Shelach: Sending Upward
Dear readers,
Who doesn’t love fresh-baked challah bread? Nothing can really compare. Challah, however, is not just the great tasting bread we eat on Shabbat, but is the actual piece of dough that we separate and remove before baking bread. And the commandment to “take challah” is given in this week’s Torah portion.
Bread signifies sustenance. (Perhaps that is why in English, like Hebrew, we often refer to money as “bread” or “dough.”) The piece of challah that we take is a small piece, but it represents the meaning behind all we do. The piece is reserved for our Creator. It is the recognition that all we have is a gift from G‑d and that all that we do is inspired by Him. And it is taken before we begin the process, to remind us that before we do anything else we must first stop, recognize and thank. Then we can continue to bake, to eat and to enjoy.
Sara Esther Crispe,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
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