halachos & stories

hafrashas challah.

The bracha, the halachos in English and אידיש, and stories that give chizuk.

A piece of dough held over the bowl
bake & take

baking challah, step by step.

A simple, classic recipe for a large batch, so you can take challah together with thousands of women.

Golden challos cooling on a rack

Ingredients (large batch)

  • 5 lb (about 2.25 kg) flour
  • 4 tbsp dry yeast
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 4 eggs, plus 1 for brushing
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Steps

  1. Dissolve the yeast and a spoon of sugar in the warm water; wait 10 minutes until it bubbles.
  2. Add the sugar, oil, eggs and most of the flour; mix, then add the salt and the rest of the flour.
  3. Knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and soft.
  4. Cover and let it rise about 1 to 1½ hours, until doubled.
  5. Take challah: say the bracha, separate a small piece and say "Harei zu challah". Daven for the name of the week.
  6. Divide, braid, and let the challos rise again for 30 to 45 minutes.
  7. Brush with egg, sprinkle seeds, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 25 to 35 minutes, until golden.

Whether to make a bracha depends on the amount of flour and your family's shiur. Ask your Rav.

the bracha & tefillah ↓
bracha & tefillah
0:001:23
Before
לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, הִנְנִי מוּכָנָה וּמְזֻמֶּנֶת לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת הַפְרָשַׁת חַלָּה.
L'sheim yichud kudsho b'rich hu ushchintei. Hin'ni muchono um'zumenes l'kayeim mitzvas hafroshas challah.
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His Presence: I am ready and prepared to fulfill the mitzvah of separating challah.
The bracha
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַפְרִישׁ חַלָּה.
Boruch atah Adonoy Elokeinu melech ho'olom, asher kidshonu b'mitzvosov, v'tzivonu l'hafrish challah.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.
After separating
הֲרֵי זוֹ חַלָּה.
Harei zu challah.
This is challah.
Tefillah after hafrashah
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה שֶׁל הַפְרָשַׁת חַלָּה תֵּחָשֵׁב כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּיהָ בְּכָל פְּרָטֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ, וְתֵחָשֵׁב הֲרָמַת הַחַלָּה שֶׁאָנוּ מְרִימִים כְּמוֹ הַקָּרְבָּן שֶׁהֻקְרַב עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁנִּתְקַבֵּל בְּרָצוֹן. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁלְּפָנִים הָיְתָה הַחַלָּה נְתוּנָה לַכֹּהֵן וְהָיְתָה זוֹ לְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹנוֹת, כָּךְ תִּהְיֶה לְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹנוֹתַי, וְאָז אֶהְיֶה כְּאִלּוּ נוֹלַדְתִּי מֵחָדָשׁ, נְקִיָּה מֵחֵטְא וְעָוֹן, וְאוּכַל לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ וְהַיָּמִים הַטּוֹבִים עִם בַּעֲלִי, לִהְיוֹת נִזּוֹנִים מִקְּדֻשַּׁת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה. וּמֵהַשְׁפָּעָתָהּ שֶׁל מִצְוַת חַלָּה, כְּאִלּוּ נָתַתִּי מַעֲשֵׂר. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהִנְנִי מְקַיֶּמֶת מִצְוַת חַלָּה בְּכָל הַלֵּב, כָּךְ יִתְעוֹרְרוּ רַחֲמָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשָׁמְרֵנִי מִצַּעַר וּמִמַּכְאוֹבִים כָּל הַיָּמִים. אָמֵן.
Y'hi rotzon mil'fonecho, Adonoy Elokeinu vEilokei avoseinu, shehamitzvo shel hafroshas challah teichoshev k'ilu kiyamtiho b'chol p'roteho v'dikdukeho. V'seichoshev haromas hachalo she'anu m'rimim, k'mo hakorbon shehukrav al hamizbei'ach, shenis'kabeil b'rotzon. Uch'mo shel'fonim hoy'so hachalo n'suno lakohein, v'hoy'so zu l'chaporas avonos, kach tihyeh l'chaporas avonosai. V'oz ehyeh k'ilu noladti meichodosh, n'kiyo meicheit v'ovon, v'uchal l'kayeim mitzvas Shabbos kodesh v'hayomim hatovim im baali, lihyos nizonim mik'dushas hayomim ho'eileh. Umeihashpo'osoh shel mitzvas challah, k'ilu nosati ma'aser. Uch'sheim shehin'ni m'kayemes mitzvas challah b'chol haleiv, kach yis'oreru rachamov shel Hakodosh Boruch Hu, l'shomreini mitza'ar umimach'ovim kol hayomim. Omein.
May it be Your will, Hashem our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the mitzvah of separating challah be considered as if I fulfilled it in all its details. May the challah I lift be considered like an offering brought on the Altar and accepted with favor. And just as in earlier times the challah was given to the Kohen as an atonement, so may it be an atonement for me, so that I may be as if born anew, clean of sin, and able to keep Shabbos Kodesh and the Yomim Tovim with my husband, nourished by their holiness. May the influence of the mitzvah of challah be as if I had given ma'aser. And just as I fulfill the mitzvah of challah with all my heart, so may the mercy of Hakodosh Boruch Hu be awakened to guard me from sorrow and pain all my days. Amen.

the halachos, in short

Which dough

Dough made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, oats or rye) needs challah to be taken.

How much dough

From a large dough, challah is taken with a bracha. From a smaller dough it is taken without a bracha, and from a very small dough none is taken. The exact amounts depend on the shiur your family follows, so ask your Rav.

When

After kneading, while the dough is still one piece, before it is divided and baked. If you forgot, challah can still be taken from the baked challos. Ask your Rav how.

How

Say the bracha, separate a small piece of the dough (many take about a k'zayis) and say: "Harei zu challah" (הרי זו חלה).

What to do with the piece

The separated piece is not eaten. The custom is to wrap it and burn it, not together with food. Ask your Rav how to do this in your oven.

Shabbos and Yom Tov

Challah is not taken on Shabbos. If you forgot before Shabbos, or on Yom Tov, ask your Rav.

A time for tefillah

The time of hafrashas challah is an eis ratzon. Many women give tzedaka and daven for themselves and for others, like the name of the week of their group.

This is general information only. For halacha l'maaseh, please consult your Rav.

a story

in the rebbetzin's kitchen.

It was Thursday evening on chol hamoed Sukkos. The sky was turning darker and the auspicious hours of Hoshana Rabba were upon us. I had the absolute privilege of standing in the kitchen of Rebbetzin Kanievsky a"h…

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