What is the origin of the custom not to eat the ends of the challah?

Isn't there a custom among women to eat the ends, in order to merit a son? Is that true? Reply

Odd.. Why would any Hebrew/Israelite listen to a Naamathite ??? Reply

Hey, Sholomke! Be the Change you seek! 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! Reply

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! Reply

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 Reply

RE: Sholomke The bread isn't being wasted. It's being used as a means to elicit G-d's blessing! Reply

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. Reply

Source of Yehudah's Posnick's Comment Sefer Taamei Haminhagim, footnotes to section 176. Reply

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. Reply

Qestion: What should we do with the left-over challah? Reply

disposing of the ends of the challah There is a mitzvah of taking "challah", from the batter of dough, which is the trumah that is given to the Kohen. In the event it was not taken by the baker, then before eating the challah one does so by cutting off a piece of the challah and disposes it. He disposes it because a non-kohen is not permitted to eat trumah. Reply

RE Zahava no it is not true Reply

I heard that if you eat the ends of your bread, you forget all your learning

is it true? Reply