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Women and Challah

Women in Jewish religious life

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Women and Challah: Women in Jewish religious life

The mitzvah of separating the consecrated “challah” portion from dough is a symbol for a woman’s influence on the kashrut of the Jewish home.
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Topics: Women, Femininity & Feminism, Women's mitzvot, Separating Challah, Kosher
Aaron L. Raskin
Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin is the official Chabad emissary to downtown Brooklyn, rabbi of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Dean of Brooklyn Heights Jewish Academy. He is the author of the books, “Thank You God for Making Me a Woman", "Letters of Light", "By Divine Design", and "Guardian of Israel", and the co-author of "The Rabbi & The CEO".
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Amber Santa Maria October 16, 2020

I always listen to a teaching while I am making challah! I am blessed to have come across this one today! Thank you! Be blessed! Shabbat Shalom! Reply

Janice Lewis Toronto August 1, 2014

Very powerful Shalom and Thank-you Reply

Catherine New York June 12, 2014

blessed bread Thursdays I make challah for Friday night. However, before Friday night most of it is gone. So now I double the ingredients and it last tilll Monday. Not only is this bread holy and making my home holy, but it provides physical nourishment as well.

None of my friends make challah, few of them eat challah every Friday. If more Jews were participating in this mitzvah, I am sure the world would be in a better state.

Thank you for the insight and knowledge. Reply

Elisheba Maine March 15, 2013

Thank you, Rabbi, for another enlightening lecture.
Shabbat shalom! Reply

Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin Brooklyn heights March 11, 2013

forgiveness Dear Yael,

The Talmud and Tanya state that if one violates a positive commandment and does teshuva he/she is forgiven immediately.
Chava was not a simple person, she possessed all the souls of all generation. therefore her sin caused catastrophic damage on a global and inter-generational level.

We believe that by now the sin was forgiven. However women were endowed with the power to bring earth back to heaven and heaven back to earth. That is why women still do the mitzvah of challah.

See my videos on candle lighting and mikvah for more clarity. Reply

yael March 10, 2013

woman and challa How many time and years and centuries we woman must elevate a mistake we made so many time before? when can we be free and when we will be sorry and forgiven for a mistake? have we really such a hard G-d? Reply

Catherine new york March 5, 2013

Rabbi
As ususal this lecture was informative and inspiring. Thank you. Reply

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