## Tractate Mezuzah Chapter 1

###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:1
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:1)

אין כותבין מזוזות לא על גבי עורות בהמה טמאה ולא על גבי עורות חיה טמאה אבל כותבין על עורות נבלות ועל עורות טרפות ואין חוששין שמא עורות לבובין הם

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
It is not permitted to write *mezuzoth* on the skins of ritually unclean cattle or on skins of ritually unclean wild animals. It is permitted, however, to write them on skins of *nebeloth* and *ṭerefoth*, and there is no need to consider the possibility of their having been pierced at the animal’s heart.¹

footnotes:
¹ There was a heathen practice to remove the heart from an animal while it was still alive and offer it as a sacrifice. Rabbinic law regards such an animal as an idolatrous offering (cf. Mishnah ‘A.Z. 29b, Sonc. ed., p. 145) and forbids its entire use, including the skin.


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:2
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:2)

צריך להניח שיטה אחת לכל צד כדברי רשב״א

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
It is required to leave [a space of] one line on every side [of the text of the *mezuzah*], according to R. Simeon b. Eleazar.


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:3
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:3)

נקבה במקום [הכתב פסולה במקום] הריוח כשרה עשא הווין זיינין זיינין ווין כפופים פשוטים פשוטים כפופים פתוחים סתומים סתומים פתותים או ששנה אותיותיה או שנכתבה עברית הרי זו פסולה

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If a hole was made in the place of the script it is unfit for religious use; but if it occurred in the margin it remains fit.
If the letter *waw* [in a *mezuzah*] was shaped like a *zayin* or *vice versa*, curved letters like straight-lined letters² like the final *kaf.* or *vice versa*, open letters closed³ like the final *mem.* or *vice versa*, or if the shape of its letters had been altered [in any other way], or if it was written in [obsolete] Hebrew, it is unfit for religious use.

footnotes:
² e.g. an ordinary kaf
³ An ordinary mem


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:4
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:4)

בית התבן בית העצים בית האוצר הרי אלו פטורים רפת הבקר פטור אם היו הנשים נאותות בו חייב הצריפים והבורגנין והלקטיות והבורסקיות הרי אלו פטורים מן המזוזה

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
A magazine for straw, a wood-shed [and any] storage room are exempt [from the *mezuzah*].⁴ A stable for cattle is exempt, but if women make use of it⁵ it is liable. Cone-shaped huts,⁶, I, p. 6.] travellers’ stations, field sheds⁷, p. 226, and *Talm. Arch.* I, p. 276, n. 81, reads *hilaḳṭiyoth*. Maimonides understood the term to mean ‘summer-house’, thatched on top and open on the four sides. More probably it was used for stacking hay, etc., where it was dried by the wind.] and tanneries are exempt from *mezuzah*.⁸

footnotes:
⁴ Only dwelling-houses are subject to the obligation.
⁵ In which to adorn themselves; but if they use any of the structures for bathing it is exempt (cf. Yoma 11a, Sonc. ed., p. 48; Y.D. CCLXXXVI, §2).
⁶ [Used by watchers in a field or by hunters; Krauss, Talmudische Archäologie
⁷ [Krauss, Lehnwörter
⁸ They are not dwelling-houses.


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:5
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:5)

בית המרחץ פטורה אם יש לה בית דירה פתח החיצון חייב

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
A bath-house is exempt, but if a dwelling-house adjoins it the outer doorway is liable.


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:6
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:6)

פתח שבזוית אין בו אלא מזוזה אחת פתח שהוא עשוי בנסרים אין בו אלא מזוזה אחת חייב ר׳ אליעזר בן יעקב פוטר

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
A corner doorway that has only one doorpost, [or] a doorway made in [a structure of] boards which has only one doorpost is liable. R. Eliezer b. Jacob declares it exempt.


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:7
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:7)

הכיפין פטורות ר׳ מאיר ור׳ יהודה מחייבין אבל הכל שוין שאם היה הבנין מלמטה והכיפין מלמעלה הרי אלו חייבות במזוזה

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Arched doorways are exempt, but R. Meir and R. Judah declare that they are liable. All, however, agree that if they have the [usual] structure below⁹ and the arched section above they are liable to *mezuzah*.

footnotes:
⁹ Being four handbreadths wide and reaching to a height of ten handbreadths (cf. ‘Erub, 11b, Sonc. ed., p. 69).


###### Tractate Mezuzah 1:8
[Tractate Mezuzah 1:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Mezuzah/r/1:8)

שערי העיר שערי הרחובות שערי העזרות הרי אלו פטורים ושל הלשכות שהיו במקדש היו פטורות מן המזוזה והלשכה של בית הפרוה שהיתה בית דירה לכהן גדול ז׳ ימים בשנה וסוכות היוצרים הרי אלו חייבות במזוזה ור׳ יוסי פוטר:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
City gates, the gates of open places¹⁰ and the gates of Temple Courts are exempt.¹¹.] [The doorways of] chambers in the Temple were exempt from *mezuzah*, but the Chamber of the Counsellors,¹², one of the Temple chambers, in agreement with Yoma 10a (Sonc. ed., p. 45). V and H read: *lishkath shel beth happarwah*, ‘the chamber of the Parwah house’, Parwah being the name of its Persian builder (cf. *ibid.* 35a, Sonc. ed., p. 161, n. 6). which served as a residence for the High Priest on seven days in the year,¹³ 2a, Sonc. ed., p. 1). and potters’ booths are subject to *mezuzah*. R. Jose declares them exempt.

footnotes:
¹⁰ Where people assemble for special prayers or to discuss public matters.
¹¹ [But according to Yoma 11a, Sonc. ed., p. 47, city gates require a mezuzah
¹² Reading lishkath parhedrin
¹³ Before the Day of Atonement (cf. ibid.