Jewish Mezuzah

I have a mezuzah question?

Yesterday when I was at my friend’s house she was surprised that I touched her mezuzah before entering her house. She said she had been taught that you only touched a mezuzah and kissed your fingers when entering your own house. I was taught that you touch a mezuzah before you enter any door that has one (if you’re Jewish obviously) because it recognizes the mitvah and asks G-d for blessing. So who’s right?

Kissing a Mezuzah as yoy enter the doorway is a custom, a sign of respect. As it is a custom, rather than halachah, it may well be that different communities have different practices in this regard, both of which are equally valid since when it comes to halachah mi’d'chukotai we go according to our community. So., while the general custom is that we kiss any mezuzah, if some community has a different custom, that is just a variation and just as valid.

A note on halachah mi’d'chukotai
I realised after typing out the above that many may not recognise this term.so I though to add this note: There are three sources of halachah-
1) mi’d'oraiso; the halacaha from the Torah (both written and oral)
2) mi’d'rabbanan- the halachah that was decided on by the Anshei Knesset Hagadol, Rabbinical courts accepted by all or the Prophets- examples of this would be the Gemorrah and the rulings passed by Ezra in regards to certain practices on Shabbos
3) mi’chukotai- these are halachahot that are not halachahot… Basically this category covers those practices that are accepted by an community and become as binding as a halachah because of their general acceptance. A good example of this is kitniot on Pesach- eaten by th eSephardi community but not by the Ashkenazi. Another very common example that applies to all communities is the kippa (yarmulke also kown as skullcap in English). It is not a halachah to wear one when praying, but the requirement to wear one is so universaqlly accepted that is is as if it were a halachah

Kissing the Jewish Mezuzah Learn Online

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