ASK THE RABBI
AFFIXING A MEZUZA WITH VELCRO
Halachic Q&A with Rabbi Levi Y. New
Question:
I recently had the Mezuzuas at my office checked. When taking them down, it occurred to me that, considering I had used Velcro to attach the Mezuzas to the door, they could be removed with relative ease. Does that invalidate the Mezuza as being ‘affixed’ to the doorpost?
Answer:
Mezuza on an Office Door
First, it should be noted that there is a discussion amongst the Halachic authorities if an office is (biblically) mandated to have a Mezuzua. The consensus seems to be that a Mezuza should be affixed, but without reciting the blessing.
Perhaps we’ll have another occasion to address this question in more depth.
A Permanent Fixture
Considering that Velcro is a relatively new phenomenon, I haven’t found anything in the Halachic literature to cite. I did have several conversations with some respected Rabbis, but first, some background:
The Talmud teaches that the Mezuza must be affixed to the door, and not merely temporarily positioned there. This law is then codified in (Rambam and then later in) the Tur and Shulchan Aruch as follows: How is it affixed? Nail it with nails into the door post, or dig out a hole and stick it in there. And don’t dig deeper than a handbreadth, else it’s invalid.
The broad consensus amongst the Halachic authorities is that the Shulchan Aruch’s use of the phrase “nail it with nails” is not intended to exclude any other adhesive, rather to give an example of that which creates a permanent attachment. Especially considering the next words of the Shulchan Aruch, “or dig a hole and stick it in there” without requiring any adhesive at all.
Double-Sided Tape vs. Velcro
The question now becomes, what defines something as permanent; is it the fact that it is designed for longevity, or by how difficult it is to remove?
With regard to strong glue or double-sided tape, both these considerations are addressed. As such, I haven’t found any Halachic rulings invalidating a Mezuza using it, provided that it will indeed stand the test of time.
Indeed, the reality is that strong double-sided tape is frequently used. Regarding the strong modern 3M Velcro, although it is designed for longevity, it is also designed for easy removal. As mentioned, I have yet to find any explicit mention in the Halachic literature that addresses this issue.
Nonetheless, it would seem to me that if the Velcro is indeed made for longevity, as is clear from the fact that many use it to hang pictures and such on the walls of their homes, it is still a kosher adhesive for a Mezuza.
I’m basing this on two things:
First; many of the Halachic authorities that justify the use of glue or doublesided tape cite to the Shach who writes with regards to attaching the parchment of the Sefer Torah to the Eitz Chayim (the wooden handles): “it is forbidden to attach the parchment around the wood using glue, for over a long period of time the glue dries out and loosens its attachment from the wood”. Thus, if the attachment were to withstand the test of time, it is a kosher adhesive.
Another justification for the use of these alternative adhesives is, as noted above, from the Shulchan Aruch, which gives a second option for Mezuza placement: “or dig out a hole and stick it in there” without requiring any adhesive at all. It would seem to me that here, too, there is no reason to assume that it would be difficult to remove the Mezuza from the hole. Clearly, the issue is not how easily the Mezuza can be removed but rather whether or not it can be relied on as a permanent placement.
To borrow the words of the Aruch HaShulchan: “what’s the difference between a nail or [an alternative] adhesive, so long as it is completely attached”.
Notably, in one of the source that I saw, while concluding that tape is a valid adhesive for the reasons explained above, writes that nails are preferable because “I’m worried it [the tape] is too easily removed”. Seemingly, the same would apply to strong Velcro - it’s a valid adhesive even if it isn’t the preferred method according to this source.
Conclusion and Practical Summary:
- Considering that I have yet to find direct support for this ruling in the Rabbinic literature, and considering that some view any alternative adhesives, including glue or double-sided tape, as a second-best option, I would not advise the use of Velcro if the question were asked before application.
- Considering all the above, and considering that I have yet to find an explicit ruling against the use of strong Velcro, I don’t see a reason to replace all the Velcro with other adhesive (especially in the case of an office).
I shared a draft of this paper with several Rabbis and colleagues and have gratefully received much positive feedback, see footnote.
One Rabbi I spoke with told me about a Rabbi who has since passed away who initially allowed for the use of Velcro but reversed his decision when he heard that the reason this individual wanted to use Velcro was because it is easily removable when it comes time for the Mezuza to be checked. With all due deference, I have yet to merit to understand the Rabbi OBM’s logic; why would the intention of the one affixing the Mezuza affect the Halacha? Moreover, even if one were to affix the Mezuza using nails, one still has the intention of removing it when it comes time for checking the Mezuza (see Shaarei Mezuza ibid fn 30).
Another colleague shared this link https://dinonline.org/2015/01/23/velcro-for-mezuzah/ which supports our ruling and cites Kesivas Mezuzah K’Hilchoso cited above where it discusses the use of alternative adhesives. Another colleague sent another link coming from the same online source https://dinonline.org/2015/08/23/attaching-mezuza-with-velcro/ which rules against the use of Velcro without citing any source for the ruling. If there’s a need to reconcile the two, it could simply be a question of the type of Velcro and how strong it is, as would be the case with different types of tape or glue.
