Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Mezuzah in an office

Question:
I work in a non-Jewish environment in my office, in fact I am the only Jew on my floor. Do I need to put a mezuza on my door of my office?

Answer:
The Rema in Yoreh Deah Deah 186:1 writes that a house shared with a non-Jew is exempt from a mezuzah, because, as the Rishonim explain, there might be a potential danger stemming from animosity. (Note that the Rashba and other poskim includinging the Bedek Habayis authored by Rav Yosef Kairo held that in the above case one is obligated to have mezuzahs since they are intended to protect the home {unless there was a true danger by placing them}).

Therefore the general topic is in dispute among the poskim, however, since your work room is designated for you and is not shared by others it would require a mezuza. This is similar to the case of a Jew and non-Jew living in the same home where the Jewish person would need to place a mezuza on his or her personal room (Responsa Shvut Yakov 3:89, this is when their is no suspected danger). Today, I would like to note that we are not living in the days of danger among hostile gentiles (like it was in the times when the Shulchan Aruch was written) and where religious freedom is widely tolerated.

With regard to whether or not you should make a blessing, in the case of an office, you would need to consult a Rav since it depends on your types of activity and time you spend in the environment of your office.

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