י״ד אייר ה׳תשפ״ו | April 30, 2026
Seven Years Later, Mezuzah Investigator Returns with Update
Seven years ago, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Wolf (Chicago), shocked the Chabad world with the release of a video documenting the sad state of affairs regarding the Kashrus and quality of Mezuzos being sold. Now, he has an update.
Seven years ago, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Wolf (Chicago), shocked the Chabad world with the release of a video documenting the sad state of affairs regarding the Kashrus and quality of Mezuzos being sold.
As time passed, the need for a follow-up video – to see if there were any changes implemented – arose. The real-time findings are presented in this video.
You be the judge.
WATCH
COMMENTS
This system, open transparency, needs to be done in every area.
Which schools, camps, hire good staff?
Suprise, independent visits to restaurants, for kashrus standards.
Which shadchonim are honest?
The consumer deserves to know.
I feel like since this video is coming out during sefira and is teaching people halacha etc, maybe the video should be edited to not have regular music in it?
A) Not suprising – they are all mivtzoyim mezuzos, you want them to be checked localy? Pay an extra 10$ gezunterheit.
B) Don’t you understand that there are different opinions in halacha? most of the “pesulim” that you found are very debatable, definitely not enough to slander honest g-d fearing soferim, an issur of lashon hora and many other issurim
C) the “bedieved shtick” which lowers the “rating” of certain soferim – hello! Mivtzoyim mezuzos are meant for people who wont pay for lechatchila, thats the entire point!
D) you found a sofer that is not a malach – and missed a mistake – so you go and slander him?! He will give you your money back, how can you go and just ruin ones reputation without asking several rabbonim before?
Not sure who OKd having bedieved mezuzos for Mivtzoim. Never heard of such a heter. Lechatchila or nothing. This notion of “at least he will have a bedieved mezuzah” is not an honorable opinion. Its too expensive? Ask for ppl to help chip in. Dont get a lower quality one.
The mezuzos are kosher l’chatchila.
Yes, while WRITING them it is better to write them in a better way l’chatchila but if u have such a mezuza in your hand you can l’chatchila put it up on a door with a brocho and be yoitzei the mitzvah of l’chatchila
Contrary to your belief, lechatchila is not a “better way.” Lechatchila is the instruction of Shulchan Aruch as to how you NEED TO do it. Bdieved means “after it was done,” then we will sometimes rely on other opinions.
Someone who goes AGAINST Shulchan Aruch and doesn’t do what he NEEDS TO – you don’t want to buy his mezuzos and it’s questionable if such a person’s writing is kosher according to halacha.
What Wolf fails to disclose is who paid for these Mezuzos?
At minimum if as he claimed these were assorted we are looking at $6000!
Secondly, who was the Difference doing the checking?
Both questions deserve answers!
Why is it your business who paid for it?
Like genuinely how does that affect you to the quality of the mezuzos in the video?
I paid for this project personally as I am passionate about mivtza mezuzah. The sofer I kept anonymous on purpose. As last time the sofer who did it was harassed.
i am a sofer, and i do hold very strongly that one should be careful not to buy any cheap mezuzos because they have a lot of shaalos and are not worth the headace of replacing them or having questionable mezuzos on your house, i tell people that in reality today if you are paying less then $100 per mezuza it is probably not what you want on your house.
having said that, i do believe that the sofer that checked them was a little too critical, for example: mezuza # 3A, 3C, 3E, are kosher, the only issue was an “aleph” that is deformed which is true, but in order for a letter to be pasul because of being deformed it must take the shape (or questionable shape) of a different letter, like in mezuza #3B there is 3 marked issues a “raish” that has a long leg that can make it a “lange chof” and a “vov” that its head crosses both sides of the leg making it a “zayin” but as for the “aleph” it is OK, if the top head of an “aleph” is like a “zayin” it is KOSHER, actually the “”matzos shemurim” who is a student of the ARIZAL writes that you are supposed to WRITE an “aleph” that way, that is not our minhag but it is for sure KOSHER, and if the bootom of the main body goes down and not up (as it should) it is still KOSHER as it did not take on the shape of any other letter, and many of the “alephs” on other mezuzos marked “kosher” the bottom does not turn up as it should.
bottom line: MANY of these mezuzos are not the quality a frum person would be having on his house if he would know what they looked like even if they are marked “KOSHER”, just like you would not buy an old battered up car missing 2 windows and rusty (even if it works just fine) – because it was a good price.
however, not all of the mezuzos marked posul are actually posul
no one wants bedieved
I want the cheapest mezuzahs for microphone period. If that means a few leniencies were used, so be it.
