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| #It is permitted to check all of one's mezuzot at once and it isn't necessary to take them down and check them one at a time.<ref>[https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1086&pgnum=426 Rivevot Efraim 5:548] quoting Rav Dovid Feinstein about the practice of his father, Rav Moshe Feinstein. Agur Bohalecha is strict.</ref> | | #It is permitted to check all of one's mezuzot at once and it isn't necessary to take them down and check them one at a time.<ref>[https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1086&pgnum=426 Rivevot Efraim 5:548] quoting Rav Dovid Feinstein about the practice of his father, Rav Moshe Feinstein. Agur Bohalecha is strict.</ref> |
| #Before touching the actual klaf of the mezuzah one should wash his hands with a cup as he would do [[netilat yadayim for a meal]].<ref>Agur Bohalecha 1:4 quoting Rabbi Akiva Eiger 1:58 and Aruch Hashulchan 285:5</ref> | | #Before touching the actual klaf of the mezuzah one should wash his hands with a cup as he would do [[netilat yadayim for a meal]].<ref>Agur Bohalecha 1:4 quoting Rabbi Akiva Eiger 1:58 and Aruch Hashulchan 285:5</ref> |
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| ==The Bracha for Putting up a Mezuzah==
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| #In general, before putting up a Mezuzah in a doorway that is obligated in a mezuzah, one should recite the bracha. However, if one is putting up a mezuzah on a doorway that doesn't have a door or a doorway that leads into an area that doesn't have 4 by 4 [[amot]] square, no bracha is recited.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 296:15 writes that a doorway that doesn't have a door is obligated in a mezuzah, however, some disagree. The Shach YD 296:25 writes that because of this dispute one should put up the mezuzah without a bracha, or recite a bracha when putting up a mezuzah in another doorway that is obligated, and afterwards put up this mezuzah as well. Similarly, Shulchan Aruch YD 296:13 writes the opinion of the Rambam that if the room has an area of 4 by 4 [[amot]] even if it isn't a square it is obligated in a mezuzah. The Shach 296:23 notes that the opinion of the Rosh is that the doorway isn't obligated unless there is a 4 by 4 [[amot]] square area. Due to this dispute, the Shach concludes that one should put up the mezuzah without a bracha or recite a bracha when putting up a mezuzah in a doorway that is obligated and then put up this mezuzah. </ref>
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| #Before putting up a mezuzah one should recite the bracha of "Asher Kideshanu Bemizvotav vetzivanu likboah Mezuzah" - " אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לקבוע מזוזה" . <ref>Gemara Menachot 42b, Rambam Hilchot Mezuzah 5:7, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:7, Aruch Hashulchan 289:3 </ref> Ideally, the homeowner should put up the mezuzos and recite the blessing.<ref>Rabbi Reuvain Mendlowitz (cited at [https://www.vaadmhk.org/mezuzah-blessing-faq/ Mezuzah Blessing - The Seven Most FAQ])</ref> If one puts up several [[mezuzot]] at one time one bracha suffices for all of them. <ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:7, Aruch Hashulchan YD 289:4, Shevet Ha’Levi 6:160, Rivevot Ephraim 3:508, Az Nidberu 3:61 </ref> In a situation like this one should be careful not to make a [[hefsek]] (pause) between [[mezuzot]] by talking.<ref>Mezuzat Baitecha 289:6, Rivevot Ephraim 2:29:21, Pitchei Mezuzot 289:10, Kuntres Hamezuzah 289:8 </ref> If one did speak some poskim would require you to say a new beracha.<ref>Chovat Hadar 11:9, Kuntres Hamezuzah 289:8. Mikdash Miat 289:6 and Birchot Habayis 59:1 disagree. </ref>
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| #A [[shehecheyanu]] isn't recited when putting up a mezuzah on the doorpost.<ref>Chovat Hadar 11:2, Mezuzat Baitecha 289:3 </ref>
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| ===Forgot to Recite Bracha Beforehand===
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| #If someone forgot to recite a bracha when putting up a mezuzah, some say that you can recite a bracha afterwards, while others hold that you can't unless you take it down and put it back up.<ref>Yabia Omer YD 8:27 disagrees with Rav Massas in Tevuot Shamesh YD 96 who holds that if one forgot to recite a bracha when putting up a mezuzah one can't make the bracha afterwards. Yabia Omer holds that there is an ongoing mitzvah of having the mezuzah up and so a bracha can be recite afterwards. He also holds that it is better to take down the mezuzot, get them checked, and put them back up with a bracha. Agur Bohalecha p. 106 quotes the son of the Rambam in Maspik Ldvar Hashem v. 2 ch. 30 as a support for Rav Massas.</ref>
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| ===Replacing Mezuzot===
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| #When replacing the [[mezuzot]], a new beracha is recited.<ref>Maharam Shik YD 285, Rivevot Ephraim 7:239, Beer Moshe 2:92, Avnei
