Mezuzoh placement, touching, and kissing

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17 Mar 2009 14:23 #943 by rallisw
a) According to Minhag Ashkenaz, how does one position a mezuzoh? I understand that most people position a mezuzoh on an angle into the room. My father and a close family friend, also a Yekke, positioned a mezuzoh straight up and down, like Rashi and like the Sephardim.

b) Does one only touch a mezuzoh when entering a room or is one obligated to touch it and to kiss one's hand?

Rallis

Minhag Avoseinu Torah Hee!

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01 Apr 2009 02:33 #975 by Michael
Replied by Michael on topic Mezuzoh placement, touching, and kissing
Rashi holds that one should place the Mezuzoh straight up (vertically), and Rabbeinu Tam holds that it should be placed laying down (horizontally).

Tosfos says, that as a compromise between the minhogim, the Mezuzoh is placed diagonally.

The Rosh says that the minhog is as Rashi, to put the Mezuzoh straight upward (that was the old minhog). In Worms that was the minhog until our days.

The Maharil brings that the minhog is to put the Mezuzoh diagonally, and that is the common Ashkenaz minhog.

The Chazon Ish put the Mezuzoh straight with a slight tilt.

Michael FRBSH

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01 Apr 2009 21:06 #976 by Michael
Replied by Michael on topic Mezuzoh placement, touching, and kissing
Yosef Ometz says that when one leaves his house he should put his hand on the Mezuzoh and say a nusach. Then he continues that his father used to touch the Mezuzoh 3 times and then kiss his hand and pass his hands on his eyes.
There is a book of 300 years ago that mentions that one touches the Mezuzoh and kisses his hand and says Hashem Yishmereinu.
Generally in most sources one kissed his hand also and one said a nusach almost in all sources, (but the nusach itself changes from source to source. In addition - maybe the nusach was only when they went out traveling).

Michael FRBSH

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23 May 2010 13:06 #1756 by Daniel
Replied by Daniel on topic Mezuzoh placement, touching, and kissing
R' Hamburger seems to imply in the "Minhagim of Worms" that the prevalent Minhag in Germany was to place the Mezuzah vertically and not on an angle. Is this the common Minhag today?

Daniel

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04 Jun 2010 17:43 #1760 by Michael
Replied by Michael on topic Mezuzoh placement, touching, and kissing
No, the common Minhag is to put the Mezuzoh diagonally.

Michael

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