Mezuzot

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small case or box that holds scripture, typically affixed to doorposts in Jewish homes as a ritual observance
2. A decorative container for sacred texts, commonly placed on entrances by Jewish tradition to fulfill a religious commandment
3. An often ornate object containing biblical passages, representing faith and identity when displayed on thresholds in Jewish dwellings

Etymology: "Mezuzot" is the plural of "mezuzah," and the singular comes from post-Biblical Hebrew, where "mezuzah" simply meant "doorpost." The word points back to a command in the Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy 6:9, which tells the Israelites to write the words of God "upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates." The doorpost itself was the point of the instruction, and the word's meaning followed that physical location. Over time, Jewish law interpreted the verse as a commandment to affix a small case containing scripture to the doorframe of each home. The object became known by the name of the post it hung on, so a "mezuzah" is, literally, the doorpost, while the small case is what hangs there. Because the same word names both the post and the scroll case, the plural "mezuzot" refers to the cases on many doorways rather than the posts themselves.