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Are you supposed to touch the mezuzah?
It is customary for religious Jews to touch the mezuzah every time they pass through a door and kiss the fingers that touched it. However, kissing the mezuzah has also become customary for many secular Jews who think of the mezuzah as a good luck charm.
What do Jews say when they touch the mezuzah?
The blessing said while hanging a mezuzah: Transliteration: Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam, asher keedishanu b’meetzvotav v’tzeevanu leek’boa mezuzah. Translation: Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with God’s commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.
Is a mezuzah a religious symbol?
As a religious symbol, the mezuzah remains one of the most significant and popular of the Jewish faith. While it’s sometimes considered to be a good luck charm or a protective amulet, at its core, it’s a symbol of the covenant between God and his people.
What prayer is inside a mezuzah?
the Shema prayer
The mezuzah opens up and inside is the Shema prayer, written on a small piece of parchment. The Shema is the most important prayer in Judaism because it reminds Jewish people that there is only one God.
Why do Orthodox Jews wear wigs?
Orthodox women do not show their hair in public after their wedding. With a headscarf or a wig – referred to in Yiddish as a sheitel – they signal to their surroundings that they are married and that they comply with traditional notions of propriety.
Is a mezuzah good luck?
Even people who are not Jewish give mezuzahs a try. ”We do have non-Jews coming in to buy mezuzahs because they see it as a good luck symbol, ” said Marla Cohen, a sales assistant at the Judaica Store in West Hartford, which carries a large selection of mezuzahs.
Why do Orthodox Jews have curls?
Payot are worn by some men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community based on an interpretation of the Tenach injunction against shaving the “sides” of one’s head. Literally, pe’ah means “corner, side, edge”. There are different styles of payot among Haredi or Hasidic, Yemenite, and Chardal Jews.
What does a mezuzah signify?
The purpose of the mezuzah is to act as a constant reminder of God’s presence. Jews will often touch the mezuzah as they go through the door. The instruction for this comes from the Torah.
Why do Orthodox females wear wigs?
Why do hasidics have curls?
The reason for Ultra-Orthodox males’ hair and curl rules is the following: the original basis is a Biblical scripture which states that a man should not “round the corner of his head.” Authoritative talmudic scholars have determined that the meaning of this scripture is that there should be a hair cutting restriction.
What does the mezuzah symbolize?
What exactly is a mezuzah?
Mezuzahs come in many shapes and sizes but they all are intended to fulfill a mitzvah or biblical commandment to “write the words of God on your gates and doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9). The mezuzah consists of a case, often decorative, containing a small parchment scroll.