Although challah today is simply known as the braided loaf of bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, its origins are in the biblical commandment to separate a portion of dough — known as challah — that would then be given to the priest (kohen).
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Baking for Blessings
TANAKH
The act of separating challah — giving the first yield of baking to the priests — is not only a religious obligation, but also a means to bring a blessing upon one’s home. In the book of Ezekiel, God provides instructions about priests’ rights and duties, which include receiving the challah offering.
Sustaining Ourselves and Our Community
HALAKHAH
Why are the Israelites commanded to separate a portion of their dough and offer it to a priest? Sefer HaChinukh, a thirteenth-century overview of each of the 613 commandments, discusses the reason for the commandment to separate challah.
A Hearty Meal
HALAKHAH
Meals traditionally begin with a blessing recited over bread. Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, in his nineteenth-century guide to Jewish law, the Arukh HaShulchan, outlines the rules and customs relating to eating bread at meals.
The Deeper Meaning of Challah
MIDRASH
The act of separating challah — in addition to providing a tithe for the priests — is also a means for moral and spiritual development. The ancient midrash in Vayikra Rabbah explores those additional layers of the mitzvah of challah, associating it in particular with the prohibition against idol worship.
Pure Challah of the World
TALMUD
The mitzvah of challah has long been associated with the creation of the world. The Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Shabbat connects the commandment to separate challah to the earliest humans, drawing a literary link between challah and the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Sarah’s Dough
COMMENTARY
Traditionally associated with homemaking and food-related mitzvot, it was primarily women who separated challah throughout Jewish history. Rashi, in his eleventh-century commentary on the Torah, draws on a midrash from Bereshit Rabbah that traces the mitzvah of challah back to Sarah, the first biblical matriarch.
The Purpose of Creation
MIDRASH
Challah, along with several other offerings in the Jewish tradition, is referred to in the Torah as “first,” as it is removed before the baking process. The ancient midrash from the land of Israel on the book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah, interprets the language of “first” as essential to the process of creation.
A Shabbat Tradition
HALAKHAH
While the commandment to separate challah does not depend on when it is prepared, there is traditional emphasis on performing this mitzvah in advance of the Sabbath and holidays, during which it is traditionally eaten. In Rabbi Moses Isserles’ commentary on the sixteenth-century legal code, the Shulchan Arukh, he explains the significance of this practice and its role in honoring the Sabbath.
The Act of Separation
HALAKHAH
If one wanted, could they offer an entire batch of dough as challah? Rambam, in his twelfth-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, notes that the act of separation from the rest of the dough, which we keep, is the core of the commandment.
How to Separate Challah
HALAKHAH
The mitzvah of separating challah has precise ritual and liturgical guidelines. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, provides a guide to the process and variations in practice in different Jewish communities.
Challah Cloth printed with inscription in Hebrew and Dutch, 1875-1900. Jewish Historical Museum Collection (Jewish Cultural Quarter), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Challah Cloth printed with inscription in Hebrew and Dutch, 1875-1900. Jewish Historical Museum Collection (Jewish Cultural Quarter), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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