Prayer and Religious Articles: Tzitzis, Tefillin, Torah Scrolls, and Mezuzos: The Mezuzah:
What is a Mezuzah?
A mezuzah is made from parchment from a kosher species of animal. A sofer
(scribe) writes two paragraphs from the Torah upon this parchment,
Devarim 6:4-9 and Devarim 11:13-21. These two sections also make up the first
two paragraphs of the Shema, a prayer which Jews say daily. The
writing must be done in a very special way. Any mistakes make the mezuzah
invalid.
Only a trained sofer is qualified to write a mezuzah.
Once the mezuzah is written, it is rolled from left to right. It is then placed
in a protective case.
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