Mezuzot Research Paper

An Exploration of the Mezuzah as an Art Object in Jewish Culture
“And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon thy gates” (Deut. 6:9). This commandment has been taken in Jewish culture to require the creation of a mezuzah
(מְזוּזָה in Hebrew) containing the Shema, the central Jewish prayer. The resulting object has grown to be one of the most iconic symbols of a Jewish home, workplace, or synagogue. A mezuzah (pl. mezuzot) is a box affixed to the doorway of a room or building containing a scroll with verses from the Torah.
A mezuzah is traditionally rectangular, and there is no restriction on size, although the scroll inside must be square. The case over the scroll can be very simple or very ornate. There are many sites and Judaica stores wherein one can obtain a mezuzah. These range from the simple (image 1) to the ornate (image 2) and from the traditional (image 3) to the modern (image 4). Some mezuzot have openings through which the letter שַׁ can be read (from the word שַׁדַּי written on the back of the scroll), but many mezuzot nowadays have the letter shin incorporated into the design instead. Mezuzot can be made out of any material.
Both pieces are traditional art in Jewish culture, although the validity of an illuminated scroll may vary. For example, Maimonides said that someone who illuminated their mezuzah scroll “will have no share in the world to come.” ("Mezuzah") Judaicaguide.com says that a scroll with any additions is not kosher (legal). But during the middle ages many additions were made and currently in the reform tradition it is common for children to make mezuzot at a hebrew school and therefore only to include the Shema in such