Rabbi Wolf, under the leadership of his father Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf has been dealing with Safrus for years. He has purchased FAR more than $6000 worth of Stam over the years, for purposes of being Mezake Yidden in Chicago with kosher mezuzos, as per the Rebbe’s campaign.
The shturem he caused a few years ago has bH brought tangible results and concrete impact. Hopefully it will bring even better results this time around.
If you see something, say something. Stop shying away from problems. Speak up, loud and clear!
Ty Rabbi Wolf!!
His father is not Yitzchok Wolf, his father is Aharon Wolf
His father is Aron not Yitzchok
Wonderful to see the improvement in the level of sta’m. Yasher koach R Wolf.
There is no mention who the checking sofer was. What one sofer may call a shayla or bedieved another may say is ok. In general the newer sofrim are much quicker to passel.
You be the judge!!!!
Really?!
Is this how we do things now?! We are all in a position of authority to “judge” and evaluate people who have done that for many years under the guidance of renowned Rabbonim and Magihim and reliable suppliers??!!
First of all- a website that proclaims itself as scrupulous in chassidus and tznius, yet when it comes to people’s livelihood then it’s all gone?? Shame on this website to publicize this shameful propaganda that literally hurts people! Is this chassidus???
Having said that – who exactly nominated this individual to become the main authority on reliability in stam???
Is this the correct approach? To trick people into selling items not knowing that the intent is to test and hurt them! Is this what chassidishe yidden do???
I’m alarmed at the level of quiet from rabbonim and mashpi’im. Where is the outcry??? This is abominable behavior that should’ve been called out and eradicated from our midst! Whoever is in a position of authority and doesn’t come out against this abomination becomes accomplice to the hurt caused to the many people who are pinpointed in this regrettable presentation.
Regarding the issues raised – this individual is far from being the authority to determine what is acceptable and what is not. All the experienced magihim follow and consult constantly with renowned Rabbonim and Poskim in Stam. The fact that something was found doesn’t question the reliability of the people involved. No one absolutely no one can claim to be perfect in this complicated field. Everyone does their best to do bez”h as close to perfection as possible. But in the end – imperfections happen to EVERYONE! The difference is – do we celebrate it on a public forum?! Or do we bring it to the attention of the concerned parties to rectify and do this with utmost respect!!!
In conclusion – stay away from this type of propaganda which is opposite to everything that yiras shomayim and chassidus stands for!!!
This is a classic example of “Kill the messenger.” There have been clear issues of recklessness and fraud in the field of tefillin and mezuzos. But then when someone steps up, investing time and money to wake people up – he gets blamed!
Absurdity at its best!
Discovering fraud and protecting unsuspecting consumers is now unscrupulous? Helping people be mekayem mitzvas mezuzah is abominable?
Anyone who defrauds people should be stopped from selling mezuzos and be put out business! Thats a mitzvah!
I can’t believe people are defending this nonsense. He’s barely even discussing kosher vs pasul. He’s mostly going against heteirim which is completely bogus. He is simply slandering people and will have to answer for himself in the next world.
Who appointed him to investigate??? His approach in doing this is WRONG!!! It has multiple infractions in bein adom lachaveiro! Definitely not the derech of chabad!!! Is there are issues to be examined this is why we have our Ravi in. Not this self appointed messenger… who causes so much trouble to many.
When I get something from dollar tree I expect it to have been made cheaply and with way lesser quality. I don’t buy the assertion that people think the cheapest mezuzah is made to the highest halachic standards. In fact, this individual is the reason why mezuzahs have gotten significantly more expensive.
Would you rather cheap possul mezuzos or more expensive kosher ones?
I can’t believe people are defending this nonsense. He’s barely even discussing kosher vs pasul. He’s mostly going against heteirim which is completely bogus. Every single industry uses heteirim to get us cheaper and more available products and I applaud the sofrim that do so as well. Those sofrim are helping more yidden have mezuzahs and bringing moshiach
Unlike other groups, Lubavitch never looed for heterim – even for mivtzoim. The Rebbe was adamant that mivtzoim mezuzos should be kosher LECHATCHILA.
The word BDIEVED means: after the fact. Someone who intentionally writes mezuzos that are only kosher after the fact – is disregarding Shulchan Aruch, and his mezuzos are questionable even after the fact!
When did the Rebbe discuss, “mivtzoim mezuzas”? Please cite sources.
My point was very clear!
No one is defrauding anyone! No one is selling Possul items! That is fact!
As to the claim, that was my point that no one gave the authority to this individual to decide of the levels and standards what is lechatchila and what not etc….
