Laundry Room

Does a laundry room need a mezzuzah? If yes, would it require a blessing for posting it? Some poskim wrote that it is exempt since it is a room which is assumed to be a "makom tinuf" (a dirty room which has soiled diapers on a set basis). Today this is simply not the case, since we use disposable diapers etc... Therefore it is necessary to place a mezuza on a laundry room. However According to the Responsa Shavet Halevy (2:152) if a laundry room is under 4 by 4 amos in size it is exempt, this is with the impression that the room is unclean from soiled baby clothes and therefore it is not a respectful place to put a mezuzah (See Yoreh Deah 286:4). Rav Moshe Weiner wrote to me:"I think laundry rooms in today's houses, if they are less than 4x4 you should put up a mezuza without a bracha."

Moving from your home

Question: If one moves from their home do they have to leave their mezuzahs behind? Answer: Yes, all the mezuzahs need to remain up when one moves from their home, the Talmud in Bava Metzia (102,a) tells of a man that took down his mezuzahs when he moved out and unfortunate things happened afterwards. This above stated Halacha applies only to when a Jew moves in. If a non Jew will move in one must take all of their mezuzahs down before they leave (when in doubt if a non Jew will move in Rabbi Moshe Weiner, a world renown posek from Jerusalem told me that one can take down their mezuzahs out of doubt (it is proper to have them checked when one takes down their mezuzahs). If one is renting from a non Jew when leaving they should also take down their mezuzahs (Pischei Teshuva 291:9). If the previous owner wants to take their mezuzahs with them before they move out, they may do so and then place up other simple kosher mezuzah scrolls in their place(Daat Kedoshim 291:1). Since many poskim hold that one may not take down mezuzahs to switch them, therefore the proper advice is to take them down with the intention of having them checked afterwards one may place different mezuzahs in their place. If the owner of the mezuzah wants he may request from the Jew that is moving in to pay for the mezuzah scrolls that are hung up (Rema ibid). If the new tenent took down the old mezuzahs the old tenent may request the mezuzahs back.

A mezuzah not rolled up

This mezuzah is not rolled up as required by Jewish law (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 288:14). Halacha requires that the scroll should be rolled from left to right i.e. the word "Echad" going to "Shema". Although the posture spread out flat does not invalidate it, for it is kosher after the fact, still it must be fixed. I was not surprised

when I opened the mezuzah case to discover that it was printed on paper. Therefore the mezuzah is 100% not kosher. A mezuzah scroll must be written by a certified G-d fearing scribe on special parchment.

Defining the right entrance when there is no heker tzir

In this picture you can see that two mezuzahs were placed on the right side leading into the more important room. I will now explain why this is so. I will note that this is also the common Chabad practice. In the sefer Nesivim Besadeh Hashlichus (Rabbi Raskin, a Dayan in London) p. 90 writes that when there is no heker tzir (and it is possible to reach to the intended room from 2 different directions) and it is not a front door, we find 3 opinions on how to judge the right side for a mezuzah. 1 the closest entry from the outside public thoroughfare i.e. the chitzon via pnimi logic i.e. the house has two entrances leading into it, we take always from the entrance from the closest to the public domain and do not consider what is important 'chashuv' or not (Siddur Derech Chayim) 2 More common entrance, 'rov tashmisho' (Gidoli Hakosdesh 289:7) 3 Importance, 'chashivus' (Daas kedoshim 289:11) The author writes the common practice (in Chabad) is like the 3rd approach, and he quotes the Kovetz Razash p. 58 (authored by Rav Shimon Zalman Dvorkin, a reputable Rav of Crown Heights, who passed away in the late 80's) . He also writes that to his opinion the kovetz Razash rule of following importance 'chashivos' is referring to when one has two way access from either way, in such a case we do not choose 1 or 2 but davka chashivos. If however the chashuv room leads into a tafel room and there is no other entrance to that room but through the chashuv room similarly if the main entrance is through the chashuv room going into the less chashuv room than we go after chitzon pnimi klal. Although the author did not go into the reason it makes sense. For the following: 1 if one had a short hallway 1.5 meters long, and two door less doors, on one side leading into a kitchen and the other side leading into a dining hall would we say that each mezuza should face opposite directions? no, we take one direction for both of them even though you can say that the kitchen is more chashuv than the hall and the dining room is more chashuv than the other side of the hall. 2 We cannot compare are non compromising svara of heker tzir (besides for main entrances) to chashuv i.e. the rule is not always followed blindly because heker tzir has to do with the baalus of the door while chashuv is an interpretation in 'derech biascha'. Seemingly the shach is also not a proof,as mentioned the makor of chashivos is from the daas kedoshim which was not talking about the situation of heker tzir. In cases when it is not derech biascha for example when there is no other entry except from the chashuv into the less chashuv or the main way is from chashuv into non chashuv we go by the 'derech biascha' bepashtus.

Counter top

The correct location for placing the mezuzah is on the counter top, (indicated by the left red arrow). The reason is as follows, since the counter top is higher than 10 tefachim, it is regarded as if the wall goes to the ceiling as indicated by the green arrows.In Halacha this concept is called 'Gud Asik Mechitzasa' which means 'the wall is considered as if it goes up' (see Rambam Hilchos Sukkah 4:4). See also the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:12.

Tenant being harassed to take down their mezuzah

This is a shocking video of a Jewish tenant being fined $50 a day for having a mezuzah up on their door post, while on the same floor their are crosses and easter bunnies hanging on many doors.
This sounds like other familiar times in our history...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjCB1tnn53Y&feature=relmfu

Mezuzah on incorrect part of the gate

This mezuzah is not in its correct location, it is invalid as is, it needs to be where the red arrow is pointing to which is the actual gate entrance.