Store - Mezuzah Maven

Store

Question:

After many years of selling clothing out of my garage, I finally was able to rent my own storefront in a local mall. The opening day was a big milestone for us, so we invited our friends and relatives for the mezuzah ceremony. As my husband was about to place the mezuzah, his brother, who has semichah, whispered to him that he shouldn’t make a berachah. To tell you the truth, I was a little disappointed. When we got home, we saw that the Kitzur says a store needs a mezuzah and doesn’t say anything about not making a berachah. Was my brother-in-law correct?

Answer:

Let me give you a little background. The Talmud says clearly that a store in a marketplace does not require a mezuzah. This is even codified by the Shulchan Aruch. However, the Acharonim point out that these “stores” were actually temporary booths set up in what we would call “flea markets.”

But our stores are different. They are permanent structures that are also used to store merchandise, and therefore they require a mezuzah.^[1]

However, since they are not actual dwellings utilized both day and night and for sleeping as well, most authorities caution against making a berachah. It should be noted that some rabbis do rely on the opinions articulated by the Kitzur and make a berachah when affixing mezuzot on stores in certain situations.^[2]

[1] Yad Haketanah 2:21, cited in Pitchei Teshuvah 286:10, Aruch HaShulchan Y.D. 286:26; Sha’arei HaMezuzah 6:8:13; Agur B’ohalecha 34:39:76.

[2] Turei Zahav Y.D. 286:10; Chayei Adam 15:11; Beit Baruch 11:13; Misgeres HaShulchan 11:11; Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 1:647; Chovas HaDar 3:8:24; Agur B’ohalecha 34:39:76 and 78.