How to choose a mezuzah: size, script and level of kashrut

Many people buy a pretty case and discover it contains a printed paper or photocopy: that is not a mezuzah. Halacha requires parchment from a kosher animal, handwritten in black ink by a sofer, with the 22 lines of text and the divine name Shaddai on the back.

At Beth Hasofer we sell scrolls separately from cases so you know exactly what you are buying: the script, the level and the sofer are stated on the certificate.

Size refers to the height of the scroll. The text is identical; only the letter size changes. Larger letters are easier to write correctly and to check, and they withstand time better (a tiny crack in a large letter often remains kosher, in a small letter it may invalidate it).

Our recommendations: 7 cm only if the case requires it; 10 cm for interior doors; 12 cm for the front door; 15 cm for a synagogue, a gift or a home you want to equip for decades.

Check the case's inner length: it must exceed the scroll height by at least 1 cm (10 cm scroll → inner case of at least 11 cm).

All four scripts are kosher for all communities. They differ in the form of certain letters, fixed by each movement's tradition: the Ashkenazi script (Beit Yosef) follows the descriptions of the Beit Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo) and Ashkenazi authorities; the Sefarad script (Velish) is the historical script of Sephardi and Eastern communities, with rounder forms; the Ari Zal script follows the kabbalistic indications of the Ari Zal, adopted by most Chassidim; the Admur Hazaken script, described by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch, is the one used by Chabad chassidim.

Simple rule: follow the tradition of your synagogue and family. For a gift, find out the recipient's tradition. If in doubt, Beit Yosef is accepted everywhere.

"Kosher" means the mezuzah is valid: all letters are correctly formed according to halacha. "Mehudar" adds aesthetic requirements and compliance with as many opinions as possible: more even letters, crisp tagin, careful spacing. "Mehudar min hamehudar" is the level of excellence, written by expert sofrim, where every letter is flawless according to all opinions.

The level affects the price because it depends on time spent and the sofer's experience. For most homes, a kosher or mehudar mezuzah checked twice is the right choice.

Avoid mezuzot without a certificate or sofer's name, abnormally low prices (under €40 for a "handwritten" scroll), scrolls sold already glued into a sealed case, and shops that state neither the script nor the checking. A kosher scroll takes a trained professional several hours of work.