Have you ever noticed that on the outer side of the Mezuzah parchment there appears three mystical words?

כוז”ו במוכס”×– כוז”ו

Each of these letters correspond to each one of the letters in the central phrase of Shma:

י-ה-ו-ה א-ל-ה-י-נ-ו י-ה-ו-ה

The letters on the external side of the Mezuzah are the letters that follow each of the letters of the Alef Bais of the corresponding letters written within the Mezuza.

The ×› follows the ×™, the ו follows the ×”, the ×– follows the ו, and so on…

The Megaleh Amukos reveals that the numerical value of the names of the last two enemies that we had to conquer before entering the land, as described in this week’s portion, סיחון and עוג — two brother giants and their peoples — is equivalent to the total value of the letters within these three mystical names, 213.

The holy Bnei Yisasschar teaches that just as a Mezuzah serves as a protective force to preserve our holiness, opposite to that exists a קליפה — counterforce of impurity that must be negated.

Sichon and Og were mercenaries hired by the other nations to situate themselves at the ‘doorway’ of Eretz Yisroel, our holy land, and ward off the forces of sanctity from entering.

Each one of the seventy nations we must overcome represent various challenges, whether the lust for carnal indulgence; the murderous exercises in the quest of power; the arrogant pursuit of human accomplishment that crushes any notion of a Divine directive, each nation, and its unique representation of human weakness.

But what of these two? What is their credo that finds its antidote in the command of Mezuzah?

Sichon’s weakness, the Talmud reveals, is indicated in his very name סיחון, the root of which is סיח, a young donkey, who is easily distracted and follows after סיחה נאה —pleasant talk, i.e., easily tempted to listen to its inclination. (בבא בתרא ×¢×—:)

Og is thus named because when he heard that Lot was taken captive he ran to Avraham Avinu to inform him of his nephew’s plight, encountering him on Pesach eve while he was baking עוגות — cakes of Matzah. (מדרש שוחר טוב קלו יב)

It seems strange that Og would be defined by this one coincidental circumstance, unrelated to his mission to save Lot.

Rashi says that Moshe feared battling Og because of the merit he had in assisting Avraham, and it was only after G-d instructed Moshe, ‘Do not fear him’, that he acceded to the task. 

Elsewhere we are taught that Og had an ulterior motive in bringing this news to Avraham. He had hoped to lure Avraham into battle and die so that he, Og, would then take Avraham’s beautiful wife, Sarah.

What possible ‘merit’ did Moshe fear that worried him?

Perhaps may I suggest that Og initially came with noble intentions to assist this giant of spirit, but he too was like a young foal who quickly saw a ‘pleasant’ opportunity, in now taking advantage of the situation, in hoping for Avraham’s convenient demise.

The mindless inability to absorb the inspiration of doing a good deed, merely paying lip service and unable to be elevated by the moment, is a flaw that can lead one down the path of selfish instinct, quashing the inherent good that dwells within from flourishing.

Have you ever wondered why we call this article of Mitzvah a Mezuzah? Literally the word simply refers to the מזוזה — the doorpost, it is affixed to.

The great sage and linguist, Rav Yaakov Zvi Mecklenberg, ponders why a doorpost is called a מזוזה. He suggests it is rooted in the word ×–×™×– — constant movement.

The entrance and exit of our homes is the stationary post that observes a flurry of motion, dizzying comings and goings, that are a metaphor for our lives.  

The Torah sought to elevate the inner spirit within us to direct all our movements by its elevated striving, stifling our distractions, commanding us to place the banner of the Name of G-d at the forefront of our actions, infusing it with a firm allegiance to Him.

The Rambam writes:

A person must show great care in [the observance of the mitzvah of] Mezuzah, because it is an obligation which is constantly incumbent upon everyone.

[Through its observance,] whenever a person enters or leaves [the house], he will encounter the unity of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and remember his love for Him. Thus, he will awake from his sleep and his obsession with the vanities of time and recognize that there is nothing which lasts for eternity except the knowledge of the Creator of the world. This will motivate him to regain full awareness and follow the paths of the upright. (משנה תורה הלכות תפלין מזוזה ס”ת פ”×” ×””×™×’)

There is a custom specifically during the Three Weeks to recite Tikkun Chatzos while sitting next to the Mezuzah. (פלא יועץ אבילות)

During these weeks, we diminish our pursuit of carnal pleasure by refraining from indulging in meat and wine from Rosh Chodeash Av. We hold back from wearing new or freshly washed clothing, reducing on some level personal dignity. We restrain the pursuit of business opportunities and its association with independence and power.

These weeks are our yearly ‘kiss of the Mezuzah’, anchoring ourselves to the reality of where we truly ‘stand’ and need to head towards. To stop moving and silently contemplate all our challenges, coming to our senses, realizing that even in all the commotion of our life, Hashem is with us. We must reorient our ambition to be aligned with His will and never distracted from that goal.

We must defeat Sichon and Og and kiss the Mezuzah soon as we enter our final home!

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן