63. Attaching the Mezuzah

11:6 Here’s how to affix a mezuzah: first, you roll the parchment from the end to the beginning (that is, from the word “Echad” towards “Shema”). The scroll should be placed in a case, which is then nailed to the doorpost at an angle with the top part pointing inwards. If the doorway is too narrow to tilt the mezuzah, it may be affixed vertically, which is preferable to tilting it behind the doorpost. A mezuzah must be permanently attached, not just hanging there like a picture on a hook. Therefore, the mezuzah should have a nail at both the top and the bottom.

11:7 Before attaching the mezuzah, the blessing likboa mezuzah (that God commanded us to attach the mezuzah) is recited. If one is affixing a number of mezuzos at one time, a single bracha is sufficient to cover them all. If a mezuzah should fall off by itself, one would recite the blessing upon reattaching it. If he removed it to have it checked, there is a question as to whether or not the bracha should be recited.