Where do I put the mezuzah on a tall doorway?

The halacha is to place the mezuzah at the begining of the top third of the doorway. As long as it is at least one tefach (handbreadth, about four and one half inches) from the top of the doorway it is kosher. If the doorway is very high, the mezuzah is placed at shoulder height. What is considered very high? If the mezuzah would be above the face of a normal person, the doorway is considered ‘very tall’ and the mezuzah should be placed at shoulder height. The reason for this is that mezuzos are meant to be seen, so that we remember Hashem and his torah.

Used Sefer Torah Wanted

I am interested in purchasing a good used sefer torah. If you have a sefer torah that is not being used and would like to sell it please contact me. I will evaluate it and offer you a fair price.

If you are interested in purchasing a good used sefer torah please contact me. I am currently upgrading my inventory.

Melech Michaels

845-290-2546

If this is the letter ‘Vov’ how can that be the letter ‘Raish’?

 

Here is a picture of a mezuzah that I was checking on a Mezuzah House Call in Monsey, NY on 4/28/10. Take a look at the last letter on the top line. While it is supposed to be a ‘vov’, the top is to long and it is taking on a characteristic of a ‘raish’. Now look at the second to last word on the bottom line. The last letter is supposed to be a ‘raish’ but the gog (roof) is so short that it looks like a ‘vov’. What is interesting here is that within the same mezuzah we have two letters that are contradicting each other. If the ‘vov’ is a ‘vov’, than the ‘raish’ can’t possibly be a ‘raish’. It is as if the top line of this mezuzah is testifing against the bottom line! The ‘vov on the top line appears to be at least as long as the ‘raish on the bottom line. In fact, depending on where you begin measuring from, the ‘vov’ on the top line is actually longer than the ‘raish’. Here’s something to think about: Which is worse? The ‘vov’ or the ‘raish’? I would venture to say that the ‘vov’ on top is worse. I have brought mezuzos with ‘raishes’ with short gagim (tops) to rabonim an they were machshir (approved) them.

New Megillos For Sale

Used Megillah For Sale: $450.00

This Megillah is about sixty years old. The writing is nice and for the most part strong and black, but there are some spots that are fading. I am selling it ‘as is’. I will not put time into fixing up the faded spots because that would necessitate raising the price. If you have $600 to spend you should go with a new megillah. This megillah is right for you if $450 is your limit. If you look closely you will see that somebody wrote in some of the cantillation marks. You will also notice that the last amud (column) was rewritten and sewn on.

 

Peshutos Mehudaros Tefillin Photo Gallery

 

  

 Here are pictures of every aspect of the Peshutos Mehudaros Tefillin sets. To purchase this set click here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

To go back to item click here.

Wearing Watch While Wearing Tefillin

 

Is it permitted to wear a watch on the wrist while you are wearing tefillin? According to the basic halachah it is permitted, however it is a very positive thing to remove items such as watches. Reb Avraham Tzvi Wosner.

Tefillin Waves vs. Radio Waves

Reb Eliya Lopian ZT”L once asked a talmid if a radio works ithout being plugged in. The talmid answered, “Yes!” Next, Reb Eliya asked, “If a small crystal is missing, does it still work?” The talmid replied, “No!” Reb Eliya continued, “If so, why is it hard to believe that a box on our head can channel kedushah from shomyim (heaven) without any visible connection and it does not work if a letter is missing?”

Refund Policy

If for any reason you are not satisfied with something you bought from Rabbi Michaels, you will receive a full 100% refund (excluding shipping , custom orders, and orders that are returned in damaged condition). Even rolled up mezuzos and completed tefillin sets will be accepted for refunds.

Last sofer who checked these tefillin ruined the battim and the parshios!

I recently opened a set of tefillin to check the parshios. When I took out the first parsha of the shel rosh, I found several holes in the klaf. My first thought was, “Did I damage them while taking them out of the battim?” While it is possible to damage parshios while taking them out of the battim, it seemed to me remote that I would’nt have noticed that I was damaging them. I studied the holes for a long time. I questioned myself, “Five Holes, how could you make five holes?” I took some scraps of klaf and made some test holes so I could see how much force it would take to make five holes. My conclusion was that it would take much more force than I could possibly exerted without being aware of doing it. Could they have been like that all along? But then why didn’t the last sofer who worked on them notice such an obvious problem? I turned the problem over in my head again and again. The next morning my battim machir (battim repair specialist) called me on the phone. “Melech, the battim are posel! They have a hole in the compartment for the fist parsha.” I was trying to comprehend. After going over this new aspect to the story I was starting to get it. Apparently what happened was that the sofer who last checked these tefillin was drilling out the holes that are used to sew the battim together. This is done to clean out any leftover bits of giddim (thread made from the sinews of a cow’s ankle) and paint so that the needle will easily pass through the holes. Unfortunately the drill went off course, pierced the bayis, and went through the parsha five times! When my battim macher was cleaning out the holes, his drill bit followed the course of least resistance: through the path of the original hole that the last sofer made.

Both the parshios and the battim are now possel. For the past four years the customer has been wearing posel tefillin and has not properly fulfilled the mitzvah. He informed me that since he is S’faradi, he only makes one bracha on tefillin so he was not making a bracha l’vatala (a blessing in vain).

Several things that can be learned from this incident but perhaps the most important lesson is that even with the best intentions mistakes will happen. If a sofer tells you he has never messed up, find yourself a new sofer who is more honest with himself and with you. The thing is, when something happens, we have to be responsible enough to not just assume everything is OK. We have to find out how far the problem goes. In this case the sofer had to know he made a hole, because the hole was filled in and painted over. It didn’t get filled in and painted over by itself. I guess he just told himself, “It probably didn’t go through the parshios, and it probably doesn’t possel the battim”. I think you would agree, ‘probably’ doesn’t cut it when it comes to your tefillin, does it?

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