mezuzah means A piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21) and attached in a case to the doorpost of a house. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
mezuzah is pronounced /məˈzʊzə/.
Why “mezuzah” is a great word
MEZUZAH — [Noun] A piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, placed in a case and affixed to the doorpost of a Jewish home in fulfillment of a religious commandment. From post-Biblical Hebrew מְזוּזָה (m'zuzá, məzûzâ, "doorpost"), in reference to the commandment in Deuteronomy 6:9 to write God's words on the doorposts of one's house. Unlike the tallit, a garment donned for prayer, or the phylactery, a portable object bound to the body, the mezuzah is a stationary covenant integrated into the architecture of a dwelling. It is the cool touch of a brass case against the fingers, the slight shadow it casts on the lintel, and the hidden text curled inward—a fixed point of remembrance in the flux of coming and going, a testament that a home is not merely shelter, but a space made holy by passage.
Etymology
From post-Biblical Hebrew מְזוּזָה (m'zuzá, məzûzâ, “doorpost”), with reference to Deuteronomy 6:9, a mitzvah (Biblical commandment as interpreted in Jewish law) ordering to “write the words of God on the gates and doorposts of your house”.
noun
- A piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21) and attached in a case to the doorpost of a house.“On the other hand, one may feel profoundly moved with the spirit of true piety, love of God and loyalty to his commandments in the performance of a so-called "traditional commandment," like the fastening of a "mezuzah" to the door-post.”
- An object of similar function in the Samaritan tradition.