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This week’s Torah portion contains the second paragraph of the ‘Shema Yisroel’ prayer; the ‘motto’ of Judaism. (11: 13-21)
It repeats the commandment of Mezuza (11:20) (small scroll affixed to every Jewish door) and contains one of the two paragraphs written therein.
At first glance however, it is not so clear why this commandment or ANY commandments are in the Torah.
Judaism is a religion. Shouldn’t it be concerned with spirituality and G-d?
Why all these physical commandments? No other religion has them, not even the ‘monotheistic’ ones that claim to replace the Jews. They have rituals, ceremonies, customs, holidays and emblems but no commandments they claim are straight from G-d.
I’ve even had people here in Israel angrily say that things like Tefillin and Mezuza are ‘idolatry’! And they have a point; hard to believe that G-d Almighty wants us to put a little box on our arm or on our door.
But they are wrong. The G-d of Israel is not limited to being ‘spiritual’

Here is a story I read from my friend Yerachmiel Tilles at Ascent of Safed. (Story #767) that might help to explain.

When Perla Cohen was a student of economy at the University of Lyon, France she joined one of the classes that the original local representative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Lyon, Rabbi Shmuel Gurevich, held on the campus once a week for several girl students.
The classes were interesting because, together with being very intellectual and at times even mystical, they stressed the importance of actually doing the physical commandments. This was in direct contradiction to the spirit of the university and of France in general where religion and especially religious practice was considered backwards and semi-barbaric.
Rabbi Gurevitz frequently invited her to stay for Shabbat at his home with his family, and over a period of time she developed a strong and close relationship with him and his wife. But she was in no hurry to make a firm commitment to the path of Torah and Mitzvot (commandments), despite the numerous study sessions in which she participated.
But there were a few ideas of the Lubavitcher Rebbe that she liked and began to have an effect. One was how the Hebrew word for Commandment means ‘connection’ and how, when a Jew does a commandment, it actually connects the entire creation with the Creator and makes the world a better place.
Another interesting idea she heard was that if a person tries to encourage other Jews to observe the commandments even if they don’t succeed, there is ALWAYS a good result. Sometimes just the fact that a non-observant Jew SEES a commandment, can make a positive impression.
Little by little her attitude toward observant Judaism changed. At first, she began by keeping some things that could be done quietly and unnoticed by others like some of the Shabbat laws and eating only kosher food.
Until she asked the Rabbi to buy for her a Mezuza and shortly thereafter announced that she had affixed the mezuzah at the entrance to her studio apartment (at the explicit request of Mrs. Gurevich).
But then …. Complications. A few weeks later, some of her gentile friends visited her, noticed the box on her door with the Jewish letter (shin) on it, asked what it meant, and when she explained what was all about, they stared at her in shock and begged her to take it down.
It was obvious why; a Jewish girl living alone in a French town, announcing to everybody by means of a mezuzah on her doorpost that she is Jewish, is taking a big, totally unnecessary risk.
Their frightening words had their effect and, deciding she was courting danger and unknowingly had been relying on miracles, began having doubts. True, the Rabbi told her that the Mezuza provided protection to the house and to all those in it, but without it, she wouldn’t need protection.
She removed the Mezuza and took a deep breath of relief; the “risk” was gone from the entrance to her apartment. She again ‘molded’, unnoticed, into her surroundings and life went on as usual.
Then, about two weeks after this, she arrived to see a note on her front door. It was from the post office The note stated that a package had arrived for her and since she had not been at home it had been delivered to one Mr. Londert who lived on the floor above her Apt 5b.
She went upstairs, knocked on the door, and the neighbor, a man in his seventies opened. She introduced herself, showed the postal message and he brought the package. He explained that he had just been passing by in the staircase and when he saw that the postman did not find her at home, he agreed to take the parcel for her. He handed her the package, and when she thanked him, said good bye and was about to leave, he suddenly replied ‘Shalom’.
Surprised, she turned and replied: “Shalom!! Excuse me, Are you Jewish?”
“Yes”, answered the neighbor, “and I’d like to ask you something: why did you take down the mezuzah from your front door two weeks ago?”
When she started to stutter and tried to explain to him the ‘security risk’, he said that he wanted to tell her something.
“I am a Jewish man who lost my entire family in the holocaust — my wife and my children. Since then, I have been running away from my Jewish religion as much as possible. No Yom Kippur, no kosher food and no observance of any commandment. I looked for a place to live, situated as far away as possible from Jews in order not to see their faces.
“About a month ago the elevator was out of order, and on that day I had to climb the staircase by foot. When I came to the first floor, I suddenly saw a door with a mezuzah fixed to the doorpost.
“The last time I saw a mezuzah was 30 years ago, and the sight suddenly took me back to the past. Memories began to flood my mind. I stood there for half an hour, touching the mezuzah and unable to control my tears.
“The elevator got fixed, but since that day I stopped using it. Every day I descend and ascend the staircase to and from my apartment by foot so that I may stand in front of the mezuzah for a few moments, touch it and remember; to embrace my thoughts, to heal my heart. I felt so strongly that this is the only thing that connects me to Judaism, to my past. And although I don’t know you, I had great respect for you for your bravery and power of belief.
“You know, people have hated us Jews for thousands of years, since Abraham and ….. well, I gave in. I simply wanted to run away and not be different. I molded into my surrounding.
“But your Mezuza gave me a message; that G-d is good, He wants a good world and we must be brave in order to show this. Just like Abraham was.
“Therefore, I was so shocked and disappointed when two weeks ago I no longer found my mezuzah on your door. I don’t know why you removed it. But please, that is only if you want to, please do me a big favor and return it. Put it back up.”
That day, two Jewish souls joined the Chassidic community in Rabbi Gurevich’s house in Lyon. The first was Perla Cohen, who later established a magnificent Chassidic home together with her husband, another young returnee to traditional Judaism (they are now happy grandparents – ed.).
The second was Mr. Avraham Londert, a Jewish man aged 70, who put a Mezuza on his door as well and began a new brave life in the merit of the mezuzah he saw (just as the Rebbe said).

This answers our questions. The physical commandments come to show us that G-d, the Creator of all being, CARES about this physical world and wants US to bring absolute good into ACTION.
This is the ABSOLUTE good which will ultimately be brought to all mankind by the Moshiach that Judaism has been striving for since Abraham.
This is the ONLY antidote to the mistaken values of the previous generation when the promises of Nazism and Communism brought death and destruction to hundreds of millions of human beings!
The Mezuza is the one example; In Hebrew it hints at ‘Zuz Maves’ (push away death).
This one small commandment brings life, light and safety to our lives, even to our physical homes and to the entire world.

But bringing Moshiach depends solely on us and we have the power to make it happen! We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish commandments, hopes, prayers and suffering. It all depends on us! Just one more good deed, word or even good thought, can bring …….

Moshiach NOW!!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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