All doorways of the house and its rooms are obligated in a mezuzah * Bathrooms are exempt because they are rooms whose entire use is for a disrespected use * A bomb shelter is obligated in a mezuzah, since it contains furniture and is intended for dwelling during war * It is proper to affix a mezuzah in a study hall without a blessing * Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes that belong to Jews are obligated in a mezuzah * A temporary dwelling, such as a sukkah on the Festival of Sukkot, is exempt from a mezuzah, because the obligation of the mezuzah is for a permanent dwelling
Are All Rooms of the House Obligated in a Mezuzah
Q: Are all rooms of the house obligated in a mezuzah, or is it sufficient to affix a mezuzah at the apartment’s entrance?
A: All doorways of the house and its rooms are obligated in a mezuzah. And even if a person affixed a mezuzah on the main entrance of his house, he is obligated to affix a mezuzah on all doorways of his rooms, since any room whose size is four by four amot, is already considered a house, and the Torah commanded: “And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 11:20). Indeed, in the days of the early authorities in Ashkenaz, many were accustomed to affix a mezuzah only on the main entrance of the house, but the rabbis admonished the community that it is obligatory to affix a mezuzah on the doorways of all the rooms of the house (responsa Mahari”l 94; Rema Yoreh De’ah 286:2). Even rooms destined for a specific use, such as a guest room, wardrobe rooms for clothes, a pantry for foodstuffs, or a storage room for tools, are obligated in a mezuzah.
Are Bedrooms also Obligated
Q: Are rooms in which activities are done that are not respectful to the mezuzah, such as bedrooms where sometimes one is there without clothes, obligated in a mezuzah?
A: The commandment to affix a mezuzah on the doorway of the house, as it says “and you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house,” and as we learned, every room is considered a house, and the character of a house is that it serves the person for his various needs, including things that appear not respectful. Therefore, bedrooms where one is sometimes accustomed to be without clothes, or children’s rooms in which infants are customarily diapered, are obligated in a mezuzah (Beit Yosef Yoreh De’ah 286,2; Rema ibid.; Perisha V; Shach T; Aruch HaShulchan 12–15).
However, when affixing a mezuzah in a room where one is sometimes without clothes, or diapers infants, one must be careful to cover the mezuzah, because if its scroll is exposed, the Name of God written on it could be desecrated. Some say it is sufficient that it be covered by one covering, since the mezuzah is at a place where it is more than ten tefachim from other property and is fixed on the wall (Taz Yoreh De’ah 286:5; Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Maamar Mordechai), and some say two coverings are required (Magen Avraham, Derech HaChaim, Mishnah Berurah 40:7). In practice, people customarily cover with two coverings, since in addition, it is customary today to cover the scroll with a plastic cover.
Which Rooms are Exempt
Q: Why are bathrooms exempt?
A: Because they are rooms whose entire purpose is for a disrespected use, unlike a bedroom which is not primarily intended for a disrespectful use. This is the rule: rooms whose entire purpose is for use involving exposure of the body, such as bathrooms, mikvahs, and changing rooms, delivery and surgery rooms—because their primary purpose is for a disrespectful use—they are not considered a house, and are exempt from a mezuzah (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 286:4). Also, rooms whose entire purpose is for a disrespectful use, such as latrines, rooms for garbage bins, or for tanning skins—are exempt from a mezuzah. Likewise stables and coops are exempt (Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh De’ah 286:6).
Is a Bomb Shelter Obligated in a Mezuzah
A bomb shelter is obligated in a mezuzah, since it has furniture and is intended for dwelling in time of war, and even in peacetime, is sometimes used for various needs. But if it is empty of furniture, and is not used for purposes other than protection in wartime—it is exempt, since it is considered a temporary dwelling, and a temporary dwelling is exempt from a mezuzah (Divrei Yehoshua 4:21; Binyan Av part I 44:4).
Shops and Storage Rooms
Q: I heard that in a certain shop they performed a mezuzah affixing ceremony and invited a rabbi to bless the mezuzah. Yet I learned in the Shulchan Aruch that shops are exempt. Was the mezuzah ceremony in the shop proper?
A: Indeed, Maimonides and the Shulchan Aruch wrote that “the shops in the markets” are exempt from a mezuzah (Yoreh De’ah 286:11). This is difficult, since a storage room in which one places wood or oil or anything, even if it is in the courtyard of the house and not attached to the house, is obligated in a mezuzah (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 286:1–2). Some explain that the shop is considered a temporary dwelling because it is far from the house and one does not enter it sometimes at night, whereas a storehouse in the courtyard is sometimes entered at night (Taz Yoreh De’ah 286:11; Chayei Adam 15:11, etc.). However, the main opinion is that the shop referred to in the Shulchan Aruch is a temporary stall set up at a fair and active only a week a year, but a regular shop that has merchandise throughout the year is obligated in a mezuzah (Yad HaKattan Mezuzah 2:21; Petaḥei Teshuvah Yoreh De’ah 286:10; Chadrei De’ah 286:10; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:14). And although some say that because of doubt one should not bless (Ben Ish Chai, Second Year Ki Tavo; Masgeret HaShulchan 11:11), since nowadays people also eat in shops and make any usage needed by the shop owner, they are considered like a home, and one should affix a mezuzah there with a blessing (see Shevet HaLevi 10:4; Agur BeAhiloch 34:40).
