Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 289

Siman 289

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 בָּא לְקָבְעָהּ, יַנִּיחֶנָּה בִּשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת שֶׁל קָנֶה אוֹ שֶׁל כָּל דָּבָר, וְיִקְבָּעֶנָּה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ וִיבָרֵךְ: אקב"ו לִקְבֹּעַ מְזוּזָה. וְלֹא יְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁעַת כְּתִיבָתָהּ. וְהַקּוֹבֵעַ ב' אוֹ ג' מְזוּזוֹת, מְבָרֵךְ בְּרָכָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּן (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א).
1 Where to affix it, how to affix, and its benediction. One who is coming to affix [a mezuzah] should place it in a reed or other type of tube and he should affix it in its place and say the placing “who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah” and one should not make a blessing when the mezuzah is being written. Rema: One who is affixing two or three mezuzot should make one blessing for all of them.
ב אֵיזֶהוּ מְקוֹם קְבִיעָתָהּ, בְּתוֹךְ חָלָל שֶׁל פֶּתַח, בַּטֶּפַח הַסָמוּךְ לַחוּץ, וְאִם שִׁנָּה, אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיַּנִּיחֶנָּה בַּמְּזוּזָה עַצְמָהּ (טוּר), בִּתְחִלַּת שְׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן גֹּבַהּ הַשַּׁעַר. וְאִם קָבַע לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְהוּא שֶׁיַּרְחִיקֶנָּה מֵהַמַּשְׁקוֹף טֶפַח. וְצָרִיךְ לְקָבְעָהּ עַל יְמִין הַנִּכְנָס. וְאֵין חִלּוּק בֵּין אִם הוּא אִטֵּר יָד אוֹ לֹא (מָרְדְּכַי ה"ק). וְאִם קְבָעָהּ מִשְּׂמֹאל, פְּסוּלָה.
2 Where is the proper place for affixing [the mezuzah]? In the empty space of the doorway [on the inside of the doorway] within the tefach that is closest to the outside, Rema: And if he changes [and places it somewhere else] it does not prevent [the fulfillment of the mitzvah] so long as he places it on the doorpost itself. [Place it] at the start of the upper third of the height of the entryway; and if he attached it higher than this it is valid, so long as it is at least a tefach way from the lintel, and one should attach it on the right side [of the doorway from the point of view] of entering. Rema: and there is no difference whether the person is left-handed or not. And if he placed it on the left side [of the doorway from the point of view of one entering] then it is invalid.
ג מִי שֶׁחוֹלֵק בֵּיתוֹ לִשְׁנַיִם, וּבְכָל חֵלֶק פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, וּבַמְּחִצָּה הַחוֹלֶקֶת יֵשׁ פֶּתַח מִזֶּה לָזֶה, בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַחוֹר שֶׁבַּסַף שֶׁצִּיר הַדֶּלֶת סוֹבֵב בּוֹ וּמַעֲמִיד שָׁם הַדְּלָתוֹת, הוּא הַבַּיִת, וּבְדֶרֶךְ יָמִין שֶׁנִּכְנָסִים לוֹ, קוֹבְעִים אוֹתָהּ.
3 Someone whose house is divided in two and each part is a doorway open to reshut harabim, in the separating divider there is a doorway to both halves: In the place where he makes the hole in the threshhold, [wherein] the door's axle (hinge?) turns, and he erects the doors there, that is the house, and where he enters when it's on his right, he affixes it. Template:Clarify
ד כֵּיצַד קוֹבְעָהּ, יְמַסְמְרֶנָּה בְּמַסְמְרִים בִּמְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח, אוֹ יַחְפֹּר בָּהּ חֲפִירָה וְיִקְבְּעֶנָּה בָּהּ. וְלֹא יַעֲמִיק לַחְפֹּר טֶפַח בָּעֹמֶק, שֶׁאִם עָשָׂה כֵן פְּסוּלָה.
4 How is it affixed? Nail it with nails into the door post, or dig out a hole and stick it in there. And don't dig deeper than a tefach, else it's invalid.
ה קְבָעָהּ בִּמְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח, בְּעוֹדָהּ תְּלוּשָׁה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חִבְּרָהּ לַפֶּתַח פְּסוּלָה.
5 [If] he affixed on the doorposts of the doorway whilst [doorpost was] detached, and then attached [the doorpost] to the doorway, it's invalid.
ו צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת זְקוּפָה, אָרְכָּהּ לְאֹרֶךְ מְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח, וִיכַוֵּן שֶׁיְּהֵא שְׁמַע (דְּבָרִים ו, ד) דְּהַיְנוּ סוֹף הַגְּלִילָה, לְצַד חוּץ. הַגָּה: וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ. (בֵּית יוֹסֵף) אֲבָל יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁפְּסוּלָה בִּזְקוּפָה, אֶלָּא צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת שְׁכוּבָה, אָרְכָּהּ לְרֹחַב מְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח (טוּר וְהַפּוֹסְקִים בְּשֵׁם רַבֵּנוּ תָּם). וְהַמְּדַקְדְּקִין, יוֹצְאִין יְדֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם, וּמַנִּיחִים אוֹתָהּ בְּשִׁפּוּעַ וּבַאֲלַכְסוֹן (טוּר וְהַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי ומהרי"ל ות"ה סי' נ"ב), וְכֵן רָאוּי לִנְהֹג, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ. וִיכַוֵּן שֶׁיְּהֵא רֹאשׁ הַמְּזוּזָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שְׁמַע (דְּבָרִים ו, ד) לְצַד פְּנִים, וְשִׁיטָה אַחֲרוֹנָה לְצַד חוּץ.
6 The mezuzah should be erect lengthwise on the length of the doorpost of the doorway, and one should intend that the [word] shema that is at the end of the scroll should be [facing] the outside. Rema: And that is how they practice, but there are those who say that [the mezuzah] is invalid erect, rather its length needs to be inclined towards the width of the doorpost of the doorway [that is to say, horizontally]. And those who are scrupulous fulfill both [opinions] and place the mezuzah at an incline, at a diagonal. And this is how it is proper to practice, and this is how we practice in these places, and one should intend that the top of the mezuzah, where the [word] shema is, should be towards the inside and the last line should be facing outside.
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