Separating Challah
When baking any kind of pastry (made from any of the five species of grain) from an amount of 1.666 kg of flour or more, one needs to “separate challah” with a blessing.
When the Temple existed, they would take part of the dough and bring it to the priests.
Today, they take a piece from the dough (about the size of a matchbox), and bless:
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.”
After the blessing, they say: “This is challah.”
- Pay attention!
- From 1.230 kg to 1.666 kg – one should separate challah without a blessing.
- Less than 1.230 kg – there is no commandment to separate challah at all.
- After separation, the piece of challah is burned. If you burn the challah piece in the oven, do not use the oven at the same time for baking or roasting.
- If there is no possibility to burn it, it can be thrown in the trash, when it is sealed in a bag.
- There are women who have a custom to say a special prayer after separating the challah.
An extensive explanation of this special commandment – which primarily applies to women – will be explained in Separating Challah – The Jewish Woman.
