THE CHALLAH BLESSING & PRAYER

No knives or weapons of any kind were permitted upon the altar in the Beit Hamikdash. Since our tables are compared to the altar, many people are careful to not put a knife to their challah and to tear it instead.

However, there is another well-known custom to mark the challah that will be eaten first. This is done by using a knife to make a small slit on the surface of the challah.

Across all communities and traditions, there is a custom to cover the challah on the Shabbat table before kiddush is recited. One reason for this is that we are making the blessing over the wine before the blessing on the bread. Usually bread is the food we make the first blessing on, as it is the most important, however since we say the blessing on the wine first on Shabbat, we cover the challah so it won’t be embarrassed. This teaches us an important lesson in sensitivity towards others. If we are so careful with the feelings of our challah, how much more careful we must be with the feelings of all the people around our Shabbat table. Another reason given for the covering of the challah is that the challah represents the manna, which was always protected with a layer of dew underneath it and a layer of dew above it. The tablecloth (or challah board) under the challah, and the challah cover above it, protect our challah in the same way.

This is unlikely to happen! Your challah will be so delicious, there won’t be a drop left. If there is any leftover, there are so many wonderful ideas in this book for what you can do with it, you’ll never need to throw away any challah again. That said, sometimes there are a few pieces that need to be thrown away. Since challah is so special, we want to be sensitive in how we do this. Some communities won’t throw out even a crumb of challah. If there is any leftover challah, they will feed it to the birds. Others will throw away extra challah, but in a respectful manner. They will either break it up into very small pieces or wrap it in some sort of covering before disposing of it.

The moment of challah separation is an opportune time for us to pray for all that we need and desire in our lives and in the lives of others. Additionally, our Sages have told us that the mitzvah of hafrashat challah brings many blessings. Here are some:

} AN EASY AND SAFE BIRTH. For this reason, it is customary for a woman to separate challah at least once in her ninth month of pregnancy. } HEALING AND WHOLENESS. Challah is the bread of healing. The numeric value of the word challah is 43, which is the same as the Hebrew word for inclusion, “ gam.” It is a segulah (positive omen) to pray for health and for the wholeness we seek, in ourselves and others, whether it is to find a soulmate, have a child, or achieve physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental healing.

} FINANCIAL SECURITY AND PROSPERITY. According to our Sages, the mitzvah of separating challah brings a blessing of wealth into the home. In 15th-century Germany, the name for challah was “berches,” which comes from the verse, “Birkat Hashem hee taasheer,” Hashem’s blessings bring riches (Mishlei 10:22). } TESHUVAH. Challah is a special segulah for teshuvah, returning to our true self, and reconnecting with Hashem. It is recommended that a person should do the mitzvah of hafrashat challah at least once a year. Ideally, this mitzvah should be done in the 10 days of teshuvah between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.