Removing Door that has a Mezuzah

254. Removing a Door with a Mezuzah

According to the Rambam a mezuzah is needed only on a doorway that has a door. The majority of poskim disagree and rule that a doorway with no door also requires a mezuzah; the halachah is in accordance with the widely held opinion. However, in order to also abide by the opinion of the Rambam, when affixing a mezuzah to a doorway that has no door, we affix one to a doorway with a door at the same time, and when making the brachah on the one with the door, we have in mind the doorless one as well. Additionally, it is important that the door should be in place before affixing the mezuzah. If a person removed a door, one could argue that—according to the Rambam—this doorway has now become exempt from the mitzvah of mezuzah, and when the door is put back the mezuzah should be removed and then reaffixed. This is based on the principle of taase v'lo min he'asui, that mitzvos should be actively performed by us, and not left to happen on their own. Although this might sound like a legitimate argument, the consensus among poskim is that the mezuzah does not have to be removed; it can be left there, and remains kosher when the door is put back.

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Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.