Introduction
The traditional mitzvahLit. Commandment. It is traditionally held that there are 613 mitzvot (plural) in Judaism, both postive commandments (mandating actions) and negative commandments (prohibiting actions). Mitzvah has also become colloquially assumed to mean the idea of a “good deed." of hafrashat challahBraided egg bread eaten on Shabbat and holidays. Reminiscent of bread eaten by Priests in the Temple, of manna in the desert, and sustenance in general. Plural: Hallot (“taking” or “separating” challah) refers to removing and burning a small piece of challah dough as a symbolic offering before baking (some people throw away that piece instead of burning). In the time of the ancient temple in JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled., the Israelites would give challah as an offering to the kohanim (priests). This mitzvah created a connection between groups of people who had separate roles in society, and brought holiness to a mundane act. Today, as many of us are in isolation due to COVID-19, we can perform this mitzvah of “taking” challah as a way to connect us to the wider community that we are temporarily separated from.
Download a challah recipe below.
