Double Portion
Every Shabbat meal, we wash our hands and recite a blessing on two loaves of bread. Why do we have double loaves? We do this to remember the double portion of manna that fell in the desert every Friday: during the week only one portion fell, but on Friday, each person got a double portion, one to be eaten on that day and one to be saved for Shabbat.
Challah Covering
While we recite the Friday night Kiddush, we make sure to cover the challot with a challah cover. We do this for three reasons.
- Usually, when someone has both wine (or grape juice) and bread, the blessing over bread comes first, but on Shabbat we make Kiddush and the blessing on wine is first. Therefore, we cover the challah so it shouldn’t “see” that it is being skipped over and feel slighted. This teaches us that if we are considerate towards the challah’s ‘feelings’ how much more so should we be careful with people’s feelings!
- The second reason we cover the challot is to remember the manna we ate in the desert for 40 years, which was blanketed on top and below with dew.
- The third reason is to make it obvious that the bread, which is the staple of the meal, is there in honor of Shabbos.1 Therefore it’s only revealed at the start of the seudah (meal) after kiddush. At Shalosh Seudot (the third meal), where we don’t make Kiddush, only the second reason applies and there are different customs whether one covers the challah then.
The Best Shabbat
The Torah uses two words when it speaks about the mitzvah of Shabbat – “Zachor” and “Shamor”. This double language is why we use two whole loaves each meal, called lechem mishnah.2
If one person is making hamotzi for a crowd, only one lechem mishnah (double bread) is needed and everyone is given a piece of challah from the “main loaves”, instead of each individual having their own two loaves.3
There is a custom dating back to the time of the Gemara to make fresh homemade challah for Shabbat. This is to honor Shabbat by having delicious food ready. Another reason is so we can do the mitzvah of hafrashat challah.4
Many families will purchase their challot from a bakery and there is nothing wrong with that at all! One just needs to make sure that the store they purchase from already did the hafrashat challah.
Hafrashat Cahllah
When we mix flour and water to make a large batch of dough – about 10 cups of flour, the Torah tells us to separate a small piece and set it aside as something holy.5 When making a larger amount – about 16 cups of flour or more, we make the blessing ‘Asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hafrish challah min haisa.
The Sages teach that the mitzvah of hafrashat challah (separating dough) brings blessing into our homes.6 While anyone can perform this mitzvah, it’s traditionally done by women. This is because it serves as a tikkun (spiritual repair) related to Chava’s sin with the Eitz Hada’as (Tree of Knowledge).7 Since Chava’s sin took place on Friday, erev Shabbat, woman try to do hafrashat challah, the mitzvah that atones for it, on erev Shabbat.
A Special Time
Shmuel Hanavi’s mother, Chana, was named for her careful observance of the three mitzvot of a woman, one of which is challah. As a result of her careful observance, her prayers for a child were answered.8 Therefore the time of separating challah is an auspicious time to pray for righteous children.
Very Holy
Rabbi Shamshon Raphael Hirsch describes bread as the essence of gashmiyut (physicality) since it forms the basic nourishment that sustains the human body. By separating challah, we elevate
that physicality, turning the act of eating into something kadosh (holy). This small act symbolizes the eternal mission of mankind, to uplift the body and use it in the service of the neshamah (soul). Hafrashast challah becomes a declaration that even the most physical aspects of life can, and must be sanctified. Similarly, on Shabbat, when the very purpose of the meal is to use the body to elevate the soul, and in turn, let the soul elevate the body.
Shabbat Shalom!
Read Shabbat Meals part 2: The Three Meals and Melaveh Malka – For God and For Us
Excerpted from Oorah’s Torah Nuggets
Shabbat Meals Part 5 – Sources:
1 Tur 271
2 Shabbos 117b; Shulchan Aruch 274:1; Aruch
Hashulchan 2
3 Mishnah Berurah 274:8 and 167:83
4 Magen Avraham 242:4
5 Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 322:2
8 Hagaos Maimanos
