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A friend would like to make a mezuzah case for me, but has never made one before. Are there any restrictions on its construction or design?

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Paul, welcome to Judaism.SE and thanks for the interesting question! – WAF Jul 6 '11 at 21:51

5 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

I would argue the following. A mezuzua case needs to be constructed so that the halachot of hanging a mezuza can be followed.

  1. The casing should have a clear "top", so that the mezuzah can be hung appropriately (not upside down).
  2. The casing should be taller than it is wide.
  3. The casing should have an opening large enough for a scroll, so that the scroll can be rolled, and not bent or shoved.
  4. The casing should not look like some other religion's or religious symbol that is often hung on doors or walls, so that it is clear that it is a mezuzah. (For example, I don't think you could make it into a cross, or horseshoe, or a standard Chamtza)
  5. The casing needs to be weatherproof so that there is no danger of the scroll getting damaged.

Regarding opacity. In Israel they have a few "standard" mezuza cases, these cases are all the same shape and come in white, black, brown, silver.. AND transparent. So I don't see what is wrong with a transparent mezuza as hudreds of people have them.

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Re: 1. Unless you hold like the GR"A that the diagonal hanging unacceptably deviates from both opinions (vertical and horizontal) rather than like other Poskim that believe it is a valid compromise position. But, yes, it should have a definite "top" so that at least it is not hung upside down. – Seth J Jul 7 '11 at 18:21
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Thanks, I didn't know the GR'A held that way, or anybody else. I've edited it appropriately. – avi Jul 7 '11 at 18:29
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See here (and thanks for forcing me to look up and review what I took for granted): thehalacha.com/attach/Volume4/Issue8.pdf – Seth J Jul 7 '11 at 18:33
also, the case should be openable so you can inspect it every seven years or so. – Charles Koppelman May 30 '12 at 19:13
up vote 9 down vote

  1. It would be a good idea to provide your friend with the dimensions of the actual mezuza you plan on using, to ensure that the cavity inside the case will be large enough to accommodate it without having to compress it.

  2. If it will be exposed to the elements, it must be waterproof and durable.

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Re: 1 I've received, more than once, little tiny mezuza covers as gifts. Unfortunately, the mezuzot that would fit in them are more expensive and also more error-prone, since they need to be written with tiny letters. – Isaac Moses Jul 7 '11 at 1:20
up vote 4 down vote

One that comes to mind is that if the m'zuza is within eyeshot of anything disgusting or unbecoming, the case should be opaque so as not to expose the scroll to the unbecoming thing. (KSA 11:18)

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Source, please? (KSA doesn't mention opacity AFAICT.) – msh210♦ Jul 6 '11 at 22:58
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Do we usually require opaque covers when something needs to be covered (e.g. taking a holy book into the bathroom)? – Isaac Moses Jul 7 '11 at 1:18
@msh210 - Are you suggesting that the "covering" he is talking about is not a line-of-sight obstruction but one to prevent coming in contact? – WAF Jul 7 '11 at 1:20
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@msh210 Done. – Isaac Moses Jul 7 '11 at 14:16
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avi's minhag Yisrael argument adds to the necessity to find a clear ;^) source for this requirement. – Isaac Moses Jul 7 '11 at 14:19
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up vote 4 down vote

In addition to the answers already given:

  • There must be a way to attach it to the doorpost or wall. So if you don't want to cover it with tape then it has to be lightweight enough, and of a material, that double-sided tape will hold it to the doorpost or wall, or it has to allow nails or something to hold it to a surface.
  • The m'zuza (scroll) should not fall out of it when it's upright. Any opening should be made with that in mind. (Of course, if the case will be exposed to the elements, then, as Dave's answer mentioned, it should protect the m'zuza from those elements, so there'll likely be no opening anyway.)
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up vote 0 down vote

See this pair of articles about how to affix a Mezuzah for some pointers that may shed light on what type of construction may be required.

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