"...Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:9, the last verse of the Shema)The Israelites took literally Moses' instruction to write the commands of God on their doorposts, enclosing a scroll of parchment in a decorative box, and attaching it to their door frame. On the parchment is written a part of the Shema, and when installed, the mezuzah is both a blessing to the home and a reminder, as the Shema instructs of God's commands.
Since we're learning the Shema together, and keeping it visual is the best way to help us memorize, work together as a family this week to create a mezuzah for your home. It doesn't have to be elaborate - I've seen them made from an empty matchbox, lego, an empty glue stick - but you could even make them from a toilet paper core, or an origami box. Want to go all out? Make several and hang them on the different door frames around your home.Most mezuzahs have the Hebrew letter "shin" on the outside, which is the first letter of one of the names of God: Shaddai.
Have your child write out the Shema passage, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, on a small piece of paper and roll it up to fit it inside. If your mezuzah is too small, you could just write the word "shema" in Hebrew and talk about that that means. Show me your mezuzah! Leave me a comment, email me, or post to our Parents of NEXTgeneration Kids Facebook page.
This is a continuation of a series I'm posting during our study of the book of Romans at Creekside, as we encourage families to memorize the "Shema" together. Previous posts here:
Sources: Red & blue lego mezuzah, posted on Flickr. Mezuzah photo above, found here.
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