Mezuzah: Difference between revisions
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#If there's a back door that opens to an enclosed backyard that is completely closed then the mezuzah should be placed on the right side going into the backyard.<ref>Maharil (responsa 94), Bet Yosef 289:3, Taz 289:3, Chelkat Yakov YD 161, Yabia Omer YD 4:23:6. The Chelkat Yakov writes that even though the Bet Meir and Chavot Daat ask on the Maharil since most poskim accept the Maharil we follow his opinion. His opinion is based on the concept that you walk from the house to the backyard and since the back door is an entrance to the backyard which has no other entrance then the mezuzah must be on the right entering the backyard. [http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/788640/rabbi-hershel-schachter/the-laws-of-mezuzah/ Rav Hershel Schachter in “The Laws of Mezuzah” (min 34-42)] agreed. | #If there's a back door that opens to an enclosed backyard that is completely closed then the mezuzah should be placed on the right side going into the backyard.<ref>Maharil (responsa 94), Bet Yosef 289:3, Taz 289:3, Chelkat Yakov YD 161, Yabia Omer YD 4:23:6. The Chelkat Yakov writes that even though the Bet Meir and Chavot Daat ask on the Maharil since most poskim accept the Maharil we follow his opinion. His opinion is based on the concept that you walk from the house to the backyard and since the back door is an entrance to the backyard which has no other entrance then the mezuzah must be on the right entering the backyard. [http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/788640/rabbi-hershel-schachter/the-laws-of-mezuzah/ Rav Hershel Schachter in “The Laws of Mezuzah” (min 34-42)] agreed. | ||
*Chazon Ish YD 168:4-6 argues with the Maharil that the mezuzah should be on the right going into the house even when there is no gate out of the courtyard. He explains that since the courtyard is only obligated because it is open to the house, the mezuzah must be placed on the right side going into the house. Bet Meir 289 agrees for another reason. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe YD 1:181 defends the Maharil and explains that once the courtyard is obligated when it opens to houses, it is obligated in it of itself.</ref> | *Chazon Ish YD 168:4-6 argues with the Maharil that the mezuzah should be on the right going into the house even when there is no gate out of the courtyard. He explains that since the courtyard is only obligated because it is open to the house, the mezuzah must be placed on the right side going into the house. Bet Meir 289 agrees for another reason. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe YD 1:181 defends the Maharil and explains that once the courtyard is obligated when it opens to houses, it is obligated in it of itself.</ref> | ||
#If the back door opens into a backyard that has a gate to a courtyard or street then the back door should have a mezuzah on the right side going into the house because the house is used more than the backyard.<ref>The Maharil (responsa 94) wrote that if the back door opens into a backyard that has a gate to a street then the direction of the mezuzah is determined by which way the door opens. Taz 289:3 quotes it. Chelkat Yakov YD 161 writes that even though the Maharil writes that when there are two doors to a backyard the mezuzah is determined by the way the door opens, the Levush holds that we would put up the mezuzah going into the house since it is used more than the backyard. Furthermore, the Bet Meir and Chavot Daat disagree with the Maharil altogether even when the backyard has no other exit. Therefore, the Chelkat Yakov concludes that since the house is used more than the courtyard that trumps the rule of the fact that the majority of the walking is from the house to the courtyard. Igrot Moshe YD 1:181 and Yeshuot Malko (Mezuzah 6:1) agreed with the distinction of the Chelkat Yakov of accepting the first case of the Maharil but not when the courtyard is open to the street. In that case the mezuzah is placed on the right side going into the house. [http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/788640/rabbi-hershel-schachter/the-laws-of-mezuzah/ Rav Hershel Schachter in “The Laws of Mezuzah” (min 34-42)] and Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shani Mezuzah p. 125) agree.</ref> | #If the back door opens into a backyard that has a gate to a courtyard or street then the back door should have a mezuzah on the right side going into the house because the house is used more than the backyard.<ref>The Maharil (responsa 94) wrote that if the back door opens into a backyard that has a gate to a street then the direction of the mezuzah is determined by which way the door opens. Taz 289:3 quotes it. Chelkat Yakov YD 161 writes that even though the Maharil writes that when there are two doors to a backyard the mezuzah is determined by the way the door opens, the Levush holds that we would put up the mezuzah going into the house since it is used more than the backyard. Furthermore, the Bet Meir and Chavot Daat disagree with the Maharil altogether even when the backyard has no other exit. Therefore, the Chelkat Yakov concludes that since the house is used more than the courtyard that trumps the rule of the fact that the majority of the walking is from the house to the courtyard. Igrot Moshe YD 1:181 and Yeshuot Malko (Mezuzah 6:1) agreed with the distinction of the Chelkat Yakov of accepting the first case of the Maharil but not when the courtyard is open to the street. In that case the mezuzah is placed on the right side going into the house. [http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/788640/rabbi-hershel-schachter/the-laws-of-mezuzah/ Rav Hershel Schachter in “The Laws of Mezuzah” (min 34-42)] and Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shani Mezuzah p. 125) agree.</ref> Some hold that the mezuzah is placed on the right side in the direction of whichever way the majority of the time people enter.<ref>In summary, when the house opens to a backyard and there’s another entrance from the backyard to the street, according to Bet Meir (YD 289), Chazon Ish (YD 168:4-6), and Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe YD 1:181) the mezuzah is placed on the right side going into the house. However, according to Maharil 94 and Taz (YD 289:4) the mezuzah is placed in the direction of the heker tzir. According to this approach, some poskim hold that we only follow heker tzir if each side is used equally. However, if the majority of the time people walk one direction, the mezuzah is placed on the right side going in that direction. Keviyut Mezuzah Vhilchoteha (10:7 p. 138) and Lev Shome’a (2:13 p. 25) quote both of these opinions.</ref> | ||
====Balcony or Porch==== | ====Balcony or Porch==== | ||
