We learned yesterday that on 18 different issues Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel disagreed when visiting Hananya ben Hizkiya ben Garon in his attic. At first glance the laws were decided to Bet Shammai because when the vote took place these students outnumbered the number of Bet Hillel’s students. Apparently that’s not exactly what happened. According to today’s daf TB Shabbat 15 they discussed these laws on the first day and came to a consensus the next. If only the Republicans and Democrats in Congress could do the same.
The Gemara continues:
“As to the matter itself that was mentioned above in passing, Rav Huna said: Shammai and Hillel disagreed in three places. The Gemara cites the disputes. One, Shammai says: From a kav of dough, one is required to separate challah, the portion of the dough given to a priest. From any less than that measure there is no obligation to separate challah, as that is not the measure alluded to in the verse: “The first of your dough” (Numbers 15:20), written with regard to the mitzva of separating challah. And Hillel says: One must separate challah only from two kav. And the Rabbis say: The halakha is neither in accordance with the statement of this one, who is stringent, nor in accordance with the statement of that one, who is lenient. Rather, one and a half kav is the measure from which one is obligated to separate challah. Once the measures increased and the Sages recalculated the volume of a kav to be greater, they said that based on the measure of the new kav, five quarters of a kav of flour is the measure from which one is obligated to separate challah. Rabbi Yosei says: Five quarters are exempt; only from dough the size of five quarters and a bit more is one obligated to separate challah.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Even though the same name describing the measurement remained constant, the actual measurement changed twice from the one our ancestors used in desert as described in the Torah. The first changed happened in Jerusalem while the Temple stood. The second change happened in city of Tzipori in the Galilee after the destruction of the 2nd Temple.
What does that mean for us today? According to the Spice and Spirit cookbook, purple edition published by the Lubavitch women, “do not separate challah when using flour less than 1230 grams or 2 lbs 11 oz. Separate challah without a blessing for flour weighing between 1230 grams and 1666.6 grams or between 1230 grams or 2 lbs 11 oz and 3 lbs 11 oz. Separate challah with a blessing when using more than 3 lbs 11 oz.” (page 48)
Since most of us don’t weigh our flour when we bake the cookbook goes on and teaches:
“For white ‘unsifted’ flour do not separate challah with 7 or less cups. Separate the challah without a blessing for anything more than 7 cups but less than 12 cups of flour. (These measurements remove all doubt.) Anything 12 or more cups of flour separate the challah with a blessing.
“For white ‘sifted’ flour do not separate challah with 9 or less cups. Separate the challah without a blessing for anything more than 9 cups but less than 15 cups of flour. (These measurements remove all doubt.) Anything 15 or more cups of flour separate the challah with a blessing.” (page 49)
Don’t forget to say the blessing before removing the challah.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהָפְרִישׁ חָלָה
“Today since we cannot give the challah to the kohanim (priests) and since we may not use it ourselves, the prevailing custom is to burn this piece separately (e.g. in a piece of aluminum foil) {at the same time the bread or all other food is in the oven GG}. (page 50) For more details please refer to Spice and Spirit or any other reliable source.
Making challah for Shabbat is such a great way of spending quality time with your family during this period of the coronavirus self-isolation.
No comments:
Post a Comment