10 Things to Be Aware Of When Mounting or Remounting a Mezuzah

Elul is the season when many people take their mezuzos down to have them checked. Taking them down is the easy part. Putting them back up correctly is where mistakes tend to happen — a mezuzah returned to the wrong doorway, a case that ruins the klaf over the next few summers, or a bracha recited when it should not have been.

The scrupulous are accustomed to have their tefillin and mezuzos checked during Elul, as well as seeing to the repair of all other aspects that concern the performance of mitzvos; this is a fine custom.

Mateh Efraim 581:10, quoted in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:3

In light of that widespread custom, here are ten things to be aware of when mounting or remounting a mezuzah.

Before you take a single mezuzah down

1. Label everything first. Each mezuzah should go back on the same doorway it came from. The simplest way to guarantee that is to number your doorways before you start: put a numbered label or a piece of numbered painter’s tape on the mezuzah case, another on the klaf itself, and a matching one on the doorpost it was removed from. Ten minutes of labeling saves a great deal of guessing later.
2. Know when a bracha is not recited. If a mezuzah is remounted on the same day it was taken down and on the same doorpost it was removed from, no bracha is recited before remounting it. If either of those two conditions is not met, ask your Rav what applies to your situation.

Affixing the mezuzah properly

3. Use two fasteners. To affix the mezuzah properly to the doorpost, use two screws or nails, or a strong double-stick mounting tape rated for the weight of the case.
4. Avoid weak fastenings. Scotch tape, masking tape, velcro, or a single screw or nail are not appropriate for mounting a mezuzah.
5. Mount the klaf inside a case. The mezuzah should be affixed to the doorpost inside a case or holder, not attached to the doorpost on its own.

Choosing the right case for the location

The case is not only a decorative choice. Where a doorway sits in your home determines what the klaf will be exposed to, and the wrong case can shorten the life of a perfectly kosher klaf.

6. Strong sunlight: no clear or metal cases. For any doorway that gets a lot of sun, avoid a clear case or a metal one. Both allow heat and light to reach the klaf and accelerate fading.
7. Rain exposure: bottom-opening cases only. For any mezuzah exposed to rain, use a case that opens only from the bottom, so water cannot collect inside it.
8. Bedrooms and changing rooms: no clear cases. Do not use a clear case for a mezuzah located inside a bedroom or a changing room. This applies to an archway or a closet door within the room, and to a bedroom door that closes with the mezuzah on the inside of the room.

Who may remount the mezuzah

9. A Gentile should not remount the mezuzah. This comes up most often after hiring a painter or contractor. If the mezuzos were taken down for the work, arrange for them to be remounted by a Jew rather than left to the crew to put back.

When to ask your Rabbi

10. Confirm the details with a Rav. Three questions in particular are worth asking rather than assuming: which doorways and archways in your home require a mezuzah, exactly where on the doorpost each one should be mounted, and when — and on which doorway — a bracha is recited.

Quick checklist

• Number each case, klaf, and doorpost before removing anything.
• Return every mezuzah to the doorway it came from.
• Two screws, nails, or strong mounting tape — never one.
• Always mount the klaf inside a case.
• Sunny doorway: no clear or metal case.
• Exposed to rain: bottom-opening case only.
• Bedroom or changing room: no clear case.
• Same day, same doorpost: no bracha before remounting.
• A Gentile should not put the mezuzos back up.
• Ask your Rav about placement, requirement, and bracha.

Frequently asked questions

Does a mezuzah have to go back on the same doorway?

Yes. Each mezuzah should be remounted on the doorway it was taken down from, which is why labeling the cases, klafim, and doorposts before removal is so useful.

Do I make a bracha when putting a mezuzah back up?

Not when the mezuzah is remounted the same day it was removed and on the same doorpost. In other cases, ask your Rav.

Can I use tape to hang a mezuzah?

Only a strong double-stick mounting tape suitable for the weight of the case. Scotch tape, masking tape, and velcro are not appropriate, and neither is a single screw or nail.

Which mezuzah case should I choose?

Match the case to the location. Skip clear and metal cases in strong sun, use a bottom-opening case anywhere exposed to rain, and avoid clear cases in bedrooms and changing rooms.