Dear Rabbi,

I have a couple of gold nuggets. I want to take one of them to the jeweller and have him make me a Magen David (Star or Shield of David). The question is, can I have inscribed upon it the Shema Yisrael prayer?

Dear Kevin Woodhouse,

If you have the Shema Yisrael engraved on your Magen David it will be forbidden to take it into an unclean place (e.g., bathroom). If you want to have something engraved on it, why not your Hebrew name (in English letters)?

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