Pasul, Unfit, Defective!

Pasul - defined in Meriam Webster (why this Hebrew word is included, I have no idea) as:
"Declared unfit for Jewish ceremonial use according to rabbinic law : defective".

It was a challenging morning.  Tensions between Mom and Dad were very bad.  Rimona and I had discussions with a social worker at Macabee, our parents' health fund.   Mom was curious what we discussed.  Rimona mentioned we had to discuss the tension between them.  They got very upset.  Mom guessed (correctly) that the agency would want them to undergo mental assessments, and they both adamently rejected the idea.

Soon after that, Mom's new doctor - one who does home visits, came for the second time.  This was not a mental assessment visit - that would come later, under disguise.   Mom's new doctor is an exceptionally sweet fellow.  He is also daati- orthodox, which was quite apparent from his dress, particularly the tsitsit which are garment fringes with knots prescribed by the Torah.  The tzitzit hung below his vest.

Mom was in no mood for anyone, and she ranted at him for quite some time.  "I can't take this!  I have no peace!  I don't want people coming in anymore!  Leave me alone!"  Dr. Argov listened patiently, nodding, acknowledging her distress.  Meanwhile I was plotzing a few feet away.

Eventually Mom relaxed somewhat, and even apologized for her behavior.  The visit ended and I accompanied the doctor out of the apartment.  We talked briefly about her emotional cognitive state.  He prescribed an antidepressant.  Then he glanced at their mezuzah and gave me a wink.

The mezuzah is a prayer affixed per tradition on the doorpost. It is housed typically in an ornamental container.  But the holy part is the prayer.  It must be handwritten by a sofer-scribe who has studied this art which is passed on from generation to generation.  The prayer is the Shema, which declares the oneness of the Divine, and speaks of loving the Creator with all one's heart, soul, and resourcefulness (Talmudic Scholar Rashi's translation).  It also speaks of our communal responsibilities, and the ecological consequences of not loving the Creator.  This prayer is beautifully written on parchment.  It must be inspected periodically to ensure it's integrity, that it is "kosher".

I looked closely at the mezuzah on their door, and saw that the "scroll" inside was, well appeared to be,  basicaly green schmutz.  I knew it was never a kosher mezuzah, but almost certainly a zerox copy that was inserted 27 years ago.  Later, Mom mentioned that Dad refused to spend the $30 for a kosher mezuzah.  Memories flashed back to the mezuzah my parents gave me from the house where I grew up in Richmond, CA.  I remember inspecting the "scroll" inside when Joe and I moved to Index, and saw that only half the prayer was there.  Apparently it had been cut, and only half of it was inserted into the small space of the ornamental housing.

I looked knowingly at Dr. Argov, and said:  "I'll see if I can get a kosher mezuzah".  He smiled.
I spoke to the building guy Shimon, who is mesorti - observant and also is loved by my parents, and asked if he could find and install a kosher mezuzah.  One evening Shimon came by with a daati friend.  Shimon showed me that the new kosher scroll they brought would not fit into the small space of the housing, and furthermore that it would be quite difficult to find one sufficiently small.  He brought an unattractive plastic replacement housing.  This did not bode well.

I called Mom and Dad over to ask if they would be OK with the replacement, and Dad had a royal fit.  "I've lived to almost 100 and that mezuzah was just fine.  It's kept me alive and well!"   Well, maybe he had a point there.  Later that evening he came by our room, and I expected more ranting, but he seemed open to talking.  He told us that 20 years ago Shimon had asked him to consider installing a kosher mezuzah, but he refused.  Again he repeated how old he was and that the mezuzah was fine.  I suggested to him that maybe his longevity had more to do with his genes, and with Mom taking taking good care of him.  He didn't deny that.  Then I added that another way to look at it - was that hanging a kosher mezuzah might be an opportunity to thank G-d for all the years given him.  He said "I'll think about that one."

The next day Rimona and I had a little time to browse a few gift shops on Ben Yehuda Street downtown.  I asked one proprietor about small mezuzah scrolls to fit small housings.  He showed me some that looked sufficiently small.  I purchased one for 120 shekels.  The proprietor suggested that I just install it quietly.  But while I had routinely employed "benign deception" in many other situations, this, in my opinion, required informed consent.

Later at the apartment, I sat with Dad.  "Dad, do you remember the mezuzah discussion we had last night?"  He said he did - kind of remarkable considering his severe memory problems.  "Well, I've been thinking.  Let's say you have a dear friend you want to thank, and you make a meal for him.  What would you make? " He said a chicken dish.  I said "That sounds very nice.  I'm sure you wouldn't want to serve him a piece of stale bread."  He said "oh, no."  I said "Well, that's kind of the way I see hanging a kosher mezuzah, like thanking a dear friend."  He said "That makes sense - let's get a kosher mezuzah."

I told him that that I got one for him, and a big smile shown on his face.  I opened the scroll, with it's beautiful calligraphy on the parchment.  I bean reading the Hebrew prayer.  He joined me in reading it, word for word. He knew it by heart.

I called Shimon to come and install the new mezuzah.  He meticulously buffed the bronze housing and it shined beautifully.  Then he installed the mezuzah in the housing, where it fit perfectly.   I took a picture of Dad and Shimon, and I can't remember Dad ever smiling like that for a photo.

When the time came to mount the mezuzah on the doorpost (with adhesive), Shimon had Dad hold  the mezuzah in place, and instructed Dad on the blessing.

Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, vetzivanu likbo'a mezuzah.
Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, who sanctifies us in mitzvot - holy deeds, and commands us to affix the mezuzah.