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Parshas Shelach: Separating "Challah" No definitive Halacha LeMa'aseh conclusions should be applied to practical situations based on any of these Shiurim.
The Torah states that the members of Bnai Yisrael were to be commanded that upon their entry into Eretz Yisrael, they would be obligated to separate a portion of any dough that they would knead for a special offering to Hashem (BeMidbar 15:17). The Torah (Ibid. Pasuk 20) refers to this dough offering as "Challah"; the Posuk later in the Torah (Ibid. 18:12), as explained by the Sifrei (Piska 117, Parshas Korach Piska 2), indicates that this offering is to be given to a Kohein. It must be stressed that the term Challah used here has nothing to do with the same term commonly used to refer to the bread eaten on Shabbos and Yom Tov. As implied by Rashi, commenting on the aforementioned Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. s.v. Reishis), the term Challah here actually refers to the portion of the dough which is separated for the purpose of this offering. The Vilna Gaon (Biur HaGra to Yoreh Deah Siman 328 Sif Katan 2) notes that in the language of the Torah, Challah usually refers to an entire dough mixture, and not just to one separated part of it, but in the language of the Mishnah (in Maseches Challah), Challah refers only to the separated portion; this latter meaning is the one generally implied by the word Challah in common usage and among the Poskim. The Mishnah in Maseches Challah (1:1) states that one is required to separate the required portion of Challah only from dough which is made of any of the five species of grain, namely, wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt; the Rambam (Hilchos Bikurim 6:2) and the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 324:1) rule accordingly. The Gemara in Menachos (70b) quoting another Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 19) which makes specific reference to Lechem (bread), indicates that the product of these five species is called bread, and therefore such a product must have Challah taken from it; the Yerushalmi in Challah (Perek 1 Halachah 1, Daf 1b) asserts that only the products of these five grains are called bread, and thus only such products are subject to the Mitzvah of Challah. Citing this same Posuk (Ibid.), the Tur (Yoreh Deah Siman 329) rules that the obligation to take Challah from the dough applies only to dough which could be baked into bread. Consequently, as stated by a later Mishnah in Challah (Ibid. Mishnah 4), Challah need not be taken from certain dough mixtures which, according to the Gemara in Pesachim (37a), are baked differently than bread, because, as Rashi in Pesachim (Ibid. s.v. U'Peturin) explains, the product of such dough is not called bread. The Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 1) accepts this ruling, and the Shach (Ibid. Sif Katan 1) explains that the dough must at least potentially be fit to become bread, and bread in general refers to a product made of dough which contains flour and water. A later Mishnah in Challah (2:2), however, requires Challah to be taken even from dough made with fruit juices instead of water; according to the Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 12) one is required to separate Challah even from dough which is kneaded with other ingredients, such as wine, oil, honey, and the like, instead of water. The Tur (Yoreh Deah Ibid.) writes that according to the Rambam, one must take Challah from dough kneaded with eggs instead of water, while the Rosh was in doubt about this. The Perishah (Ibid. Os 11), among others, notes that in our version of the Rambam, as cited above (Ibid.), there is nothing about eggs, and he suggests that perhaps it was in fact somebody else who said this; the Beis Yosef (Ibid. end of s.v. Issah) suggests that the Tur (Ibid.) may have had a different text of the Rambam, or that he simply derived this from what the Rambam did write (Ibid.). The Perishah (Ibid. and Os 13 Ibid.) also writes that the Rosh was in doubt only about dough kneaded with eggs, but he agreed that dough kneaded with wine or honey must have Challah separated from it. This indeed seems to be the position of the Rosh as articulated in his commentary on the above cited Mishnah in Challah (Peirush HaRosh Ibid. Perek 2 Os 1) and in his Halachos Ketanos, printed in the back of Maseches Menachos (Hilchos Challah end of Siman 3); in both these places, the Rosh concludes that one should not knead dough with only eggs and no water in order to avoid encountering this doubt about whether Challah must be taken or not, as also cited by the Tur (Ibid.). In order to be sure that the Mitzvah of Challah can be properly performed, one should always add water to the dough and thereby avoid any doubts. The Rosh in both of the above sources (Ibid. and Ibid.) discusses primarily dough made with fruit juices, which, as implied by the Shach (Yoreh Deah Ibid. Sif Katan 10) and the Taz (Ibid. Sif Katan 7), has the same status as dough kneaded with eggs, as opposed to dough kneaded with water or any other of the seven special liquids listed by the Shach (Ibid. Sif Katan 12) and by the Taz (Ibid.), based on a Mishnah in Machshirin (6:4) from which Challah must unquestionably be taken. Although the Mishnah in Challah (Ibid.) clearly requires Challah to be taken from dough kneaded with fruit juices, as mentioned above, the Rosh (Ibid. and Ibid.) questions whether this is indeed the accepted view, noting that it may be disputed by the implications of the Yerushalmi in Challah (Perek 2 Halachah 1, 12a-12b); he appears to lean towards holding that the view of that Mishnah (Ibid.) is not accepted. This also seems to be the position of the Rosh in a letter sent to the Rashba (Sheilos V'Teshuvos HaRosh Klal 2 Siman 14); the Rashba, however (Sheilos V'Teshuvos HaRashba Chelek 1 Siman 464), responds that in fact the position of the Mishnah (Ibid.) is the accepted one. