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I went to my Accoutant yesterday to pick up my taxes. When I went in he had a mezuzah by all of the doors. I know that ii is for good luck. My question is why is it at an angle? There is a reason why, but my tax guy didn't know. Even his brother-in-law couldn't answer. I know that someone at BN will have the answer. Thanks in advance. Ron.

Where the doorway is wide enough, Ashkenazi Jews and Spanish and Portuguese Jews tilt the mezuzah so that the top slants toward the room into which the door opens. This is done to accommodate the variant opinions of the medieval Rabbis Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam as to whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically.

The explanation above is from wikipedia. This one is from judaica guide:

Where to place Mezuzot


The Mezuzah should be placed on the doorposts of of every Jewish home. Mezuzot should also be placed in every room within the home. A place serving regularly for unclean use, such as a bathroom, is exempt from Mezuzah. The Mezuzah should also be affixed on gates leading to communal places, synagogues, schools, and Jewish ownen business establishments, even on gates of cities, symbolizing the sovereignty of the commandments over the Jewish social and communal life in all its aspects.

The exact placement of a Mezuzah is on the right side of the doorpost (when entering the home or room), on the lower part of the upper third of the doorpost (or around shoulder height for high doorways). The case should be permanently affixed with nails, screws, glue, or strong double-sided tape.

The Mezuzah is affixed at an angle becasue the rabbis could not decide whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, so they compromised. The top of the Mezuzah should be slanted toward the room the door opens into.



It is proper to remove a Mezuzah when you move, and in fact, it is usually recommended. If you leave it in place, the subsequent owner may treat it with disrespect.

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and this from the United Jewish Communities website:

One of the most famous French rabbis of the twelfth century was Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac, also known as Rashi. His grandson, Rabbenu Tam, felt that mezuzot should be affixed horizontally for the sake of tradition, because the scrolls in their leather cases were originally pushed horizontally into the crevices between the stones around the doorways of homes.

Rashi argued that mezuzot should be affixed vertically, in such a way that the top pointed toward the Almighty. They eventually compromised, and agreed that a mezuzah should be hung on the diagonal, with its top inclined toward the inside. The decision, allowing peace to rein in a Jewish home in twelfth century France, is part of the message of the mezuzah.