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I am referring above all to mezuzahs placed on rented spaces in the Diaspora before 30 days have elapsed. In the case of a rented space outside Eretz Yisroel, mezuzah does not become an obligation until 30 days have elapsed from when one moves in. Therefore, one customarily would not say a bracha if affixing the mezuzot before 30 days. (Source: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/132/1516.)

From that source: "If one wishes to affix the Mezuzah but delay recitation of the blessing until the thirtieth day, it should be touched before reciting the blessing. However, it is preferable to remove and reaffix the Mezuzah before reciting the blessing." Note that this does not indicate whether it would be /permissible/ to make a blessing if affixing before the 30 days. Furthermore, there are some sources ( http://dinonline.org/2011/05/30/mezuzah-before-thirty-days/ ) which suggest that mezuze is an obligation before 30 days if one plans to stay there longer. This would imply that a blessing could be made--although again they are not explicit.

What is the answer? Can one make a blessing when putting up a mezuzah before 30 days on a rental outside Eretz Yisroel? (Assume one will be living there long-term.)

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I wrote this up as a question here although it is not an exact duplicate. Like you I believe we might need to say a blessing right away.

See here for one possible source confirming this from R Herschel Schachter in a lecture on whether mezuza is a mitsva d'oraita or d'rabbanan (since the accepted view is that it is d'rabbanan for renters) who concludes that the situation has changed nowadays which might also oblige us in a bracha right away

[The view of the Shach] is that in a rental situation, the landlord may evict his tenant in the midst of the rental period; [...] nowadays, when landlords do not have the right to evict tenants in the middle of the rental contract [...] the renter would be obligated in the mitzvah of mezuzah from the Torah.

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Your question is interesting in that you ask "can one make a blessing when putting up a mezuzah before 30 days..." There seems to be conflicting opinions on this idea. The situation of delaying a blessing usually applies if you don't know how long you're renting for and are concerned you will be living there LESS than 30 days. But if you have a set lease for more than 30 days (and will be living there long term) then according to Chacham Ovadia Yosef and the Ben Ish Chai (two large Sephardic Poskim), you should affix the mezuzah as soon as possible without a b'racha.

However i don't think your link, or the link below with the words of Ovadia Yosef and the Ben Ish Chai forbid someone from saying a b'racha within 30 days. Just that ideally you should wait.

http://www.dailyhalacha.com/m/halacha.aspx?id=597

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  • Actually, the article you linked seems to say that one should NOT make a blessing in this case: "However, as noted by the Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), this applies only if the contract did not specify the duration of the rental agreement. If it was agreed from the outset that the tenant would rent the apartment for a period of thirty or more days, then the tenant must affix Mezuzot on all the doorframes immediately when he moves in. In light of the different opinions that exist, he should not recite a Beracha when affixing the Mezuzot."
    – SAH
    Apr 22, 2016 at 2:18
  • @SAH Yup you're right. i apologize for giving false information. Looks like i missed a critical word in that sentence.
    – Aaron
    Apr 25, 2016 at 21:33

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