Mudroom - Mezuzah Maven

Mudroom

Question:

The front door of our new house opens from the street to a tiny area which we don’t use for anything except to place our wet umbrellas and galoshes. I think it’s called a “mudroom.” Immediately in front of this door is our real front door that opens onto our house. If you live in the New York area, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s definitely not four by four amot according to any calculation. Do I need to put mezuzot on both front doors?

Answer:

Yes. The Gemara calls this area a beit sha’ar, literally a gate-house. Although it does not meet the minimum size of a living space, since it serves as a passage into a living area, it needs a mezuzah without a berachah.^[1]

Commonly, people like to put their halachically best and aesthetically most beautiful mezuzah on their front door. In your case, you should rather put that one on what you call the “real” front door, which is fully obligated with a berachah.^[2] Then, you could proceed to place a mezuzah on the outer door.

[1] Kuntres HaMezuzah 286:152; Agur B’ohalecha 36:37; Teshuvos Maharsham 3:154.

[2] Agur B’ohalecha 1:54.