Do closets need Mezuzahs?

Do closets need a mezuzah?
The Pischei Teshuva 286:11 writes that a closet smaller than 4 by 4 amos requires a mezuzah. It is proper (as a chumrah *stringency) to place mezuzahs on closets provided one can walk into them. Rabbi Moshe Weiner (a Chabad Posek from Jerusalem) wrote: "Since a closet is actually an "otzar" a room that although not for dwelling, it is a place a person keeps his needs, and we pasken that otzarot are chayov, and any room part of the house should have a mezuza even if the size is less than 4x4 amos. Therefore in any case they should have a mezuza, however, no bracha is recited on rooms less than 4x4 amos".

I asked Rav Weiner if he agrees that that a closet smaller than 4 by 4 is merely a stringency or an actual obligation like other livable rooms of the house? This is his answer:"I would say it is between a chumra (stingency) and din (conventional law), because it involves 2 issues a small room less than 4x4 inside a house, and also
a otzar (storage room) - so it is hallachicaly something like a sfek-sfeka (double doubt). Still one should be careful to put a mezuza there.
Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Raskin(Dayan of Lubavitch community of London)wrote on this issue,"AS (Chabad)CHASSIDIM, WE ARE INCLINED 'LIFNIM MISHURAS HADIN'. AS SUCH, I DO FOLLOW THIS CHUMRA, PROVIDED THAT IT IS A WALK-IN CLOSET.

I will note that many Rabbonim are more lenient with closets and do not instruct the placing of a mezzuzah on a closet if it is less than 4 by 4 amos, however if it does reach that size all opinions require a mezuzah.

Concerning measuring the size (in order to make a bracha if it is at least 4 by 4 amos i.e. 37 square feet), how do we measure the closet space? do we only consider the non taken up closet space as part of the 4 by 4 or even the space which is taken up by shelves?
Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Raskin responded: "REGARDING MEASUREMENTS [FOR SAYING A BROCHO] - IT IS MISTAVER THAT FURNITURE THAT ENABLES THE USE OF THE ROOM SHOULD NOT DETRACT FROM ITS MEASUREMENTS. WOULD ANYONE SUGGEST THAT A BED DIMINISHES THE SIZE OF A SMALL 4X4 BEDROOM?" Later I found from the Shulchan Aruch HaRav 358:? which shows this idea in the same context regarding the measuring of space (for the laws of erecting an eruv).

A Slideable detachable mezuzah?

I came a across a mezuzah case, where it slides off the rack, this is to allow easy access to have it checked without the pain of having to put new wholes in the wall. It is a special patented invention, sounds cute and smart, however this is not an adequate setting to the doorpost which halacha requires. See Yoreh Deah 189:4- that one should affix a Mezuzah with nails, (as to make it permanent). Note, that the blessing we recite is "Likboah Mezuzah"... to set a Mezuzah (scroll)- showing that it should be made in a permanent way.
It is self understood that one could not make a bracha on seting such a case either.
Now, it has been shown to me that this case was already mentioned in the Sefer Pischei Shearim p. 334 that it is not kosher.

A side room completely open into the bigger room

In this picture you see a side room which is part of a bigger room, there is no door post or frame separating between this inner room. There is no place to be stringent and attach a mezuzah on this inner room since it is considered subordinate to the bigger room. The following is a reponse I recieved from Rav Moshe Weiner (Jerusalem), (I wrote the basic idea in English).

בחובת הדר פרק ז סעיפים ו, ז, מבואר שפתח כזה שאין לו מזוזות מהצדדים, וגם אינו נחשב כלל לשימוש שונה מהחדר המרכזי פטור ממזוזה (ובתמונה נראה ברור שזה המשך מהחדר המרכזי של בית הכנסת], משום שאינו חדר לעצמו אלא כפינה מהחדר הגדול.
ויש להעיר דלפעמים בבית יתכן חדרים מסוג זה שנבדלים בשימושם מהחדר הגדול שאליו נפתחים, אם כן יש מקום להחמיר ולחייבם במזוזה בלי ברכה [לפי סברת הרא"ש וטור סי' רפז בפתחא דאקרנא].
When the little room is designated for a clear separate intention than the bigger room, there is room to be stringent and place a mezuzah scroll on the entrance to the little room. Note, that according to the Rosh hilchos mezuzah siman 14 brought in the Beis Yosef chapter 287 a corner edge can suffice as a door post 'pischa dakarna'.

Door less entrance built out of the wall itself

According to a consensus of many poskim an entrance (mezuzah and mashkof) which is from the wall itself should have a mezuzah. No blessing is recited when affixing a mezuzah on such an entrance. See also the sefer Pischei Shearim p. 211-212.

