Yesterday we discussed the concept of the Mezuzah as a protection, and how it symbolizes G-d watching over the Jewish people. This lesson is so powerful that Onkelus was able to convince gentiles to convert to Judaism, based on the message that
G-d Himself watches over His servants the Jewish people, contrary to gentile kings, whose servants watch over him.
In the laws of Mezuzah, Rambam says (chapter 5, halacha 4) that it is a minhag to write Hashem’s name, using the letters shin, daled and yud, on the outside of the mezuzah. He says this custom is okay because it’s on the outside. However, there were other people who wrote the names of angels, or various pesukim on the inside of the mezuzah, and Rambam said that these people were foolish.
Why?
He felt that it was bad enough that they had annulled the Mitzvah by writing unsanctioned words in the mezuzah, but furthermore,
שעשו מצוה גדולה שהיא יחוד השם של ה׳ ואהבתו ועבודתו
You took this great Mitzvah of mezuzah, which has in it the Oneness of G-d’s name, and our love and service to G-d.
כאילו הוא קמיע של הניית עצמן כמו שעלה על לבם הסכל שזהו דבר המהנה בהבלי העולם
And you turned it into an amulet for your own personal benefits?
And you think this will bring some type of benefit in our world?
As if it was alarm system?
It seems that some opinions allowed this, but Rambam says that it is wrong.
The Sefer Ramach questions how the Rambam can say it is not a protection, when we have the story of Onkelus. Onkelus told the people that the mezuzah was there as a protection. Is it possible that Onkelus told the people that just to make it sound good, when in actuality mezuzot really aren’t a protection?
That’s a little scary, and it would throw a wrench into the whole class we gave yesterday, to think that Onkelus was simply saying something positive about the Jews.
Although it may sound like the Rambam is saying that mezuzot don’t really protect us, Rav Yosef Karo says, in his Sefer Kesef Mishneh, that we can’t say that. There’s a Gemarah somewhere else in — that says the reason we put the mezuzot on the outside is כי היכי דתנטריה-In order to protect and watch. So that is not a question, of course, mezuzot watch over us.
But if mezuzot do watch over us, why is Rambam so vehemently against saying that mezuzah has protective powers?
The Kesef Mishnah explains that what Rambam is saying is that of course the mezuzah protects the house, but only if it’s written properly. It is not the heebee-jeebee things that someone writes on the inside.
Furthermore, when you put up your mezuzot, your intention shouldn’t even be to protect your house (although the mitzva is fullfilled even if this is your intention, as even mitzvot done without the high and lofty reasons intent are still fulfilled).
Rather, your intention, says the Kesef Mishneh, should be
לקיים מצות הקדוש ברוך הוא
To do G-d’s Mitzvah
וממילא נמשך שתשמור הבית:
And then it will come naturally that the house will be protected
What protects your house is the Mitzvah of the mezuzah, not the amulet of the mezuza. It is the mitzvah’s power.
When you put up a mezuzah, you create a Mitzvah, and it’s the Mitzvah that protects you- not the parchment and not the ink;those are just vessels to fulfill the mitzva, but it’s the mitzva that brings Hashem’s protective powers. This is an important concept. That’s why the better your mezuzah is, the more Mehudar/nicer it is, the more powerful the mitzvah is. It makes a difference. There’s a proper spot to place it. (at bottom of the top third of the entry)
We sometimes think that the mezuzah is some kind of esoteric amulet. But Rambam says it isn’t, and the Kesef Mishnah explains: The protective power is the Mitzvah power of the mezuzah. Therefore, the more we invest in the Mitzvah, and the greater our kavana/ intent (which we will discuss further tomorrow beH), the greater the protective power. The protection comes from more than just the physicality of the mezuzah.
It comes from the spiritual impact that’s created by the mezuzah, and that spiritual impact can be enhanced.
We all need protection. And we all believe in the power of mitzvot to protect us.
As it says in Kohelet, Perek ח pasuk ה
שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע
Someone who watches over a Mitzvah will be protected by it.
All mitzvot are like that.
BeEzrat Hashem we will all be Mitzvah fulfillers, and we will be protected by the power of our mitzvot.
Have a wonderful day.