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mikeandjess
LIF Adult
Member since 10/07 2278 total posts
Name:
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Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
I thought I heard somewhere that you can do this if the people moving in after you aren't Jewish. Anyone know the proper protocol for this?
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Posted 1/29/12 4:52 PM  |
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Jacksmommy
My love muffin!
Member since 1/07 5819 total posts
Name:
Liz
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
You can do it whether they are or not. I would not want to leave my mezuzah as it is from my grandmother. I just put a new scroll in it.
ets: obviously this is not such a reputable source but:
http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm
Message edited 1/29/2012 5:10:19 PM.
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| Posted 1/29/12 5:08 PM |
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Jax430
Hi!
Member since 5/05 18919 total posts
Name:
Jackie
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
I'm not 100% sure of the law, but we took ours with us when we moved from our apartment to our house. We have them on every doorway, and some of them were engagement presents and wedding presents, so we definitely were not leaving them. We didn't know who would be moving in. They gutted and redid the whole apartment after we left, so they probably would have ended up in the trash.
ETA: Here's what Chabad has to say about it.
Removing mezzuzahs
Message edited 1/29/2012 5:25:03 PM.
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| Posted 1/29/12 5:22 PM |
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sarahbelle
Little drummer boy
Member since 5/05 2377 total posts
Name:
Sarah
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
The mezuzahs were removed from our home when we bought it. If the family moving in isn't Jewish, they will probably take them down anyway.
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| Posted 1/29/12 7:49 PM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Chabad is obviously going to be very "orthodox" about the issue. I think in general people do both. There was a whole article in the NYTimes last year I think about all of the non-Jewish people who have mezuzot on their doors left behind by prior tenants. Some don't know what they are, some leave them as "good luck" charms. I think in today's world, it's hard to know if the next tenant or owner will be Jewish, and if they are, if they will want your Mezuzah. Keeping it is one way to make sure it is not defaced.
I actually haven't put any up yet. I know,  , but I would definitely plan to bring ours with us when we move. For one thing, I want to keep it as a memory that follows us (we're only planning to get one for our front door, not every door as of now), and for another thing, in this neighborhood, it's HIGHLY unlikely that the next tenants will be Jewish. Ours was the only menorah in the window this year. I wouldn't want someone to take it and throw it away, not understanding its significance.
For those reasons, I'd take ti down. if the next people are NOT Jewish, it's likely they will take ti down and throw it away, not knowing what it is, and if they ARE, then they are probably planning to immediately replace it, so I feel you're covered taking it with you.
JMO.
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| Posted 1/30/12 9:37 AM |
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babycakes18
LIF Adult
Member since 4/09 1281 total posts
Name:
Dani
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
I am not Jewish...so i don't know...BUT I work in Real Estate and once we had a religious Jewish client who was purchasing a house from a Rabbi and the Rabbi asked my client if she wanted to buy them from him at $50 a piece.
My client was shocked and i remember her saying that its not something that is usually done when selling to another jewish family...usually they are left or if they are sentimental...they are replaced with other ones.
All the parties involved were very religious and this was a big no no.
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| Posted 1/30/12 9:58 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by babycakes18
I am not Jewish...so i don't know...BUT I work in Real Estate and once we had a religious Jewish client who was purchasing a house from a Rabbi and the Rabbi asked my client if she wanted to buy them from him at $50 a piece.
My client was shocked and i remember her saying that its not something that is usually done when selling to another jewish family...usually they are left or if they are sentimental...they are replaced with other ones.
All the parties involved were very religious and this was a big no no.
I would be shocked too. I understand they can be VERY expensive, but it's my understanding that you either take them with you or leave them, not sell them.
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| Posted 1/30/12 9:59 AM |
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mikeandjess
LIF Adult
Member since 10/07 2278 total posts
Name:
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Thanks for all your input. In the end we decided that we're leaving the mezuzah. I read a story of the reason behind the mezuzah and I'm feeling pretty superstitious and would rather just leave it here.