Gate that does not need a mezuzah

This gate does not need a mezuzah scroll, since it does not have a mezuzah (door post frame with a lintel). The requirements for what constitutes a door post are found in Yoreh Deah 287. Even in this picture where there is a roof on top, since it is not connected,rather a different entity,therefore no mezuzah scroll is needed. However according to the Rambam Hilchos Sukkah 4:4 where he explains that if the the extended detached roof is within 3 tefachim of the lower wall (which is 10 tefachim) it is kosher. I need to reevaluate this case.

The importance of having your mezuzahs checked

I was checking this mehudar mezuzah, which I found to be very problematic. Through time part of the ink (dio) on the mezuzah had faded and wore away. In this picture the Final mem turned into a samech! My Halacha Posek, ruled that this mezuzah is not allowed to be fixed (since it now is considered a samech and not a final mem),however some poskim are lenient to allow this letter to be fixed (I will not explain here the reason behind the debate), all agree that it is not proper the way it is.
I will note that this mezuzah was on a bedroom of a person who was sick. So regardless of how much money your mezuzah cost you or who wrote it, it is important to have it checked once every 3 and a half years by an expert Magiah (Sofer Sta"m examiner), as prescribed in the Shulchan Aruch (code of Jewish law), (some check every 12 months).
Many check their mezuzahs when one is sick.

Mezuza covers that are problematic

We all know that a mezuzah scroll needs to be kosher for usage, would anyone ever think that a mezuza cover that are commonly sold also be a problem in kashrus! Concerning mezuzah cases with formed images of people on them (like in this picture) or with a sun or moon on them. What is is the Halacaha of these mezuza cases?

Based on the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 141:3) we are not to even own tzuras (formed images)either bolait (protruding) or shakua (indented) images of the sun and moon. Concerning the image of a person even the face alone is a problem (Taz 141:15). See also the Mechaber 141:4 where some have the girsa (wording) "afilu Lenoi" (even for decorative purposes i.e. not for idolatrous purposes G-d forbid, rather just for mere decoration) see also the Shach ibid:21.

I think concerning a child's mezuzahs it is less of a problem even if it has formed images of different icons on them, similar to the status of a toy, so seems to me as a way to defend those that already have such toy like mezuzah cases hanging on their doors, not that it is endorsed nor Torah like, however not necessarily certainly forbidden. However there might even be an issue with decorative images formed on children mezuzah cases, since there is an importance of looking at the mezuza and to touch it as mentioned in the Talmud with Onkelos the ger (Tractate Avoda Zara 11,a) and it not proper to look (see kitzur Shulchan Aruch 169:4) or touch (in a way of cherishing) such things as would apply to all toys (these mezuzas usually also have a Shin printed on them as well, which could be another problem)(see the Sefer Sheva Mitzvahs Hashem on the prohibition of Avodah zarah chapter 5 with the footnotes).

It therefore would be better to avoid purchasing or selling such mezuza cases or possibly advisable to rub off the nose of a toy human figurine on the mezuza case if one already owned it (see Kitzur Shulchan Aruch ibid:2).
Animal images (in general) are not a problem, see the Shulchan Aruch 141:6, however for a mezuzah case since one touches and some kiss it, it would not be advisable to have it for a mezuza case.

These rules of forbidden tzuros on mezuza cases would apply even if they certainly were not made for to be served as Avoda Zara (idolatry), even if they were crafted by a Jew the same would apply.
Since it is a problem (on some of the aforementioned mezuzah cases), one would not be allowed to assist with putting the mezuza inside the case because "lifneh iver lo sitan michshol".
I presented the picture of this mezuzah to 2 halachik poskim residing in Jerusalem and I will share their responses that I recieved:
Rav Moshe Weiner wrote:
"I must admit, the problem of tzuros lenoy doesn't apply in this case, since this is not a complete face rather a profile only which isn't forbidden (see Kitzur Shulchan Aruch ibid)".


Rav Shammai Gross said for sure not to use such a case and not to sell them either.

Any tzurah of a moon, stars, sun, etc is for sure ossur (forbidden). A trzurah of a person is also ossur. Over here he said he wants to be m'ayin (further investigate) since l'maseh it's only half a face. Aside from what it says there in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah he gave another reason not to use this since one is going to kiss the mezuzah when they pass by it. For sure one should not kiss such a thing.

This article is meant to arouse attention to this issue at hand, everyone should verify with their own competent Rav for Halacha Lemasah.