If someone sealed off a door in their home when doing construction, in a way that the door can no longer be used, can the mezuzah that is there now be taken down since the down since the door is no longer in use? .

(Although there is a different point over here in regards to what it says in the Tzvah of Rebbe Yehuda HaChossid we'll put that point aside -- perhaps they made a hole in the door, etc.)

This seems simple and I'm sure it can be taken down. However, I'm wondering if there is anyone that says not like this. Or in general any achronim/poskim/seforim that discuss this situation.

  • What makes you think you need a mezuzah there if one cannot walk through – sam Aug 25 '13 at 3:48
  • @sam well I pretty much said I have no reason to think otherwise however I don't know everything so I wanted to ask and see if there are cholkim. If I had a good reason why not I wouldn't need to ask! Hmmmmm. Plus I've heard in the past that there are cholkim on this however I haven't found them yet. – Yehoshua Aug 25 '13 at 5:07
  • Your question is discussed in Igros Moshe YD 1:177 hebrewbooks.org/… – sam Aug 25 '13 at 5:27

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (11:1) mentions that a door that is only opened on rare occasions (like when deliveries are being made) while most of the time another door is used for access to the room, then the first door is except from a Mezuzah.

It would follow that a door that you can no longer use should be except from a Mezuzah.

The following is based on the footnotes of the Sefer titled קביעת מזוזה כהילכתה Ch 8.

If the door is simply sealed - and could be reopened - then the Poskim are in dispute if you can take down the Mezuzah. The Shevet Sofer (Yoreh Deah 92) and the Eshkol (Hilchot Mezuzah) allow one to remove the Mezuzah. The Igros Moshe YD I 177 requires it to have a Mezuzah unless it was permanently sealed with mortar or a permanent cupboard.

The footnote ponders what is considered sealed; what about if you lost the key, or placed a heavy cupboard in front of it or nailed it shut.

Some (Oruch Hashulchan 286:38) require the doorway to be destroyed - i.e. that the doorframe be removed, before it looses its requirement to have a Mezuzah.

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  • Not so clear,see Igros Moshe – sam Aug 25 '13 at 14:28
  • The question, though a bit unclear, is whether a Mezuzah already in place may be taken down. – Seth J Aug 25 '13 at 17:57
  • @SethJ- I think it's fair to assume that the 2 go together, but i cannot find it written anywhere. yet. – Danny Schoemann Aug 25 '13 at 18:30
  • Where is the Eshkol? – Yehoshua Aug 25 '13 at 21:00
  • @Yehoshua - It said "Eshkol Hilchot Mezuzah". I've never opened the Eshkol so I don't know how useful that reference is. – Danny Schoemann Aug 26 '13 at 6:40

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