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| Yashfei 1:207:1, Doleh Umashke (p. 275, footnote 69) quoting Rav Elyashiv and Rav Nissim Karelitz. </ref>
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| ===Replacing a Fallen Mezuzah===
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| #If a mezuzah fell down and one is putting it up again one must recite a bracha before putting it up again if the doorway has a door and the room is at least 4 by 4 [[amot]] in size. <ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:7, Beer Moshe 6:6, Chovat Hadar (11:15:footnote 29), Kuntres Hamezuzah 289:7, Avnei Yashfei 1:207:3-4, Rivevos Ephraim 2:28:5. Orchos Rabbeinu (v. 3, p. 178 #38) however, disagrees. </ref>
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| ===Returning a Mezuzah After It Was Checked===
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| #If one took down one's [[Mezuzot]] in order to have them checked by the sofer and they were found to be kosher, according to Ashkenazim one should put them back up without a Bracha of Lekvoh Mezuzah.<ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:7 writes that there's a doubt if one should make a bracha if a mezuzah was taken down to check it.</ref> According to Sephardim, one should make a bracha upon putting them back up after being checked by the sofer.<ref>Yalkut Yosef YD 285:93 writes that one should recite a bracha if they were taken down to be checked by a sofer.</ref> If one checks the mezuzah by himself, he need not say a new beracha. <ref>Ben Ish Chai Parashat Ki Tavo Year 2 Halacha 8, Pitchei Teshuva 289:1, Aruch Hashulchan 289:4, Chovat Hadar 11:14 </ref> If a mezuzah was found to be not kosher, then a beracha is recited when it is replaced with a kosher one. <ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:3,5, Rivevot Ephraim 1:19, Beer Moshe 2:92:13, Kuntres Hamezuzah 289:6, Chovat Hador 11:11:footnote 20, Yabia Omer YD 3:17 </ref> Please note that a bracha is only said when replacing the mezuzah if the doorway has a door and the room is at least 4 by 4 [[amot]] in size. (See above [[#The Bracha on putting up a Mezuzah]]).
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| ===Replacing a Case===
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| #However, if one took down one's Mezuzah just to put it in a nicer case, one doesn't need to make a new Bracha when putting it up unless it was taken down for several hours so that one stopped thinking about the Mezuzah.<ref>Yalkut Yosef YD 285:94, Mezuzah Vhilchoteha p. 109 citing Ben Ish Chai Ki Tavo 8, Halichot Olam p. 261 </ref>
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| ===Replacing After Painting===
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| #If a mezuzah was taken down for plastering or repainting the door for a few days it should be put up again with a bracha.<ref>[http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14709&pgnum=422 Beer Moshe 2:92] writes that it is obvious that when putting up a mezuzah after it was taken down for two or three days that a new bracha is necessary. He says that it is obvious that a person had a hesech hadaat. He compares it to Shulchan Aruch 8:14 by tzitzit that was removed and put back on. Mezuzah Vehilchoteha p. 110 concludes like the Divrei Shalom 4:167 that one can recite a bracha when putting it back up but it is better to have them checked and make a bracha when putting them up.</ref>
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| ===Ten Conditions in Order to Recite Bracha===
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| #In order to be certainly obligated in order to put up the mezuzah with a bracha the doorway would need to meet all ten conditions: The doorway has (1) two side posts, that are (2) at least ten [[tefachim]] tall, (3) has a lintel on top, and (4) has a door in it. The room has (5) at least 4x4 amot square space, (6) a roof, (7) is for a private use and not a shul or bet midrash, (8) is suitable for human dwelling, (9) the room is used for honorable activities and not for a bathroom or bathhouse, and (10) it is a permanent structure.<ref>Rambam Mezuzah 6:1</ref>
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| #If the doorway doesn't have a door a mezuzah is put up without a bracha. If there is a sliding door or another door without hinges there is a question whether a bracha is recited. However, if it is a folding door or even if it has hinges on the top of the door it would still require a mezuzah with a bracha.<ref>Chovat Hadar ch. 7 fnt. 41 has a doubt about the case and leaves it unresolved. Mezuzah Vhilchoteha ch. 10 fnt. 22 cites this Chovat Hadar and adds regarding a curtain the sefer Mezuzat Beytecha says it requires a bracha, but the sefer Pitchei Mezuzot argues that a curtain isn't a door.</ref>
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| ==How to Put Up a Mezuzah== | | ==How to Put Up a Mezuzah== |
