The last emblem that I want to touch on is the mezuzah. The word mezuzah literally means “doorpost”. It is comprised of two parts: the container and the parchment. The container may be made of practically any material. The container is inscribed in some manner with the Hebrew letter Shin, which is a symbol for YHVH. The parchment inside contains the words from Deu 6:4-9 and 11:12-21. It is written out in precisely 22 lines, which is not surprising since they’re 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The mezuzah is rectangular in shape and is affixed to the right side of the entrance to every observant Hebrew’s home. It is also put at the entrance to every other room in the house except for the bathroom.

Whenever the person goes out the door the mezuzah reminds him that his life is under the authority of the Torah, and that he must demonstrate YHVH’S righteousness and integrity in his own actions. Upon leaving and entering the home they must touch the mezuzah and then kiss their fingertips. In some traditions they recite the verse, “May YHVH keep my going out and my coming in from now on and forever more”. Throughout history the Hebrew people have diligently kept this commandment of attaching the mezuzah. This was especially true in Europe during the time of the Third Reich when many pious Jews refused to hide their identity by removing the mezuzah from their doorpost. The mezuzah signals to the world that what was just a “house” has now become a Torah observant “home”, in effect a mini-temple, where the inhabitants and YHVH dwell together in peace and harmony.