Thursday, March 31, 2005
CHALLAH
There's an interesting article at Jewish.com about the baking of the traditional Jewish bread. It even includes a recipe if anyone wants to try it. Of particular interest to me was the fact that the recipe is very similar to my recipe for Polish Sweet Bread, gotten from my mother-in-law very early in our marriage, and a standard menu item for holidays. There were even a few years when I baked all of our bread. In recent years, though, my daughter has taken over the tradition, so I haven't baked any for a few years.
I worked part-time at a bakery a few years ago. It was a source of fascination to watch the production of Challah at Easter--specifically, the twist, which I never mastered, mostly because the bakers hands were faster than the eyes that were trying to record the movements. At the bakery customers could order their Challah with anise if they wanted to. That was my favorite.
The article also traces the history of Challah and its use in the Temple.
Most people think of challah as the sweet, egg-rich braided bread that Ashkenazi Jews eat on Shabbat and holidays, but the term “challah” actually refers to a Torah commandment to separate a piece of dough as a gift to God.
The commandment to “take challah” goes way back — it was given to the Jews when they reached the land of Israel after wandering in the desert for 40 years.
During the Exodus, God provided manna every day in the desert, plus a double portion for Shabbat. When the Jews reached Israel, the manna stopped coming. They had to provide their own food, but the Torah gave a commandment to separate a portion of the dough they made and reserve it as a reminder that God provides everything.
Scripture tells us that there were 12 showbreads on display in the Tabernacle, and they stayed fresh for a week, until they were replaced with new loaves for the next Shabbat. For religious Jewish women — who are exempt from time-bound commandments — baking challah is one of the three cited specifically for them. The others involve mikvah (ritual immersion) and candlelighting.
It's not difficult to see how the Catholic practice of reserving the consecrated Host in the tabernacle may have stemmed from that.