Everyone selling in CH are people yirei shomayim who don’t ch”v intend to sell something not acceptable. As to the standard of what is acceptable it’s not up to everyone to decide for the Klal! Each person should make an educated decision what is to be purchased and where. But again, every establishment follows Rabbonim and Poskim and no one intends to defraud anyone.
This is why presenting it in this manner is not constructive at all as previously explained.
Your word against his… And he actually did his homework.
Some sellers are buying in bulk from overseas and don’t know what they’re selling. It’s not intentional fraud, but it’s negligent and irresponsible – especially when dealing with something so important as mezuzos.
As consumers, we have the right to know the quality of items on the market. That’s why you have online ratings and reviews, and outlets like Consumer Reports.
Kudos to Rabbi Wolf for doing the work and publishing his findings. No one is forcing anyone. If you want to buy sub-par mezuzos – gezunterheit! But for the rest of us, we would like to know ratings.
We rely on mezuzos for protection. People who sell problematic mezuzos are rodfim since they are putting unknowing buyers at risk of danger R”L.
If this was a report of health practitioners who are misleading their patients with bogus treatments, everyone would be up in arms. If you’re not concerned here, it just means that you don’t really believe that the mezuzah is our protection…
The Crown Heights Beis Din HIRED a reputable Rav of Safrus – Rabbi Kahn – and he should be asked directly about the Kashrus of these Mezuzos. Let his PSAK decide the facts.
There should be an official HECHSHER of the Badatz on stores that sell STAM.
Would you eat in a restaurant that is without a Hechsher? Why is STAM different?
For all those negative comments above. The reason why I can make a video like this and most people who know about the issues don’t make a video. Is because your comments just bounce off, I don’t care. I do what’s right! At great personal cost. I ask the Rebbe and my mashpia before anything and those are the only people that matter.
You say you asked your Mashpia, did you ask a Rav though if it’s Halachicly ok to do it in such a way?
Collect tzedakah if you need money, no right to sell insufficient mezuzahs period. Thanks for this great video
While the video maker makes some valid point, broadly speaking these mezuzos are not halachically insufficient.
What r all legit kosher websites and contacts in usa i can buy a 100% guaranteed kosher mezuza from
I guess we don’t follow the same Rebbe!
My Rebbe NEVER disrespected anyone!
My Rebbe NEVER called out nor shamed anyone in public. Even when coming out against certain individuals in things that are related to the Klal, he never called out anyone!!!
My Rebbe never thaught me to feel that I knew better than anyone!
My Rebbe thaught me humility nit arrogance!
So it seems that we follow very different Rebbe’s! My Rebbe would NEVER authorize you nor instruct you to slander people in public like you’ve done.
Please keep the Rebbe out of this!
Seems that you very much believe in your approach. I’d like to suggest to try a different approach which might prove much more constructive. An approach of peaceful dialog either directly or through the Beis din of CH to look in to the issues raised and to resolve them to everybody’s satisfaction. If your intent is pure, please change course. Try the better way and I assure you that you won’t be disappointed! Then for sure our Rebbe will be very proud of your effort and will send many brochos your way.
Please take this to heart!
The Rebbe certainly called people out, in public, by farbrengens, when the situation warranted.
But don’t let the facts disturb your naarative
Seems that you are not aware of all that has been tried behind the scenes…
May Hashem bentch you for your purity and naivete!
These problems are as old as the days. I have been into mivzah mezuzah for over 60 years and could write a book of what I have seen over the years. Just two stories for now….
About 60 years ago when I was in 770 before the summer and some bachurim were about to go on summer shalichus and had a pile of small mezuzos to take with them , and asked them to show them to me. I Rabbi Binyomin Kline where they came from? and he told me that they came from this sofer in Boro Park (a non Lubavitcher – a famous distributor).
I went on kingston ave to the pay phone (in those days there were no cell phones with id) and called this sofer and asked him if I could ask him a few questions concerning mezuzos. And asked him many questions concerning the meziuzos that I had in front of me .( but did not tell him it was concerning the mezuzos that he sold) not once did he say that they were kosher.
After all my questions I told him that all these mezuzos came from him. He said ” you mean the mezuzos I sold to Merkos?” I said yes! He tells me but they only give me 50 cents (he meant 50 cents profit on each mezuzah). so I asked are you allowed to sell such mezuzos? He did not answer but just slammed the phone up.
Just one more story when I was in camp Gan Yisroel of central Florida in 1965 Rabbi Avrohom Korf had bought a pile of Mesuzos for the entire camp and he gave me them to look over. I told him “better get one nice kasher mezusah than this entire pile. ” He sent them all back and bought all nice mezuzos even though he was very tight wilh money .