Why We Still Sell 7 cm Mezuzot (Part II)

After reading my previous article about the issues with 7 cm (2.8 in) mezuzot, there is an obvious question:

"If you don't recommend 7 cm mezuzot, why do you still sell them?"

The answer is simple:

To protect consumers.

I don't advertise my 7 cm mezuzot. They aren't listed as one of my standard recommendations, and if a customer calls looking for a mezuzah, I don't even mention them unless they specifically ask.

When someone requests a 7 cm mezuzah, my first response is not to sell them one. Instead, I recommend that they purchase a 10 cm (4 in) mezuzah. In fact, I usually try to talk them out of buying the smaller one.

Interestingly, that recommendation is often not in my financial interest. Producing a beautiful 7 cm mezuzah requires exceptional skill, so the premium 7 cm mezuzot I carry frequently cost more than many of the 10 cm mezuzot in my inventory.

Only if a customer insists on purchasing a 7 cm mezuzah after we've discussed the advantages of a larger one will I offer it.

The reason I continue to carry them is simple: I would much rather provide someone with a carefully written and thoroughly inspected 7 cm mezuzah than have them unknowingly purchase a lower-quality one somewhere else.

A Recent Example

Not long ago, I was approached by a well-known STaM dealer who had acquired several thousand 7 cm mezuzot. This wasn't an anonymous online seller. It was someone who is normally able to tell you who the sofer is, what supervision the mezuzot have, and all of the details that serious buyers expect.

He believed these mezuzot could dramatically lower prices in the community and offered them to me. I was on the fence about taking on mezuzot this size, but I decided to take a look.

From a business standpoint, it sounded like a tremendous opportunity. There is always demand for less expensive STaM, and there is certainly demand for 7 cm mezuzot because they fit the majority of mezuzah cases sold today.

But before making any commitment, I carefully inspected them.

Many had significant halachic deficiencies. Some were clearly pasul. Others were technically kosher but only b'dieved. The writing was cramped, the spacing was inconsistent, and the overall quality simply wasn't something I was willing to put my name behind.

I obviously declined the opportunity. What scares me is that these mezuzot were not taken off the market and have likely since been distributed.

Putting the Mitzvah First

One thing I've learned over the years is that many people shop for the mezuzah case before they shop for the mezuzah.

In fact, many people refer to the decorative case itself as "the mezuzah." Within the industry, there are even people who jokingly call these buyers "case-first customers."

I believe that approach has it backwards.

The case should fit the mezuzah – not the mezuzah fit the case.

If a customer insists on purchasing a 7 cm mezuzah after understanding the differences, I am happy to provide one.

But my responsibility is not simply to sell what someone asks for.

My responsibility is to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each option and recommend what I genuinely believe is best.

Sometimes that means recommending a product that costs less.

Sometimes it means talking someone out of the product they originally intended to buy.

I believe that is exactly how a business selling STaM should operate.