Free Printable Mezuzah Scroll (Plus the Full Text in English)

What Is a Mezuzah Scroll?

The mezuzah scroll, called a klaf in Hebrew, is the small piece of parchment rolled up inside a mezuzah case. Here's the surprise for a lot of people: the scroll is the mezuzah. The case is just its pretty home. That's why the scroll is the part with all the rules, and the case can be anything from sterling silver to a pickle.

New to all this? Start with What Is a Mezuzah?

What Does the Mezuzah Scroll Say? (Full Text in English)

A mezuzah scroll holds two passages from the Book of Deuteronomy, handwritten in Hebrew and traditionally laid out in 22 lines. Both include the commandment to "write them upon the door-posts of thy house," which is where the mezuzah comes from. The scroll opens with the Shema, the central statement of Jewish faith:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד

Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Here is the full text in English (JPS 1917 translation):

Deuteronomy 6:4–9

^6:4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

^6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

^6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;

^6:7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

^6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.

^6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

Deuteronomy 11:13–21

^11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

^11:14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

^11:15 And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied.

^11:16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

^11:17 and the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

^11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

^11:19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

^11:20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates;

^11:21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.

On the back of the scroll, the scribe writes Shaddai (שדי), a name of God. Its first letter, shin (ש), is why so many mezuzah cases have a shin on the front.

What Makes a Mezuzah Scroll Kosher?

A kosher mezuzah scroll has to be:

• Handwritten by a trained scribe, called a sofer stam, using a quill and special black ink.
• Written on parchment made from the skin of a kosher animal.
• Written in order. The scribe can't skip ahead and go back.
• Complete and legible. Every letter has to be fully formed. One missing, cracked or touching letter can make the whole scroll invalid.

That's a lot of skilled handwork, which is why kosher scrolls cost more than you might expect. Ours start at about $60 and are written by an experienced Israeli sofer and checked by a second scribe.

Kosher Mezuzah Parchment Scroll (Klaf) · from $59.95

Printable vs. Kosher Mezuzah Scroll: Which Do You Need?

Many mezuzah cases are sold without a scroll, so check before you hang yours.

What Size Mezuzah Scroll Do You Need?

Measure the inside of your case before you buy. Our 7 cm scroll (about 2¾ inches) fits most mezuzah cases, and the 10 cm size (about 4 inches) is for larger cases. If a scroll is too long for the case, don't trim or fold it: the parchment needs its margins, and cutting or creasing it can damage letters and make it invalid. Get a larger case or a smaller scroll instead.

How to Roll and Insert a Mezuzah Scroll

1. Roll from the end toward the beginning. Lay the scroll text-side up and start rolling from the left edge, where the Hebrew lines end, toward the right, where they begin. The writing ends up on the inside, the first word, Shema, sits on the outermost layer, and the word Shaddai on the back faces out. Roll gently and don't crease it.
2. Protect it. Many scribes recommend wrapping the rolled scroll in a small piece of wax paper. Skip plastic wrap, which can trap moisture and damage the ink, and never put tape on the parchment itself. For an outside door, choose a case that keeps the rain out.
3. Slide it into the case with the top of the text (the line that begins with Shema) toward the top of the case and the word Shaddai facing the front, away from the doorpost.
4. Hang it. Say the blessing and affix the mezuzah on the right side of the doorway as you walk in, about a third of the way from the top. Our guide on how to hang a mezuzah covers which doors need one, and why the mezuzah is slanted explains the angle (most Ashkenazi Jews hang it on a slant; many Sephardi Jews hang it straight up).

Find a Case for Your Scroll

Once you have the scroll, the fun part is choosing its home. Our mezuzah cases come from independent Jewish artists, in glass, wood, metal and ceramic.

Songbird Mezuzah by Emily Rosenfeld · from $64 Small Ceramic Mezuzah Case by Yahalomis - (Choice of Colors) · from $80 Engraved Rose Quartz Mezuzah Case · from $72 Smash Glass Mosaic Mezuzah Case by HamsaMade · from $96

Mezuzah Scroll FAQ

What is written on a mezuzah scroll?

Two passages from the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:4–9, which begins with the Shema ("Hear, O Israel"), and Deuteronomy 11:13–21. Both include the commandment to write these words on the doorposts of your house. On the back of the scroll is Shaddai (שדי), one of the names of God.

Is a printed mezuzah scroll kosher?

No. A kosher scroll has to be handwritten by a trained scribe (sofer) on parchment. A printed or photocopied scroll, including our free printable, doesn't fulfill the mitzvah, and you don't say the mezuzah blessing over it.

Why do kosher mezuzah scrolls cost so much?

Every letter is written by hand with a quill and special ink, in order, and a single missing or cracked letter makes the scroll invalid. A good scroll takes hours of skilled work, and reputable scrolls are checked by a second scribe.

What size mezuzah scroll do I need?

Measure the inside of your case. Our 7 cm scroll (about 2¾ inches) fits most mezuzah cases; larger cases can take a 10 cm scroll.

Which way do you roll a mezuzah scroll?

Lay it text-side up and roll it from the end of the text toward the beginning (left to right), so the writing is on the inside and the opening word, Shema, is on the outermost layer. The word Shaddai on the back should face outward. Many people wrap the rolled scroll in wax paper to protect it; skip plastic wrap, which can trap moisture against the ink.

How often should a mezuzah scroll be checked?

Jewish law says the mezuzot in a home should be checked twice every seven years, because ink can fade or crack over time.

What do I do with a printed scroll I no longer need?

Because it contains God's name, don't throw it in the trash. Many people bring it to a synagogue to be placed in a genizah (a storage place for worn-out sacred texts) or bury it.