Mezuzah case made from a cottonwood branch with carved letter shin

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Rio Grande Cottonwood Mezuzah Case

Name: Rio Grande Cottonwood Mezuzah Case
SKU: ctn3
Availability: InStock

$54.00

This hand carved mezuzah case comes from the branch of a cottonwood tree growing in the bosque, or forest that grows along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. I found some branches while hiking in the bosque in Corrales, NM, a small town north of Albuquerque, NM.

Approximate dimensions: 4″h x ~3/4″w x 1/2″thick.

The slot for the scroll is 1/4″w x 1/4″d x 3 3/16″h.

1 in stock

SKU: ctn3

Category: Cottonwood, Mezuzah

Description

Description

Mezuzah means “doorpost” in Hebrew. The mezuzah consists of a case that contains a rolled-up scroll. Hanging mezuzot (plural) on your doorposts fulfills one of the 613 mitzvot, or sacred obligations, prescribed in the Torah and continues a tradition handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.

The important part of the mezuzah is the part you don’t see: the rolled up klaf, or scroll, contained by the case. On the klaf are written two verses from Deuteronomy, including the Shema, a prayer which says “Listen, Gd is one”. as welll as the instruction “You shall love the L-rd, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources. And you shall teach them to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you go on the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm and they shall be an ornament between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates. The text also gives the promise of abundance and health. Read Full Traditional Translation

The tradition tells us to touch our fingers to the mezuzah and kiss them every time we leave our home and again when we return. This is a way to take the name of G-d directly into our mouths. It reminds us of the unity of all things. The mezuzah gives us a simple practice that can make us slow down a bit and remember the goodeness of the earth and its people. My hope is that by hanging a natural handmade object on your doorpost, made by the person who gathered the branch and thanked the tree, and who loved making it, you will feel a little more connected to nature, to history, to yourself, and to me.

Packaging

The mezuzah comes in a crisp new cotton filled gift box and includes a non-kosher photocopied scroll, stainless steel nails for hanging, and a twelve page mini booklet in English or Spanish with lots of information about mezuzahs.

Characteristics

I carve the Hebrew letter shin spontaneously, directly into the wood, according to the grain patterns and shape of the branch. and then paint it with high quality U.V. resistant black paint. These mezuzahs will last a long time (mine is over thirty years old and shows no sign of wear and tear) in a sheltered doorway. Exposed to the elements, they may develop a weathered look.

Returns

I will gladly refund or exchange any mezuzah for any reason, at any time, no questions asked.

Meaning

There are many things you can learn by owning and using a mezuzah. If you were raised Jewish, in a secular way, as I was, it can teach you more deeply of your own tradition. If you are a practicing Jew, you already know that hanging mezuzot on the doorposts of your home full-fills one of the sacred obligations of Judaism; and if you are just discovering your Jewish origins, or want to come to Judaism, or simply want to share this one beautiful custom, the mezuzah will take you as far as you want to go.

My hope is that one of these mezuzah cases on your doorpost will remind you of your connection to nature, to Jewish tradition, to yourself and to me as the maker.

My story

I have made well over a thousand mezuzahs from tree branches. No two are exactly the same. They vary one to the next like people’s faces differ one to the next, sometimes markedly and sometimes subtly. Maybe that’s why I never tire of making them.

When I started making mezuzot in 1990, I knew very little about them. I didn’t know that much about Jewish law either. All of my grandparents were Orthodox but my Jewish studies were very limited.

I started carving mezuzahs and immediately started learning.

First thing was the Hebrew letter shin. As I carved my first shin, copying it from another mezuzah, I began to feel the shape of it, the feeling of it. I learned there are many ways to represent the letter. But what did the shin represent? I learned that each of the Hebrew letters has its own meaning. I began to have a relationship with the Hebrew language I never had before.