Interesting "Doorway?"
Just thought I would share this and see what the forum thinks. The mashkof is an AC duct that has been lightly plastered and drywalled over, while the "mezuzos" are both built-in cabinets that are thoroughly attached to the walls and floor.
Hmmmmm....
Hmmmmm....
ReplyDeleteIt doesnt seem like it is even to possible to put a mezuza in the proper place as it seems like place for mezuza is the cabinet door, and it is opened and closed. I guess if it is necessary the only place would be on the side of the cabinet.
or possibly inside the cabinet?
ReplyDeleteBetter yet, place it on the front of the cabinet - on the frame that is against the edge of the swinging door.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't seize to amaze me to see the variety of things which can be defined as a doorway. This is really a unique situation. Thanks for posting it on the forum.
I think this petach is patur from mezuza. Since the cabinets are mevatel the original doorposts, and they themselve are not made as a "mezuzas sha'ar" and especialy since they dont stand but open and close.
ReplyDeleteThanks indeed for posting this interesting question.
I agree with R' Weiner, I wouldn't put a mezuzah there.
ReplyDeleteHi R. Moshe,
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you consider the solid slab of wood that makes the side of the cabinet, by itself, to be a doorpost? I certainly would think it to be so.
Now what difference does it make if we attach to it the rest of the cabinet structure with it's doors? Would that slab cease being a doorpost?
In my view, the solid slab of wood that makes the side of the cabinet is the doorpost, and one should not be lead to confusion by the rest of the cabinet just because there are doors that open and close and an additional function was also incorporated into the design of the doorway.
To my view, this cannot be considered like an excedra were you have columns placed at the entrance of a three walled area. In such a case, those columns were not placed there to frame a doorway. Rather, they were put in place, after the fact with the specific purpose of holding-up a roof.
Here, the cabinets were built-in and placed there for the specific purpose of framing a doorway. As such, I would think that one must certainly place a mezuzah. Please think about it and let me know your thoughts.
Alberto, I don't agree with what you wrote "Here, the cabinets were built-in and placed there for the specific purpose of framing a doorway" - I think the cabinet was definitly never placed as a doorpost.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with R. Attia. When you are standing in either room facing the doorway you have a standard doorway that should be mechuyav in a Mezuzah. The fact that it is a very wide doorway and has cabinets inside of it shouldn't change the fact that in the outer most teafach, which is the part that matters, there is a tzurat hapetach. I would treat this exactly like if the doorway was made of glass panes that are too thin to put a Mezuzah inside the Petach and put it on the side of the cabinet as you enter the room.
ReplyDeleteOf course, since this is an archway which is anyway only mechuyav derabanan, I can understand that together with the fact that it is an unusual doorway, there is room to be meikal, but if it was in my house, there would be a Mezuzah there!
Received this answer today from a local rav
ReplyDeleteראה ספר אגור באהליך ר"פ כ"ג שבין המזוזות ובין המשקוף צריכין להיות עשויות לכוונת סתימת הבית.
ie its potur
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