Ask the Rov: How often do I need to check my mezuzos, and who can check them?

By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah

The Gemara teaches that a personal mezuzah must be checked twice in seven years, while a public mezuzah is to be checked twice in fifty years. Rashi explains that we don’t want to burden the public too much, because then each person will just rely on someone else to do it.¹

For a shul or beis midrash that has a gabbai responsible for its upkeep, some write that the mezuzos should be checked twice in seven years, like personal ones, and certainly when there is reason to be concerned about their kashrus.²

The Mateh Efraim writes that anshei maiseh who examine their deeds during the month of Elul check their tefillin and mezuzos.³ The Rebbe quoted this minhag many times, and noted that when one is in need of extra brachos, one should check their mezuzos annually. Additionally, the way parchment is processed nowadays causes common ink (letters or crowns) to last shorter than in the times of the Gemara.⁴

What constitutes checking? The Chasam Sofer notes that once the mezuzah was checked once properly and thoroughly, the subsequent examinations aren’t looking out for missing letters but rather that the letters are intact and not cracking or smudging.⁵ This does not require a sofer specifically, and one can inspect their own mezuzos themselves for these issues.

Another important element of checking mezuzos is ensuring they are properly placed. One may have a mehudar mezuzah, but if it’s not placed correctly, the mezuzah is not valid. Since the halachos of mezuzah placement are detailed and complex, some suggest bringing someone knowledgeable in these halachos to verify their proper placement.⁶ The Rebbe also notes that checking mezuzos “obviously includes checking their placement” (including their positioning according to heker tzir).⁷

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From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash