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Kissing the Doorpost

lutherangirl

lutherangirl

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Female
I hope someone can answer this question for me. I was watching a couple of movies this weekend that showed Jewish men kissing their hand then touching what it appeared to be the front door post of their houses. Then in one scene the man was being forced out of his home, and he pulled what appeared to be a silver plate of the door post before he left. Is this a Jewish tradition or something that I missed in the Bible?

Thanks,

Michelle
 
The little box on the door(s) is called a mezuzah, Michelle.

If you are ever in a "Judiaca" shop (or any Christian bookstore with a good Messianic section), you will be able to see one.

They are traditional, but based directly on the Scripture which is so fundamental that it is widely known simply as the 'Shema' in Hebrew -- Deut. 6, starting in verse 4:

"Shema, Yisrael, YHVH Elohenu, YHVH Echad..."

which in the King James English is,
Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One!

It continues:

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

And these verses are literally put into the mezuzah, so that people are reminded of them, as they "come in" and "go out" of their houses.


Blessings,
Mark
 
Mark,

Thanks so much for answering my question. What a beautiful item to have. I think I might just purchase one for my home. :D

Blessings back to you,

Michelle
 
Agreed. They can be real works of art, and a lovely tradition.

Of course, you could also be one of these weird folks who figure this passage in Deuteronomy comes just about the same spot as the 10 commandments, and it doesn't say to write them on a little piece of paper and roll it up and hide it in a cute little box attached to your doorposts, but to write it on the door posts.

Maybe we oughta go down to Office Depot, get a nice gold paint pen, and write the first four, which deal with our duty to God, directly onto one doorpost, the remaining six, which deal with our duty to each other, on the other doorpost, and "God is Love" or perhaps one of the verses about how He never changes, across the lintel.

Haven't done it, but I do think about it occasionally.
 
Cecil,

That would be a good form of evangelism to the mailmen/women delivering your mail if your mailbox is close by your front door or even to the newspaper boy/girl delivering. Not a bad idea at all. :D

Michelle
 
Would be a great tool for self accountability as well.
 
Cecil is absolutely correct, of course. The commandment is to literally "write them" on the mezuzah or doorposts of our house, and on our gates, and to teach them to our children, to keep them in our hearts, and remember them. And that commandment was NEVER "only for Jews", Simon -- but for all of those who wanted to be obedient to Him, and included in His house.

I've always wanted to have an archway with even just the first six words stretching over the entry:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃
 
Mark C said:
Cecil is absolutely correct, of course. The commandment is to literally "write them" on the mezuzah or doorposts of our house, and on our gates, and to teach them to our children, to keep them in our hearts, and remember them. And that commandment was NEVER "only for Jews", Simon -- but for all of those who wanted to be obedient to Him, and included in His house.

I've always wanted to have an archway with even just the first six words stretching over the entry:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃
Click to expand...

Totally agree. If I was the least bit handy or artistic I would do it.
 
There are magnetic ones available to place on cars as well.
 
DiscussingTheTopic said:
Does it actually say to kiss them or just place them there?
Click to expand...

No it does not say kiss. It is a reminder of what are supposed to do and who we are.

You kiss (touch muzahah and kiss hand where touched) to show respect to G-D's Torah. This is similar to kissing the Torah scrolls and carrying and dancing with them. I know this last last part will make no sense to the majority of goyim out there.

Torah = Life. etz chayim.
 
macike said:
DiscussingTheTopic said:
Does it actually say to kiss them or just place them there?
Click to expand...

No it does not say kiss. It is a reminder of what are supposed to do and who we are.

You kiss (touch muzahah and kiss hand where touched) to show respect to G-D's Torah. This is similar to kissing the Torah scrolls and carrying and dancing with them. I know this last last part will make no sense to the majority of goyim out there.

Torah = Life. etz chayim.
Click to expand...

So someone who does not know the books of Moses and is unwilling to read the books of Moses, is insistent he wants to become a "Jew" and even a "Rabbi," once I visited a synagogue and he told me to kiss the thing on the wall and I told him that is not in the books of Moses so I do not have to do it.
 
There's a disconnect there, DTT, unless your comment wasn't clear. In the common vernacular (whether it is correct or not) those terms "Jew" and "rabbi" are applied to "rabbinic Judaism", what was once "Pharisaism". BY THEIR DOCTRINE (much like the Nicolaitan position of the 'Catholic' church, based on the claim of 'apostolic succession') they claim the authority to REWRITE the Word of YHVH (by "adding to" and "subtracting from" what is Written - whether they call it 'Talmud', or 'papal encyclicals', or meet as historic "Councils" to do so.)


So - if "someone" wants to become part of such a "religion", it involves entering into submission to that false creed. (Not advisable, IMHO. ;) )

A self-proclaimed wannabe "rabbi" thus by definition (theirs) accepts their authority...and obeys THEIR rules, their "traditions", their 'halachah', rather than His. They say 'kiss' what has been made into an idol...not because His Word says so, but because their TRADITION does. Hope that's clear.
 
DiscussingTheTopic said:
So someone who does not know the books of Moses and is unwilling to read the books of Moses, is insistent he wants to become a "Jew" and even a "Rabbi," once I visited a synagogue and he told me to kiss the thing on the wall and I told him that is not in the books of Moses so I do not have to do it.
Click to expand...

Why anyone would want to be a jew (I guess that is the first question) and have no love of Torah would be beyond me. Judaism, even liberal Judaism, is connected to Torah. Torah is etz chayim or the Tree of Life.

This 'jew' and 'rabbi' person sounds at best like a messy (messianic who is clueless) at best on a good day.

If you visited a real Shul, I doubt that someone would encourage you to kiss the Mezuzah. If it was a real one then thank you for once again trashing believers of King Messiah and making our job much more difficult once again reenforcing the idea that Christians are idiots.

If it was a messy (or maybe a messianic) congregation then all bets are off. Personally I would not have asked you, I would have explained what it was and what we do and why we do what we do. If you decide not to kiss the Mezuzah then whatever you want. Which is what American Christians do for the most part, pick and choose what they like.

I honor, as best as I can, what our forefathers have done. I try to follow tradition as best as I can. Torah is not only law from G-D it is the tradition handed down as a heritage.

As I have said often, think about what we are doing. FOr the most part some of the traditions and prayers have been handed down father to son for 2000 years some 1000 years, some maybe 500 years. I honor those who have gone before and have suffered and died for the faith.
 
If you visited a real Shul, I doubt that someone would encourage you to kiss the Mezuzah. If it was a real one then thank you for once again trashing believers of King Messiah and making our job much more difficult once again reenforcing the idea that Christians are idiots.

Oh, the guy who told me to kiss that thing on the wall is really messed up.

Once he told me to drop him off at the synagogue in a car-ride but park really far away so no one sees me drive him there.

I told him that if it is wrong to drive on the sabbath or ride a car in the Sabbath then he should not ask me to do that, but if it is fine, then why does he have to hide that he is getting a car ride on the Sabbath.

He also told me he choose the "type" of "Jew" he is because it is easier than orthodox since he is allowed to lie. So as I see it he obviously is not a "Jew" to seek the truth since falsehood is so precious to him, that he feels the need to be allowed to lie before deciding a religion.


I could go on and continue to give ridiculous example after ridiculous example but, I think that is not the best thing to do with my time.
.......

So I felt my response to this guy that such and such are not in the Torah is quite appropriate, because it seemed to me that following those rules was only to get a good impression with people for him.
 
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