּזוּזָה (כ"מ בַּטּוּר וּפוֹסְקִים עַיִּןִ בֵּית יוֹסֵף) הַמִּנְהָג נִתְפַּשֵּׁט בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ דְּרֹב עוֹלָם סוֹמְכִין עַל מְזוּזָה אַחַת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין עַל פֶּתַח בָּתֵּיהֶם, וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן, וְאֵין לָהֶם עַל מַה שֶּׁיִּסְמֹכוּ, לָכֵן כָּל יְרֵא שָׁמַיִם יְתַקֵּן בֵּיתוֹ כְּדִינוֹ בְּכָל הַפְּתָחִים הַחַיָּבִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר (מהרי"ל בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּבְהל' מְזוּזָה).
2 A house which has a doorpost here and a doorpost there, and on top there is a bow-shaped covering in the place of the lintel, if the doorposts are 10 tefachim or more high, then it requires a mezuzah, and if it is not 10 tefachim high, it is exempt [from requiring a mezuzah] since it does not have a lintel. Rema: And all the more so a door that is not 10 tefachim high is exempt from the requirement of mezuzah. The practice which is widespread in these areas is that most of the world relies on a single mezuzah that they place on the door to their houses and this is incorrect, and they have nothing [no legal source] to rely on for this. Therefore, every G-d fearing person should fix his house according to the law [so that there will be mezuzot] on all of the doors that require [mezuzot], as was explained.