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah Ibid. Sif 9) rules that dough kneaded with fruit juices and without water must have Challah taken from it; the Shach (Ibid. Sif Katan 9), however, rules that because of the view of the Rosh (Ibid.), this should be done without a Beracha. The Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 10) also recommends that one not knead dough with fruit juices without mixing in any of the seven special liquids, such as water, in order to avoid any problems regarding the obligation or the Beracha. As for the aforementioned rule that Challah is to be taken only from dough which is used to make bread, which would seem to preclude any obligation upon dough made with any ingredients not usually used in bread, the Rashba, in his Sefer Piskei Challah (Shaar 1 Perek 1), as well as the Ohr Zarua (Chelek 1 Siman 768), among others, explain that this rule actually means to require that the dough must be made from the types of grain which could be used to make bread, namely, the above cited five grains. Once one makes the dough out of any of those grains, one is obligated to take Challah out even if one puts in other ingredients not normally used for bread; one is therefore obligated to separate Challah even from dough which is kneaded in order to bake a cake (or cookies). The Gemara in Eiruvin (83a-83b) discusses the amount of dough one must be baking in order for the Mitzvah of Challah to be in effect, deriving the amount from a Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 20) which is understood to indicate the amount of dough generally baked by the Jews in the Midbar. According to Tosafos (83b Ibid. s.v. Shivas) this amount is the equivalent of the volume of 43.2 eggs; the number 43 corresponds to the numerical value (Gematria) of the word Challah. The Rosh in his Halachos Ketanos (Ibid. Siman 4) comes to the same conclusion, as does the Rambam (Hilchos Bikurim Ibid. Halachah 15); the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Siman 324 Sif 1) rules accordingly, noting, as do others, that this is the amount of flour that there must be in order to generate the obligation of Challah. According to Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin (Sefer Eidus L'Yisrael, Ikarei Dinim Os 40), this amount is the equivalent of about five pounds, although he adds that since some say that it is about three pounds, one should separate Challah without a Beracha from any dough which weighs about three pounds or more and recite a Beracha only if it weighs about five pounds or more. It should be noted that the Mishnah later in Challah (3:1) indicates that Challah may be separated from the dough any time after the water has been added to the flour, meaning, at the start of the kneading process; the Rambam (Ibid. 8:2), citing the same Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid.), and the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. 327:2) rule accordingly. The Shulchan Aruch adds (Ibid. Sif 3), however, that it is best to wait until after the kneading process is complete and the dough has been made into one unit; the Shach (Ibid. Sif Katan 6) explains the reason for this. The Shulchan Aruch also adds (Ibid. Sif 5) that if one did not separate Challah while the dough was still raw, one may still fulfill the Mitzvah by separating Challah from the finished baked product; the Sifrei (Piska 110, Parshas Shelach Piska 4) derives this idea from a different Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 19), which speaks about bread (Lechem), the finished product. As for exactly how much Challah must be separated from a dough that is the right size to generate this Mitzvah, the Sifrei (Ibid.), based on the Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 20) which seems to compare Challah to Terumah, indicates that just as there is no minimum amount that must be given for the Mitzvah of Terumah, as stated by the Gemara in Chulin (137b) and as codified by the Rambam (Hilchos Terumos 3:1) and by the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. 331:19, and see Ibid. Shach Sif Katan 30), there is in fact no minimum amount required for Challah either. The Rambam (Hilchos Bikurim 5:1) and the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. 322:1) rule accordingly, stating that even the minutest amount of dough may be given for the Mitzvah of Challah. The Mishnah in Challah (2:7) states, however, that (MideRabbanan) the amount that must be separated for Challah is 1/24 of the dough for an ordinary, private person who is baking for himself or his family, and 1/48 of the dough for a baker who is baking for public consumption. The Yerushalmi in Challah (Perek 2 Halachah 3, 14a) indicates that this amount enables something respectable to be given to the Kohein, while the Sifrei (Ibid.) explains that a respectable amount must be given based on the Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 21); the Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 2) and the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid.) rule accordingly. The Behag, however, is quoted in Tosafos in Bechoros (27b at the end of s.v. V'Ki) as ruling that since today everyone is in a state of Tumah, ritual impurity, and the separated Challah can therefore not be eaten at all, as implied by the Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 14), one takes today only a specific amount of Challah and then burns it. The Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 9) writes as well that the Challah separated today must be burned, as does the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 4); the Ramo (Ibid. Sif 5) adds that since nobody today will eat the Challah, it is necessary to take off only the minutest amount from the dough and to burn that, although he adds (Ibid.) that the custom is still to take off a Kezayis of dough for the Mitzvah of Challah. It should be noted that although MideOraisa, the Mitzvah of separating Challah is applicable only in Eretz Yisrael, indicated by the Gemara in Kiddushin (37a) according to the explanation of Rashi (Ibid. s.v. Chovas Karka), and as codified by the Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 5) and by the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 2) who cite the Posuk in this Parsha (Ibid. Pasuk 12) referring specifically to the land, the Gemara in Bechoros (27a) suggests that the Rabbanan instituted that the Mitzvah should be observed outside of Eretz Yisrael as well in order that it should not be completely forgotten. The Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 7) and the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 3) rule accordingly. It should also be noted that although the Gemara in Niddah (46b-47a) presents a dispute as to the status of this Mitzvah today even in Eretz Yisrael, it is the consensus of the Poskim, including the Rambam (Ibid. Halachah 5) and the Shulchan Aruch (Ibid. Sif 2), that it is required today, even there, only MideRabbanan. Nevertheless, one who bakes even occasionally ought to be familiar with the laws of this Mitzvah. If you have any questions or comments, please click here
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