Top 10 Mezuzah Mistakes

Scenario: A sliding door with two panels: one that slides and one that is stationary.

Common Error: When the stationary panel is on the right side of the entrance, the mezuzah is mistakenly placed on the far right side of the doorframe (on the right side of the stationary panel).

Why this is a mistake: The stationary panel is considered a wall, and the halachic doorway only includes the space of the sliding door.

What should be done? The mezuzah should be placed on the left side post of the stationary panel.

Determining which side of a doorway the mezuzah belongs on is not always straightforward. While the mezuzah is always placed on the right side when entering a room rather than exiting, identifying which direction is considered the “entrance” can sometimes be challenging.

For example, in the attached picture, the kitchen has two doorways—one leading to the dining room and one to the living room. Residents frequently move between these rooms in both directions. At times, they enter the kitchen from the living room or dining room, while at other times, they exit the kitchen into those rooms. How do we determine which direction is the entrance for mezuzah placement?

This is a complex halachic issue, and poskim (halachic authorities)
have different approaches:

• Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l ruled that the designation of a doorway (entrance vs. exit) follows t he primary traffic flow, starting from the front door. (Igros Moshe YD 4:43)
• Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l held that the relative importance
  of the two rooms determines the correct placement. A mezuzah should always be placed on the right side of a kitchen door leading into a dining room, even if people typically enter the kitchen from the dining room. This is because a dining room is considered more prominent than a kitchen. (Shvus Yitzchak 1:4, footnote 21)

In our diagram, the mezuzah placements reflect Rav Moshe
Feinstein’s approach for a scenario where the primary traffic flow follows this pattern: Front door → Living room → Kitchen → Dining room.

Scenario: A door (usually from a kitchen) leads to a deck or a backyard.

Common Error: People often assume that the mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door leading from the house to the deck or backyard, as the door is mainly used in that manner.

Why this is a mistake: A door leading from the street to the house is always treated in Halacha as an entrance, even if it is more commonly used as an exit.

What should be done? When the deck or backyard is accessible from the driveway or street, the mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door when entering the house from the porch or yard since, as stated, this is considered an entrance to the home. (Igros Moshe YD1, 181)

The entire mezuzah must be placed in the upper third of the doorframe, and the top of mezuzah must be approximately 4 inches below the top of the doorway. (Yoreh Deah 289:2)

Scenario: A hallway smaller than daled al daled (approximately 50 square feet) that connects two rooms.

Common Error: People incorrectly assume there is no obligation to place a mezuzah at the entrance of a hallway that is less than daled al daled , just as there is no obligation to place a mezuzah on a small hut that is less than daled al daled because it is too small to be considered a bayis (house).

What should be done? The entrance to the hallway requires a mezuzah since it services a room. Thus, the hallway requires two mezuzos, one at the entrance and one at the exit leading to the next room. If the entrance to the hallway has a door, Rav Moshe Feinstein held one can even recite a berachah when affixing a mezuza there (Ohalei Yeshurun 2 footnote 93).

Scenario: A door is kept locked and never opened.

Common Error: It is assumed that a locked door does not require a mezuzah.

What should be done? If the room has been used in the past, it retains its status as a doorway and requires a mezuzah, unless the door is nailed shut (Igros Moshe YD1 177). Some even require removing the hinges to change the status. (Aruch Hashulchan 286, 38).

Scenario: A door leading to the outside of the house has a push bar and can only be opened from inside the home.

Common Error: It is assumed that this door functions solely as an exit, so no mezuzah is required.

What should be done? If the door is occasionally opened to allow outsiders to enter, it retains its status as an entrance, and a mezuzah is placed on the right side when entering the house. However, if the door is used as an entrance only when there is an emergency, it is not considered an entrance and would be exempt from mezuzah. (Rav S.Z. Auerbach, Minchas Shlomo 2, 2-3 and Rav Moshe Feinstein, Ohalei Yeshurun 5,11.)

What type of doorway requires a mezuzah? Two conditions must be met to require a mezuzah with a blessing: a) There must be a mashkof (lintel) across the top of the doorframe b) doorposts on both sides. If there is only one doorpost on the right side, a mezuzah is required, but no blessing is recited.

Common Error: It is often assumed that the obligation to place a mezuzah is only applicable if a distinct doorpost is in the doorframe.

What should be done? The Rosh (1259-1327) ruled that a sof kosel (the end of a wall) is halachically equivalent to a doorpost. Thus, if there is an opening in a wall of a room, the breach is considered an entrance, and a mezuzah is required. Furthermore, the breach does not have to be in the middle of the wall. Even if there is only one wall panel that ends, and the opening extends to the next perpendicular wall, a mezuzah is required, provided the wall panel is on the right side of the breach. In all instances of sof kosel, a mezuzah is required but a beracha is not recited. (Shach 287:1)

Scenario: A boiler or air conditioning/heating unit room that is not used for storage or living space.

Common Error: People often assume this room does not require a mezuzah since it is not a living area.

What should be done? According to several poskim, most rooms in a house require mezuzos if the area is daled al daled amos (approximately 50 square feet) and the owner enters the room from time to time, irrespective of the usage. (Chovas Hadar 2 footnote 14, Shvus Yitzchak 2, 6. Some maintain no beracha should be recited, see Pischei She’arim 286, 146 and Shaarei Hamezuza 6, 4.) The only exceptions are bathrooms and bathing areas. Even if the space is used for appliances (such as refrigerators or washing machines), the square footage is not diminished, and a mezuzah is still required. If a boiler or heating unit is built into the wall or floor, it is unclear whether the footage is reduced, and Rabbinic guidance should be sought. (See Chovas Hadar 4, footnote 22)

Scenario: When living in the diaspora, when must a person affix a mezuzah?

Common Error: It is assumed that the requirement to place a mezuzah on a house in the diaspora begins only after 30 days.

What should be done? For a house or apartment rental in the diaspora, the obligation begins only after 30 days. However, this Halacha has led to confusion, and people erroneously assume it also applies to purchases. In fact, if one owns a house, the mezuzah must be placed as soon as the buyer moves in. In Israel, the obligation begins immediately for both renters and buyers (Yoreh Deah 286:22).