Part of MyZuzah’s commitment to providing kosher, fair-trade mezuzahs for the front door of Jewish homes is helping people to ensure that their mezuzah scroll (klaf) remains kosher, for as long as it stands guard on your door.
It is customary to check the klaf for any kind damage or deterioration, twice every seven years.
Why You Should Check Your Mezuzah:
Just as a mezuzah takes care of us, we need to take care of the mezuzah! A mezuzah on someone’s home should be checked by a sofer (certified scribe) or magiah (trained checker) twice every seven years to see if they have been affected by weather (moisture and sun), bugs, or anything else that could cause cracks in the letters or damage to the parchment.. Even though your klaf is wrapped and protected inside a waterproof case, constant sun or moisture can eventually degrade the mezuzah parchment, making it non-kosher. The parchment is made from animal skin, and while it has been processed according to traditional methods to make it more robust, it is still susceptible to natural wear.
How to Check your mezuzah:
First, you need to figure out who will help to check your mezuzah. MyZuzah is not yet able to refer you to a local expert, but there are many Jewish resources around the world who can help! There is no universally-approved checking organization, so here are some places you can contact for help with checking your mezuzah:
- Your local rabbi or sofer (scribe)
- Your local Judaica store (ask where they get their mezuzah scrolls and who they trust)
- Your local Jewish community center
If you are unable to find a local contact to help, below are several national resources that may be able to point you in the right direction:
You may be able to find someone to come to your home and check your mezuzah — great! You can wait for them to come and do all the work for you, and you can leave the scroll inside the case. If you have to bring your scroll somewhere else to get it checked, you’ll need to remove the klaf from the protective case for inspection. To remove the klaf, use a pair of tweezers to remove the rubber bottom from your mezuzah case (no need to take it off the wall), and then gently slide the parchment out of the case. Make sure not to bend or crush the rolled parchment when you take it to be checked!
The magiah (checker) will let you know if the scroll is fine to put up again, or if it should be replaced. If your mezuzah is removed for more than a few days during the checking process, you should recite the bracha when you reaffix it. If you plan to put up a new mezuzah to replace the one you had checked, you should definitely say the blessing. Click here for a reminder of how to say it!
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]
It connects us
It Protects us
It unites us
MyZuzah's goal is to put a mezuzah on the front door of every Jewish home in the world.
Our Goal
MyZuzah believes in connecting and protecting all Jews by putting a mezuzah on the front door of every Jewish home. A touchpoint that unites all Jews, the mezuzah’s mystical power has connected and protected the Jewish people since the Exodus.