Synagogue and Study Hall
Q: Do you affix a mezuzah with a blessing in a synagogue?
A: A synagogue is exempt from a mezuzah, because the commandment is to affix mezuzot in the dwelling house of a person, as it says: “and you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house” (Deut. 11:20), whereas a synagogue is a sacred place not made for dwelling. However, when they used to lodge poor guests in the synagogue, all the doorways through which the poor guests entered the place where they slept and ate, were obligated in a mezuzah (Yoma 11b; Rambam Mezuzah 6:6; Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 286:3).
According to the majority of the early authorities, a study hall is also exempt from a mezuzah, since it is a sacred place not intended for dwelling (Bach, Rambam, Ritva, etc.), and even if people eat and drink there, this is only for the sake of study in order to prevent neglect of Torah, and not as is customary in a home. On the other hand, some say that since people sit in the study hall all day, and sometimes even eat and drink there, it is similar to a person’s dwelling and one must affix a mezuzah (Maharam of Rothenburg, Mordechai).
In practice, it is ruled that it is proper to affix mezuzot in a study hall without a blessing (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 286:10). And because today synagogues also serve as study halls, they are also commonly affixed with mezuzot without a blessing (see Ruach Chaim Palaggi Yoreh De’ah 3; Kuntres HaMezuzah 286:80).
School
Q: Must a mezuzah be affixed with a blessing in schools?
A: A school is obligated in a mezuzah with a blessing, since it serves as a home for students and teachers who remain there many hours a day for the purpose of study, and even for eating. Some hold that its law is like a study hall for which a mezuzah is affixed without a blessing (Rav Chaim David Halevi, Mayim Chayim I:72; and also in Hilchot Olam vol. 8 p. 72 for a different reason). However, the study hall is exempt because it is a house designated for holy matters, and therefore, is not considered a person’s home. In contrast, a school is also intended for secular studies, and even eating there is not merely afterwards to prevent neglect of Torah, but it is proper for students to eat there, because it is considered their home during study. And also, it contains equipment that remains all year, and then its law is like a storage room. Thus wrote my friend Rav Shaul David Buchko (Be’ikvot HaMechaber, vol. 3:29).
Hospital and Health Fund Clinics
Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes that belong to Jews are obligated in a mezuzah. Likewise, the law applies to hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes belonging to the State of Israel, or to a health fund whose majority of members are Jews (Rav Unterman and Rav Nissim, Shevet Mi’Yehuda Yoreh De’ah).
Wording of the Blessing in a School and in a Clinic
Q: What wording should one use for the blessing on the mezuzah in a school or health clinic?
A: When the owner blesses, the wording is “to affix a mezuzah” (likboa mezuzah), and when someone else blesses, the wording is “on the affixing of a mezuzah” (al keviat mezuzah).
Therefore, when one of the users of the school affixes the mezuzah, he should bless “to affix a mezuzah.” And when they honor a person who is not among the obligated workers or adult students to bless, he should say “on the affixing of a mezuzah.” Likewise in a clinic, if one of the staff of the place affixes the mezuzah, he should say “to affix a mezuzah.” But if they honor a distinguished guest to bless on the mezuzah, he should say “on the affixing of a mezuzah”.
Military Camps
Rooms under IDF authority are obligated in a mezuzah, and since the obligation is on the army as a whole, any soldier who affixes a mezuzah should say al keviat mezuzah (on the affixing of a mezuzah) (Halacha KeSederah BaTzahal 7:1)
Prison
Some authorities say that a prisoner confined in a jail belonging to non‑Jews, although he is confined there more than thirty days, is exempt from a mezuzah, because it is not a respectable dwelling (Beit Hillel Yoreh De’ah 286:2). However, according to the majority of poskim, since in practice he lives there, and even an involuntary dwelling is considered a dwelling—he is obligated to affix a mezuzah on the cell door (Shaar Ephraim 173; Teshuvah Me’ahavah; Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh De’ah 286:4; Hillel says Yoreh De’ah 127).
In the Land of Israel, Rav Uziel ztz”l ruled that since the prison belongs to the State of Israel, the prison administration is obligated to affix mezuzot on all rooms (Mishpetei Uziel VI, 77). But in cells where prisoners who are enemies of Israel could desecrate the mezuzah, one should not affix a mezuzah (Shach Yoreh De’ah 286:7).
Sukkah and Caravan
A temporary dwelling, such as a sukkah on the Festival of Sukkot, is exempt from a mezuzah, because the obligation of the mezuzah is for a permanent dwelling, and a temporary dwelling is not considered a person’s house (Rambam Mezuzah 6:9; Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 286:11).
But a caravan vehicle in which one habitually lives, is obligated in a mezuzah with a blessing. And although sometimes one travels from place to place in it, since they live in it as a permanent residence, it is obligated in a mezuzah. However, if the caravan is used for recreation a few times a year, and each time one stays in it less than thirty days, it is considered a temporary dwelling, and is exempt from a mezuzah.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.
