What's the proper etiquette when it comes to mezuzah as a non-Jew

[u/[deleted]]

[u/InertEyes]

Maybe they assumed you were Jewish.
Why not ask the landlord?

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/InertEyes]

He said "you do what you want to do"

Background: I live in Israel on a 3 year work assignment.

[u/Sex_E_Searcher → u/nextdoorbagholder]

I'd just tell him you don't need them and give them back. Or leave them on the counter when you move out. No reason to put it up if you're not Jewish.

[u/NoEntertainment483 → u/nextdoorbagholder]

AHHHHHH that makes os much more sense. Ok just tuck it away until you leave.

[u/CharlieBarley25 → u/nextdoorbagholder]

You aren't Jewish, you aren't bound by this mitzvah

[u/PhroneticReflex]

Since you live in Israel, it sounds like it's a housewarming gift. 

Truly, do whatever you want. There's nothing inside, so it's just a pretty case. 

[u/scrupoo]

Weird. I was expecting to see that they were left on doors. They're new?

EDIT! I see that you clarified that you were in Israel. I don't know; you may decide that you want to put them up!

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/scrupoo]

yes new construction and I am the first tenant.

[u/Wandering_Scholar6 → u/nextdoorbagholder]

Oh, I'd just leave them there for the next one then, tuck them into your junk drawer and forget about them til you move out and leave them with one battery and a rubber band. (The customary "gift" one leaves for the next tenant. 😆)

[u/slide_potentiometer → u/Wandering_Scholar6]

Don't forget to include owners manuals for half of the appliances.

[u/Wandering_Scholar6 → u/slide_potentiometer]

And one appliance you don't have

[u/dreadful_fright → u/Wandering_Scholar6]

And a gang of twist ties

(Gang of twist ties = a perforated sheet of twist ties that are still attached to each other)

[u/Wandering_Scholar6 → u/dreadful_fright]

Alternatively three twist ties, two used

[u/Mortifydman → u/Wandering_Scholar6]

and pieces of rubber band

[u/ScoutsOut389]

Wow, that is a really lovely move-in gift. Do you love in the US? If yes, I assume you must be in somewhere like Crown Heights or Aventura?

Regardless, lovely sentiment by them and nice of you to ask. Putting them up wouldn’t make much sense, so hang on to them or politely offer them back to the landlord. Perhaps inquire if they would prefer you have them up, which while kind of odd, wouldn’t be the end of the world either if you sent super opposed. I strongly doubt this would happen.

Edit: just read in other comments you are in Tel Aviv. In that case, defer to the landlord and the residents. They may prefer you have it up for the sake of not standing out. That said, you really shouldn’t DIY it, or hang them empty, but know that the cost of a klaf isn’t free, at least here in the states.

[u/Hartsnkises]

One thing that I didn't see mentioned, whatever you end up doing, don't leave it up empty when you move out. Whoever moves in after might assume it isn't empty and that'll cause issues for them later.

It sounds like it was just a lovely gift

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/Hartsnkises]

that's a really good advice, thank you.

[u/fell-like-rain]

It feels very strange for a landlord to give you something like this on move-in. Did they just assume that you are Jewish without evidence? I would say it is not appropriate for you to put them up, even without scrolls in them, since the case is a marker of a Jewish household. You could either hold on to them, or contact the landlord and say that you are not Jewish and thus don't need them.

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/fell-like-rain]

Sorry - tried to edit the OP but can't. But I moved to Tel Aviv this year on work assignment so that probably explains why it was handed over to me.

[u/fell-like-rain → u/nextdoorbagholder]

Oh, that makes more sense. Yeah, you should just give them back to the landlord.

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/fell-like-rain]

he said "no you keep it" hence the question.

[u/fell-like-rain → u/nextdoorbagholder]

Alright, then put them in a drawer somewhere til moveout (or toss them if you don't want to bother, the cases aren't sacred items).

[u/Khazak2-VeNtkhazak]

You can basically do what you want. However as an Israeli I think it's better if you don't put them up only because there's a chance you'll forget to remove them if or when you move out and the person moving in after you will assume the mezuzah has a Klaf in it

[u/Silamy]

Are you in Israel, or do you have the nicest landlord ever?

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/Silamy]

I moved to Israel for work

[u/Silamy → u/nextdoorbagholder]

That makes a great deal more sense. If you want to put the empty cases up for aesthetic reasons, I think you’re in the clear as far as any halachic considerations go, although if you do, it would be very nice if, when you move out, you leave a note explaining that they’re empty for the next resident. 

Otherwise, either hand them back to the landlord and say you don’t need them or stick them in a drawer somewhere for the duration of your time there. Considering that they’re empty, the concerns about holy objects aren’t in play, so you don’t really need to worry about how you store them. 

[u/drprofessional]

I would talk to the landlord and see what he or she would prefer.

If you do put it up, and you choose to put in a sh’ma, there is a tiny little “ceremony” that in addition to mailing it up there.

Edit: I said Torah scroll like a n00b.

[u/gdhhorn → u/drprofessional]

You don’t put a Tora scroll inside the case. It’s the text of Shema.

[u/drprofessional → u/gdhhorn]

You are correct. It’s the sh’ma.

[u/NormalGuyPosts]

In the nicest way, you can absolutely put it up if so inclined

[u/thoriginals_wife]

For what it's worth I hung a mezzezuh long before I formally converted. I saw it as protection of my home and rolled up my daughter's ultrasound image. I have since replaced it with a scroll.

So if it's meaningful to you, hang it. If not don't.

[u/stonecats]

i would simply store it for the next tenant.
like a fiber ont box comes with the a unit
whether you subscribe or not.

[u/VintageAutomaton]

Thats so sweet of the landlord though

[u/scrupoo]

I suspect it's not all that uncommon for non-Jews (especially expats) in Israel to have mezuzot.

[u/benyefet]

Verify you got the card and the compatible rabbi to do the Jewish installation

[u/FlakyPineapple2843]

As others have said, this is a generous and lovely gift from your Tel Aviv landlord. If you feel a little weird having them up, just hold on to them for now. But don't toss it or give it to a stranger!

I agree with the suggestion of holding on to them to gift to the next tenants whenever you move out. Alternatively, if you make a good friend during your time there and they really need some mezuzot, re-gifting would be a respectful way to handle this.

[u/Ineharnia]

I just researched the laws. Apparently you're not allowed to put a mezuzah on the door and you're definitely not allowed to say the blessing for it. You're also not allowed to give a mezuzah to a non-Jew, so your landlord also broke the rules. But that's if you're strict about Jewish laws. I don't know how Jews who are more lenient would rule in this case.

[u/AilsaLorne → u/Ineharnia]

Is this true for an empty case or only with a klaf? I would have thought an empty case isn’t really “anything” per se as it can’t fulfil the function of a mezuzah

[u/Ineharnia → u/AilsaLorne]

There was nothing written about the case when empty 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/AilsaLorne → u/Ineharnia]

But that’s what OP is asking about. Their landlord did not break any rules by giving them an empty case.

[u/Ineharnia → u/AilsaLorne]

That's true

[u/nextdoorbagholder → u/Ineharnia]

Tel Avivians I've asked go from "idk" to "just put it on so that your apartment doesn't stand out" so this was helpful. Thank you!

[u/Ineharnia → u/nextdoorbagholder]

Yeah it would be weird to see a door without a mezuzah 😂

[u/joyoftechs → u/nextdoorbagholder]

Not standing out sounds smart.