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| Posted 1/30/12 11:49 AM |
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Tulips915
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Member since 8/08 6851 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
I never thought of leaving them. They are expensive! I can't imagine buying them every time I moved.
JMO.
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| Posted 1/30/12 12:00 PM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by mikeandjess
Thanks for all your input. In the end we decided that we're leaving the mezuzah. I read a story of the reason behind the mezuzah and I'm feeling pretty superstitious and would rather just leave it here.
Now I'm curious. What's the superstition?
I know nothing other than the shema
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| Posted 1/30/12 12:01 PM |
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KittyGags
LIF Adult
Member since 7/09 5614 total posts
Name:
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
When I bought my co-op, the guy I bought from was orthodox and I guess assumed I wasn't Jewish. He took his.
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| Posted 1/30/12 12:06 PM |
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mikeandjess
LIF Adult
Member since 10/07 2278 total posts
Name:
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by mikeandjess
Thanks for all your input. In the end we decided that we're leaving the mezuzah. I read a story of the reason behind the mezuzah and I'm feeling pretty superstitious and would rather just leave it here.
Of course now I can't find the story and I know it wasn't from a reputable website but something about removing the mezuzah and someone's son dying right after. Most of the websites state it's ok to take your mezuzah if the family isn't jewish OR if you ask the family moving in if they want it and they decline. Oddly enough a few of the sites said you should ask for money for them. I'm just leaving them.
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| Posted 1/30/12 12:18 PM |
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TheDivineMrsM
2 girls 4 me!
Member since 8/08 7878 total posts
Name:
Mama mama mama....
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
I've never heard this. The mezuzah on my front doorframe came with us from our apartment. It didn't occur to me to leave it. Whoops.
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| Posted 1/30/12 1:25 PM |
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Jax430
Hi!
Member since 5/05 18919 total posts
Name:
Jackie
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by mikeandjess
Posted by mikeandjess
Thanks for all your input. In the end we decided that we're leaving the mezuzah. I read a story of the reason behind the mezuzah and I'm feeling pretty superstitious and would rather just leave it here.
Of course now I can't find the story and I know it wasn't from a reputable website but something about removing the mezuzah and someone's son dying right after. Most of the websites state it's ok to take your mezuzah if the family isn't jewish OR if you ask the family moving in if they want it and they decline. Oddly enough a few of the sites said you should ask for money for them. I'm just leaving them.
If my mediocre Hebrew school education serves me right, the reason that we put up mezzuzahs is as follows: When the Jews were in Egypt, and G-d sent the 10 plagues upon the Egyptians so that Pharoah would free the Jews, the 10th plague was the slaying of all the first-born Egyptian sons. All the Jews marked their door posts with blood so that it would be recognized as a Jewish home and their sons would be spared. The story you read probably had some relationship to that.
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| Posted 1/30/12 3:03 PM |
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mbg1007
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 1247 total posts
Name:
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
can you replace it with a small plastic mezuzuah?
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| Posted 1/30/12 9:02 PM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by mbg1007
can you replace it with a small plastic mezuzuah?
That's an idea, but the scroll will cost a pretty penny either way
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| Posted 1/31/12 11:17 AM |
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evnme
My little lamb
Member since 8/05 12633 total posts
Name:
aka momma2b
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by mbg1007
can you replace it with a small plastic mezuzuah?
That's an idea, but the scroll will cost a pretty penny either way
Unless you get a non-kosher klaf- those aren't expensive.
I have ones u can print (I use them as teaching materials)
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| Posted 1/31/12 11:58 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Can I take my mezuzah with me when I move?
Posted by evnme
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by mbg1007
can you replace it with a small plastic mezuzuah?
That's an idea, but the scroll will cost a pretty penny either way
Unless you get a non-kosher klaf- those aren't expensive.
I have ones u can print (I use them as teaching materials)
That's cool. I didn't realize that was an option.
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| Posted 1/31/12 1:30 PM |
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