"Nothing remains of his food; therefore his goods shall not prosper"—Job 20:21.
It thus follows that if something does remain of one's food, his goods shall prosper. For this reason many have the custom of not finishing an entire loaf of bread; but to leave some over.1
Eliezer Posner is a former member of the chabad.org Ask the Rabbi team.
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Don't disregard the BIBLICAL prohibition! Feed the leftover bread to birds, or your neighbor's cat, or make a bread crust sandwich for your gardener! If you're lucky enough to have ducks in your neighborhood, take your kids to the pond and feed the ducks! Get creative, and be the change you seek!
Posted By J. Papara
Posted: Feb 15, 2008
RE: Sholomke
The Challah being eaten is eaten. The Challah being thrown out out of respect for the tradition is being thrown out, but it's not being wasted, because it's serving a useful purpose: eliciting blessing!
Posted By Anonymous
Posted: Feb 15, 2008
that is true for the challa beign eaten. My question is regarding the (edible) endings which are being thrown out in respect to a tradition, seemingly disregarding the 'bal tashchis' BIBLICAL prohibition
Posted By Sholomke
Posted: Feb 14, 2008
RE: Sholomke
The bread isn't being wasted. It's being used as a means to elicit G-d's blessing!
Posted By Anonymous
Posted: Feb 14, 2008
leaving food
How do you reconcile this with 'bal tashchis'. If the bread is not being eaten, ultimately, it is being wasted.
It would seem as though a biblical commandment is being rested, to accomodate a mere custom / myth.
Posted By Sholomke
Posted: Feb 11, 2008
Source of Yehudah's Posnick's Comment
Sefer Taamei Haminhagim, footnotes to section 176.
Posted By Anonymous
Posted: Feb 11, 2008
Not eating the ends of the challah
In the book "Shemiras HaGuf v'HaNefesh", the author brings down this minhag as stemming from the fact that when something good comes into the world, the klipot (powers of impurity) wish to grasp onto it. The ends of the challah are the first that develop a crust, therefore there exists the possibility that the klipot have taken hold there. Thus the minhag to remove it.
Posted By Yehudah Posnick, Jerusalem, Israel
Posted: Feb 10, 2008
RE: Left over Challah
There is no special custom. Just do whatever you do with any other left over food.
Posted By Eliezer Posner (author)
Posted: Feb 10, 2008
Qestion:
What should we do with the left-over challah?
Posted By Anonymous
Posted: Feb 6, 2008
RE: Eliezer
I would like to point out that today even Kohanim cannot eat the lump of dough separated as challah.
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