hat is a mezuzah? Mezuzah in Hebrew, literally means, "doorpost". In the book of Deuteronomy, there is a mitzvah (commandment) to "write these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates." A small parchment, called a klaf, containing passages from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 is placed inside a decorative case that is affixed to the doorpost of your home. This serves as a reminder to be careful to uphold the Torah, when leaving your house and entering your home, as you are an ambassador of the Living Elohim, a reflection of His King Messiah. It is like a wedding ring that serves as a symbol of the covenant of marriage.

     A teacher of the Torah once asked the King Messiah, "Which is the most important mitzvah of all?"

     Yeshua answered him, "The most important of all the mitzvot is this:

"Hear O Israel, YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is One.
And you shall love YHWH your Elohim with all of your heart, and with all of your soul
and with all of your strength."¹

     This phrase that Master Yeshua speaks is the central tenet of the Torah. It is called the Sh'ma (Hear). The Sh'ma plays a major thematic role in Yeshua's teaching and that of the Brit Chadasha (New Covenant)², and is the theological background one of the His most powerful sayings, "He who has ears, let him hear (sh'ma)!" The word sh'ma (to hear) is closely related to the word, shomer, which means to keep, guard and protect. This goes beyond audible hearing, but receiving and guarding it with our hearts.

     The Hebrew text of the mezuzah klaf is below:

The text in English is as follows:

Hear O Yisrael, YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is One.
And you shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9

And it shall come to pass, if your shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your Elohim, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them. And then YHWH's wrath be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit, and lest you perish quickly from off the good land which YHWH has given you. Therefore your shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house, and upon your gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which YHWH swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:13-21

1. Matthew 22:25-39, Mark 12:29

2. Matthew 7:24, 11:15, 13:9, 13:15, 13:43, Mark 4:9, 4:23, 7:16, 8:18, Luke 6:47, Luke 8:8, 10:16, 14:35, John 5:24, 8:47, 12:47, 18:37, Romans 11:8, 1 John 4:6, Revelation 1:3, 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:20, 3:22, 13:9, 22:17