What Is the Proper Way to Kiss the Mezuzah?

Shalom u-vracha,

There is no obligation to kiss the mezuzah; rather, this is a good custom that it is worthwhile to follow when entering a house (or any other building in which a mezuzah has been affixed) as well as when leaving it (the Rema wrote in Yoreh Deah, siman 285, seif 2: there are those who say that when a person leaves the house, as well as when a person enters a house, he should place his hand on the mezuzah. End quote. He did not mention that there is any significance to kissing the mezuzah or the hand that touched the mezuzah. However, see Birkei Yosef there, ot 4, that according to the opinion of the Arizal zt"l, one should place the finger known as the amah on the letters shin-daled-yud written in the mezuzah and kiss it. And the custom of the Maharil Diskin zt"l was to look at the mezuzah without touching it at all, as he wrote in Shut Shelat Chayim, siman 385, where he explained that he was concerned lest, Heaven forbid, it lead to erasure).

And when one leaves the house, after placing his hand on the mezuzah, he should say: "Hashem yishmor tzeiti u-voyi me-atah ve-ad olam" (Rema there). Some wrote to say: "Hashem shomri Hashem tzili al yad yemini Hashem yishmor tzeiti u-voyi me-atah ve-ad olam" (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, siman 11, seif 24). And when leaving on a journey outside the city, one should place his hands on the mezuzahs and say: bi-shemecha tal atleha (Shach, siman 285, sk"d, בשם the Darkei Moshe בשם the Maharil).

There is also a story told about Maran the Chatam Sofer zt"l, who examined a young man in order to probe his character and consider him for rabbinic ordination. The young man displayed his abilities in Torah, in Talmud, and in the poskim, and was worthy of ordination. The Chatam Sofer had already cast his eyes upon the young man and suspected that perhaps he was among the maskilim. When the young man left his study hall and did not place his hand on the mezuzah, the Chatam Sofer decided not to ordain him, because he saw in that an affront to the customs of our sages and a lack of yirat Shamayim (Pischei She'arim, Hilchot Mezuzah, p. 113).

With blessings,

Hillel Meirs