The Mitzvah of Challah

This afternoon we went to Raize Guttman's who taught us about one of the three mitzvot for women:  the making of Challah.    Why Challah?  Here are some explanations from Raize:


She told us Adam is called the "challah of the world" - Adam is the only man not born from a woman, but formed from the earth of the four corners of the world and kneaded together.  Challah rectifies the sin of Eve.


Women bring blessings into the home through challah


Women bring the Divine Presence into the home through Challah...every home becomes a sanctuary. 


Women have the power to take the physical and the mundane, like making bread, and uplifting it, infusing it with spirituality, and making it holy.

Challah is made from flour, yeast, salt, sugar, warm water, and oil.  First you put the dry ingredients together and then you add the oil....


While kneading the dough, women have the power to offer prayers and blessings.  Then you perform the mitzvah of separating a piece of the Challah which is to be burned. This mitzvah brings Tikkun to the world, blessings to your home, the Shechinah to dwell therein, qne healings into your life.  The mitzvah of separating the Challah reminds us of the role of Jewish women to take the physical and raise it to a holy spiritual level.


Raize taught us to make flowers, six braided loaves, round loaves, and even doves!
Here is what our challot looked like before and after we baked them!