Mezuzoth

MEZUZOTH. This is the Name given by the Jews to certain Pieces of Parchment, that they fix in the Door-posts of their Houses; taking that literally, that Moses orders them, Deut. vi. 9. xi. 13. saying, Thou shalt never forget the Laws of thy God, but thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thy House, and on thy Gates. This Expression means nothing else, but that thou shalt always remember them, whether thou comest into thy House, or goest out. But the Hebrew Doctors imagined, that the Lawgiver meant something more than this. They pretended, that to avoid making themselves ridiculous, by writing the Commandments of God without their Doors, or rather to avoid exposing them to the Prophanation of the wicked, they ought at least to write them on a Parchment, and to enclose it in something. Therefore they wrote these Words upon a square Piece of Parchment prepared on Purpose, with a particular Ink, and a square kind of Character, Deut. vi. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, &c. Then they left a little Space, and afterwards went on, Deut. xi. 13. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently to my Commandments, &c. as far as, Thou shalt write them upon the Door-posts of thy House, &c. After this they rolled up the Parchment, they put it into a Case of Reeds, or other Matter; they wrote on the End of the Case the Word Shadai, which is one of the Names of God; they put it at the Doors of their Houses, Chambers, and all Places most frequented; they fixed it to the Knockers of the Door on the right Side, and as often as they entered in or went out, they touched it in this Place with the End of their Finger, which they afterwards kissed out of Devotion. The Hebrew Word Mezuza properly signifies the Door-posts of an House; but it is also given to this Roll of Parchment now mentioned. Leo of Modena may be consulted upon the Ceremonies of the Jews, Part i. c. 2.

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