Elevating Torah
"Wow, those right-wingers have gone too far!! A mezuza on the entrance to an elevator??"
Yes indeed, in certain places in Israel you will see a mezuza hanging by the elevator. Is this because a mezuza goes on the RIGHT side of the entranceway so the RIGHT wingers like it or is there more to it?
Well, one could learn from Rashi in Menachos 34a [d"h lul] that one must hang a mezuza there. However it isn't so simple and straightforward. Rav Moshe Shternbuch [Tshuvos V'hanhagos 2/547] says to place the mezuza but without a bracha. Of course, if the building belongs to gentiles no mezuza is necessary. The Bi'tzel Hachochma [quoted there] rules that no mezuza need be placed on any elevator [even belonging to Jews].
The term "right wing" or "left wing" or any other label for that matter mean nothing. What really matters is the depth of our relationship to Hashem. The mezuza reminds us every time time we enter a new situation that the only thing that has value in this world is spirituality and those physical acts that will help advance our higher ideals. [See the beautiful passage in the Rambam hilchos mezuza 6/13!]
Maybe placing a mezuza on an elevator symbolizes that whether we are going up or down in life we always must remain connected.
PLEASE DAVEN FOR TINOK BEN AVIVA WHO DESPERATELY NEEDS A REFUAH.
Yes indeed, in certain places in Israel you will see a mezuza hanging by the elevator. Is this because a mezuza goes on the RIGHT side of the entranceway so the RIGHT wingers like it or is there more to it?
Well, one could learn from Rashi in Menachos 34a [d"h lul] that one must hang a mezuza there. However it isn't so simple and straightforward. Rav Moshe Shternbuch [Tshuvos V'hanhagos 2/547] says to place the mezuza but without a bracha. Of course, if the building belongs to gentiles no mezuza is necessary. The Bi'tzel Hachochma [quoted there] rules that no mezuza need be placed on any elevator [even belonging to Jews].
The term "right wing" or "left wing" or any other label for that matter mean nothing. What really matters is the depth of our relationship to Hashem. The mezuza reminds us every time time we enter a new situation that the only thing that has value in this world is spirituality and those physical acts that will help advance our higher ideals. [See the beautiful passage in the Rambam hilchos mezuza 6/13!]
Maybe placing a mezuza on an elevator symbolizes that whether we are going up or down in life we always must remain connected.
PLEASE DAVEN FOR TINOK BEN AVIVA WHO DESPERATELY NEEDS A REFUAH.
Could the Rav explain Rav Sternbuch's Halachic reasoning about the mezuzah on the elavator - it seems strange to put a mezuzah on an elavator?
Posted by
Hillel |
10:00 AM
see the tshuva - you are wise.
Posted by
Rabbi Ally Ehrman |
5:35 AM
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