The Spirituality of Making Challah

Challah represents the idea of taking something physical and elevating it to the spiritual. Not only are we providing physical nourishment to those who eat our challah, but they are also being nourished spiritually with the thoughts and blessings that we conjure up while we are making our challah.

The aroma and taste of warm home-baked challah are unparalleled. Making challah is a spiritual experience, and there is plenty of blessings and insights within each of its ingredients.

Let’s take advantage of the potential of challah-making to connect to G-D. There are seven basic ingredients in a challah recipe; water, yeast, sugar, eggs, oil, flour, and salt. There is a special eighth ingredient that is unique to each and every one of us, and that is our souls. When we are making the challah we are putting our personal spiritual energy into the dough.

As we add each ingredient, we add a new blessing to our dough, which will enhance the spiritual influences. Whoever eats the challah also ingests these divine blessings.

FLOUR

Flour represents sustenance, not only our livelihood but also our relationships with others. By likening the two, G-D communicates to us in the Torah that our relationships with others, in fact, our ability to give with joy, should be our top priority in life. We pray that Hashem (G-D) should bless us with a livelihood so that we will be able to use our funds for the right reasons.

We wish for Hashem to help sustain our relationships that might need some assistance and thank Her/Him for the relationships we do have that already sustain us.

As we sift the flour, we are sifting through our thoughts, speech, and actions. We are removing the impurity and desires of the yetzer hara (negative inclination/power of habit). We should request from Hashem to expel all the illness from Am Yisrael; to sift through our lives and remove any negativity.

We pray that the only thing that is left in our “bowl of life” is all the positive influences and blessings.

WATER

Water symbolizes life and Torah. Just as we cannot live without water, we also cannot live without Torah. Water provides life-force and nourishment to all things. Therefore, it represents the attribute of chesed (kindness). As we add the water, we should think of something in our lives that we wish for Hashem to bless us with in abundant kindness and that it should flow down into our lives, just as water flows. We should also focus on having a happy life with brachah and hatzlachah (success); a home filled with Torah for all generations to come. We ask Hashem to open our hearts to her/him that our words should flow forth with graciousness and gratitude like water...from high to low.

In addition, the warm water is symbolic of an ideal personality; if we are too hot we will burn those around us, stunting their growth; if we are too cold, we will freeze those around us and not allow them to grow at all. However, a warm person attracts everyone around them, inviting them to grow to their fullest potential. The purpose of the water is also to help unify the dough into one element – while being a constant reminder to us of the need to be one entity, to be one body, both as individuals (whole, healthy) and as a nation.

YEAST

Yeast is what enables our dough to rise. It represents growth and expansion. When we add the yeast, we can think of each one of our family members and friends and pray that they grow and expand in their emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.

We wish for our homes to expand that we may be able to invite guests. We desire for our children to expand their minds with Torah knowledge to consistently exercise good judgment.

Yeast reminds us of the constant need to grow and mature into our truest selves, through the aid of those around us.

Yeast can also represent ga’avah, (haughtiness). Yeast also represents rising and we want to rise to our fullest potential. We ask that Hashem help all of us rise to who we are meant to be. We can ask Hashem to expand our good deeds and mitzvoth but not allow our transgressions or negative traits to rise.

Growth takes time and patience, therefore we need to set aside the yeast and be patient with ourselves as we take slow (and sometimes painful) steps in improving ourselves, allowing growth to take its course.

The Hebrew word for yeast is, shmarim which comes from the same root as the word, “shemirah,” which means protection. As we add the yeast, we pray for protection for ourselves, our families, and all of the Jewish people. We ask that Hashem should protect us from the yetzer hara and from the ayin hara (all negative energy).

EGGS

Eggs represent the renewal of the lifecycle and the potential of what is about to “hatch.” Eggs are symbolic of fertility and the continuous cycle of life, reminding us to view ourselves within a greater framework and picture.

We are a link in a very holy, important chain [eggs also allude to the women’s special role in creation, who provide the needed space (womb/home) necessary for a child to fully nurture, develop, and grow].

When we add the eggs we pray for life, children, and grandchildren. We pray to be able to be the vehicles by which something fruitful and positive can be actualized in the world.

OIL

Oil represents anointment as it was used to anoint the Jewish kings during ancient times. When adding oil to the dough, pour a little at a time “anointing” each one of your loved ones by name and pray for their specific needs. Pray that just as oil makes things soft, our words and actions should be softened. We pray that we should be more flexible and less stubborn in our ways.

Just as oil was used to kindle the Menorah, we pray to Hashem that we should merit to see the Kohen Gadol light the Menorah in the Bet Hamikdash be’karov (in the temple soon and with mercy) and with rachamim; that we should merit holiness and purity.

The oil also represents rising to the top, reminding ourselves that no matter what the obstacle or the challenge we may face, as individuals or collectively as Jews, we will always prevail, always succeed; coming up stronger, and better than ever. [The prophets tell us we are going to appoint the Messiah with oil – the symbol of our ultimate rise to the top.]

SUGAR

Sugar represents anything sweet in our lives. We ask Hashem to give us the proper faith to be able to view every challenge of life as sweet in our eyes. The honey/sugar reminds us to sweeten our own dispositions towards those around us.

We pray that Hashem sweetens any harsh judgment or decree; that all our speech should be pleasant and sweet and that the Torah should be as sweet as honey.

SALT

Salt represents discipline or criticism. It is important to discipline but in smaller measures. When adding the salt, pray to Hashem to assist us in disciplining our children in the appropriate fashion.

Salt also represents purification. We pray that anything that is toxic in our lives should be removed.

Salt is the ingredient used to extract impurities. We pray that we should merit to keep all the halachot of kashrut properly and set correct boundaries for ourselves and our family.

The Hebrew letters in the salt “melach,” can also represent, “mechilah,” which means forgiveness. We pray to Hashem that all our transgressions should be forgiven and that Hashem should extract any negative influences that were created as a result of our sins.

All these ingredients come together and they bring their own important blessings as they become unified.

During the time that we are mixing/kneading the dough, we should think about the oneness of Hashem and the oneness of the Jewish people. The time when a woman kneads the dough is a special time (Et Ratzon) and it can also be a special time for men. We pray for peace in our homes and in Am Yisrael.

We ask Hashem to unite us as a nation and to help create togetherness just as all the ingredients come together to form one dough. We pray for unity in the home and closeness between us and our Creator.

Other Kavanot (intentions)

By making a well inside the flour we are consciously separating the good from the bad; recognizing what we do that is good, and bringing that to the surface; while placing at the bottom that which is not needed. However, every attribute we have can be used positively, as long as we have control over it.

Making trenches on the surface of the flour represents the need to set proper boundaries for ourselves; using the Torah as a guidebook to nurture our thoughts, words, and actions, helping us know when and where we should draw ‘the line’ for ourselves, and for others.

We knead the dough because the Jewish people need to expend effort in order to become one entity within and among ourselves and with Am Yisrael. We must come together in love, harmony, and understanding. Therefore, we should pray our hearts out as we carefully and lovingly mix all the elements together to slowly recreate ourselves as one body; because when we all come together, as individuals, and exert ourselves, lovingly, understandingly, and with compromise, we not only become one unbreakable body, but also ONE INFINITE SOUL…

This is why we separate the challah – to remember the loss and lack of our Holy temple, our loss of spiritual and physical completion – to remember the need to strive to reach our fullest potential, to contribute the most we can in order to regain our physical and spiritual centers. Remember: it takes time patience and work until we can ultimately taste the fruits of our labor.