Jews and Christians Unite to Bake Challot for a Noble Cause
On Thursday evening, Israel365 held a unique event in Lubbock, Texas, bringing together Jews and Christians to bake Challot. While baking the traditional Shabbat bread is powerful unto itself, the event was intended to help the widows and orphans of IDF soldiers killed while protecting Israel in its war against the terrorists who threaten its existence.
Rabbi Elie Mischel, the educational director of Israel365, explained that the event was focused on a community of Christians in Lubbock.
“There’s a whole group of amazing people in Lubbock who are fascinated by the Jewish roots of Christianity and want to connect to that,” he explained. “Several of their teenage daughters attended the event, curious to learn about this beautiful tradition.”
While the evening included a practical lesson in baking the traditional bread, it began with a lesson about its deeper meaning.
Jewish law requires partaking of three feasts on Shabbat, and two loaves of bread are the centerpieces of the meal. The two braided loaves are reminiscent of the double portion of the manna God provided to Israel on Friday in preparation for the Sabbath. Named for the portion of dough separated out for the Kohanim (priests) in Temple times, Challot are also reminiscent of the twelve show breads that were a constant element of the interior of the Temple.
Baking challah is traditionally associated with women, and the sages explain that God rewards women for this holy act by protecting them during childbirth (Mishna Shabbat 2:6) and bringing blessing to their homes (Talmud Shabbat 32b). As the prophet Ezekiel said, “And the first of your dough you shall give to the priest to cause a blessing to rest on your house” (Ezekiel 44:30).
While the Challah baked in the oven, Rabbi Mischel told the group about what life was like for women in Israel during the current war.
“The teens who participated were the same age as my daughters,” Rabbi Mischel said. “My daughters have really had to step up and help people whose husbands are in the army, by babysitting and helping in any way they can. I’ve been watching my girls grow into amazing young women because of this war. Hard times help us become great people.”
Rabbi Mischel noted that the recipe for Challah includes a bit of salt and a good amount of sugar. “We talked about Challah as representing a family relationship,” he said. In a family setting, you want to pour on the sugar, sharing kind words and support. But sometimes, in our relationships, we need a little bit of salt, a little bit of rebuke. Authentic relationships aren’t all sweetness.”
The group also discussed the holy act of separating the challah. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the separated portion of the challah was given to the Kohen, the priest. The priests were deeply involved in the Temple service and could not fully provide for their families. God commanded us to give His portion, challah, among other gifts, to the Kohanim. This ensured their sustenance as they performed their holy work on our behalf.
In post-Temple times the rabbis ordained that a challah (portion), which had to be at least the size of an olive, must be separated from the dough and burned, signifying the portion given to the Kohanim. It is a tradition for Jewish bakers and observant homemakers to tear a tiny lump of risen dough from any type of bread and to burn it (usually wrapped in foil) in the oven or fire while making a blessing. If the challah is not separated from the dough, the bread baked from the dough is not considered kosher.
“Challah comes from the word chol, which means “mundane.” It only becomes holy when you separate a bit out of the dough and give it to someone in need,” Rabbi Mischel said. “The kohanim generally were poor. they didn’t have farms and depended on the Temple’s gifts to make a living. By taking off a little bit of the challah, we transform the mundane into something very holy.”
The post Jews and Christians Unite to Bake Challot for a Noble Cause appeared first on Israel365 News.
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