The Seven Mentions of the Name Havaya in the Two Passages of the Mezuzah Equal יעק"ב
I would now like to present to our royal audience several allusions that reveal the amazing connection between Yaakov Avinu and the mitzvah of mezuzah. We will begin with the fact that HKB”H commanded to begin the writing of a mezuzah with the passuk: "שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד". In fact, the mitzvah HKB”H gave us is called Krias Shema, because of this passuk. Let us now introduce a pertinent Midrash (B.R. 98, 3) associated with a passuk in parshas Vayechi (Bereishis 49, 2):
“Gather yourselves and listen, O sons of Yaakov”: Based on an incident alluded to by this passuk, Yisrael were privileged to receive the mitzvah of Krias Shema. Just before Yaakov Avinu passed away, he summoned his twelve sons. He asked if any of them had a personal quarrel with HKB”H. They replied in unison, “Hear O Yisrael, our father, just as you have no quarrel with HKB”H, neither do we; rather, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is the one and only G-d!” At that point, Yaakov Avinu also proclaimed, “Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.” . . . Commemorating this event, Jews proclaim, every morning and every night, “Hear O Yisrael, our father, from the Cave of Machpeilah, that which you commanded us, we still observe: Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is the only One.”
For this reason, HKB”H commanded us to begin the inscription on the mezuzah, which is affixed to the right doorpost corresponding to Yaakov Avinu, with the passuk: "שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד". Thus, we invoke the sincere, wholehearted emunah inculcated in us by Yaakov Avinu to believe in the oneness of Hashem. It is to Yaakov Avinu, who is named Yisrael, that we direct the words "שמע ישראל". We wish to inform him that we still believe in that which he bequeathed to the original shevatim and to all future Jews until the end of time—that “Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is the One and Only.”
We find another incredible allusion connecting Yaakov Avinu with the mitzvah of mezuzah. Our sacred sefarim point out that the gematria of the name יעק"ב (182) equals seven times the name Havaya (26); this corresponds to the seven midos: חסד, גבורה, תפארת, נצח, הוד, יסוד, מלכות. The source for this teaching is found in the Arizal’s Likutei Torah (Vayeira). He asserts that this numerical equivalence is alluded to in the passuk (ibid. 28, 10): “And Yaakov departed from Be’er Sheva” (“sheva” is the Hebrew word for seven).
Now, if we examine the two passages in a mezuzah, we find that they contain precisely seven mentions of the name Havaya. In the first passage of "שמע ישראל", the name הוי"ה appears three times; in the second passage--"והיה אם שמוע"—it appears four times. Thus, we can suggest that they correspond to Yaakov, whose name in Hebrew equals seven multiples of הוי"ה. Thus, we have compelling corroboration that the mitzvah of mezuzah is associated with Yaakov Avinu.
