Halocho #2118 - Don't hang your Mezuzah

A Mezuzah is rolled-up from the left, so that a person opening it would first see the word שְׁמַע.

A Mezuzah is not allowed to hang; it should preferably be put into a tube which is nailed - top and bottom - to the doorpost. At the very least it should be glued along its entire length to the doorpost.

Care must be taken to ensure that the Mezuzah is not affixed upside-down. A Mezuzah has the 3 letters Shin-Daled-Yud (spelling one of Hashem's names) on the outside. If these are right-way-up then the Mezuzah is in the correct direction.

A Mezuzah has 14 letters written upside-down along its upper edge. If these are on the bottom and right-way-up then the Mezuzah is upside down. Most Mezuzot are rolled tightly, so these letters are not visible.

These 14 letters are written behind the words "Hashem Elokeinu Hashem" of the first inside line, and are the letters following the letter they are behind; Kaf is behind the Yud, Vav is behind the Hey, etc. This is the way Mezuzot have always been written.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:6

- Danny
Monday, 18 Sivan 5778

כֵּיצַד קוֹבְעָהּ, כּוֹרְכָהּ מִסּוֹפָהּ לְרֹאשָׁהּ, דְּהַיְנוּ מֵאֶחָד כְּלַפֵּי שְׁמַע, וּמַנִּיחָהּ בִּשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת אוֹ בִּשְׁאָר דָּבָר וְקוֹבְעָהּ בְּמַסְמְרוֹת בִּמְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן

 וִיהֵא רֹאשָׁהּ דְּהַיְנוּ שְׁמַע כְּנֶגֶד הַבַּיִת וְשִׁטָּה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה לְצַד חוּץ. וְאִם מְזוּזַת הַפֶּתַח אֵינָהּ רְחָבָה, יִקְבְּעֶנָּה זְקוּפָה, וְזֶה טוֹב יוֹתֵר מִלְּתִתָּהּ אֲחוֹרֵי הַדֶּלֶת

 אִם לֹא קְבָעָהּ אֶלָּא תְלָאָה, פְּסוּלָה. וְלָכֵן צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר לְמַסְמְרָהּ לְמַעְלָה וְגַם לְמַטָּה שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא תְלוּיָה