Dough offering

InJudaism, thedough offering(ormitzvat terumat challah, "commandment of separatingchallah"Hebrew:מצוות תרומת חלה) is anassertive commandrequiring the owner of breaddoughto give a part of the kneaded dough to akohen(Jewish priest). The obligation to separate the dough offering (henceforth:challah) from the dough begins the moment the dough is kneaded, but may also be separated after the loaves are baked.This commandment is one of thetwenty-four kohanic gifts,and, by a biblical injunction, is only obligatory in theLand of Israel, but from a rabbinic injunction applies also to breadstuffs made outside the Land of Israel.
The common modern practice inOrthodox Judaismis to burn (although simply throwing away the dough in a double-wrapped container is allowed) the portion to be given the Kohen, although giving thechallahto a Kohen for consumption is permitted—even encouraged—outside Israel (permitted with restrictions, see article below for detail).
The origin of the offering is found inBook of Numbers15:17–21:
In the above passage "cake" iskhallah(Hebrew:חלה) while "of dough" isʿarisah(עריסה). The return of the Jews from theBabylonian exilemarked a renewal in adherence to numerous commandments, and the dough offering, "the first fruits of our dough," is listed as one of them (Nehemiah 10:37).
TheMishnahandJerusalem Talmudcontain a tractate known asChallahdealing with the dough offering.Among the rulings, onlyfive grainsrequire the separation of the dough offering:wheat,barley,spelt,wild barley(oroats), andrye.In the same tractate is stated the prohibition of setting aside dough offering and tithes from dough made from "new" grain (chadash), on behalf of dough made from "old" grain (yashan).The Jerusalem Talmud implies that the commandment was given before the sin ofthe Twelve Spies.
Certain preparations of dough were exempt from the duty of separating the dough-offering, such asSūfgenīndough that was made with a thin-batter, variously mixed with spices or milk-products, and deep-fried in oil to be made into fritters.Included in this exemption is dough that has been kneaded with milk and honey to be deep-fried over a stove into honey-cakes (Hebrew:dūḇshanīn).Although exempt from the dough-offering, they still require the separation of regular tithes.TheJerusalem Talmudmakes the exemption of separating the dough-offering contingent upon breadstuffs that have been cooked in a frying pan or pot over astove, rather than baked in an oven. If these were baked as bread in anoven, they would still require the separation of the dough-offering.A quantity of dough equalling 1.6 kilogram or more which was prepared to makehardened biscuits(Hebrew:qanūḇqa’ot) requires the separation of the dough offering.
Thehalakhicsources for the mitzvah areShulhan Arukh,Yoreh Deah322 andMishneh TorahBikkurimChapter 5 Section 1.
Themitzvahofchallahis believed by sometextual scholarsto originate in thepriestly sourceand to postdate the Challah law codes as presented in theTorah.
Challah, as one of the twenty-four kohanic gifts, was a means of sustenance for the kohanim, who, because of their expected full-time involvement with Temple duties andTorah instruction, were not intended to have land or income derived from it, unlike the other tribes of Israel (although this was often not the case during theSecond Templeera).
Obadiah ben Jacob Sfornoreasons that God wished to negate the negative effect of the sin ofThe Twelve Spiesby establishing this Mitzvah in order thatbracha("divine blessing") should rest in the homes and on the dough products of the Jews.
Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitzexplains that the Land of Israel is sustained by rainfall, whereas crops in Egypt are irrigated by the waters of theNile riverwhich requires human intervention, making it logical that the first fruits of Israel be presented to God who brings its rainfall.
Other insights on the symbolism of Challah appear inMidrashicandKabbalisticliterature. The Mitzvah of separating challah is traditionally regarded as one of the three Mitzvot performed especially by women (Mishnah,Shabbos2:6).
In someKabbalisticliterature, such asShlomo HaKohain of Greece's commentary on theZohar, the performing of this commandment by women, who traditionally did the cooking, uplifts the dough from a state oftevel(spiritual non-readiness) and brings it to a state ofkhullin(mundane and permitted to its owner), thereby correcting the action ofEvewho gave of the forbidden fruit to her husband.
The mitzvah of challah is one mitzvah with two parts: (1)separatingthe required dough (Hafrashatchallah), (2)givingthe dough to aKohen(NetinatChallah).Nachmanidesas well as the TosafistIsaiah di Traniexplain that it is the actualgivingof the Challah portion to the Kohen that is the primary component of the Mitzvah.
According to theTalmud, the requirement to separateChallahfrom the dough was imposed on the owner of the dough, not on the person who kneaded it; hence if the owner was not Jewish, even if the kneader was, Hafrashat Challah was not mandatory. The requirement does not apply to quantities of less than oneomer, neither to bread prepared as animal feed.Although the Biblical expressionwhen you eat of the bread of the landmight be understood as applying only to bread eaten in the Land of Israel, Rabbinic sources interpret that Hafrashat Challah should be observed in theDiasporaas well.
The minimal quantity of dough whose preparation mandates the performance of the Mitzvah is quantified byChazalas a portion of flour equivalent to 43 and 1/5eggs,also known as oneomer(one-tenth of an ephah). According toMaimonides, it is possible to test the trigonometric calculations for the volume of 43.2 eggs. This said quantity of flour can be measured by filling-up a space 10 fingerbreadths x 10 fingerbreadths square (the finger's breadth being appx. 2.5 cm), with a depth of 3 fingerbreadths and 1/10 of another fingerbreadth, along with a little more than 1/100 of another fingerbreadth.In modern terms;
TheTorahdoes not specify how much dough is required to be given to the Kohen; this is discussed in theTalmud. The rabbinical stipulation is that 1/24 is to be given in the case of private individuals, and 1/48 in the case of a commercial bakery. If the baker forgets to set asideChallah, it is permissible to set aside Challah portion of the bread after it has been baked.
The Mitzvah is listed as one in effect in Israel even during theShmittah(Sabbatical) year.Even the pauper who is entitled to collectPeahand would be exempt from givingMa'aser(Tithe) is obligated to give Challah from his dough portion. The dough fromMaaser Sheni, is likewise not exempt from Challah giving.
The consumption of Challah by a Kohen in the Land of Israel is forbidden by Torah law due to the absence of the ashes of theRed Heifernecessary for ritual purity.
With this in mind, theTosefta,followed by theRishonim, encouraged the act of separating "Challah" in order that the Mitzvah not be forgotten entirely, along with the full recitation of a blessing before the dough is separated. The blessing recited is "asher kiddeshanu bemitzvotav ve'tzivanu le'hafrish challah."
The common practice of Diaspora Jewry is to burn the Challah; home bakers fulfill this by tossing the Challah to the back of the oven.However, it isHalachicallypermitted in the Diaspora to give the separated Challah to a Kohen for consumption,and even encouraged by some Rabbinic authorities,with the provision that the Kohen has immersed in a Mikvah.The Kohen is also required to recite the requiredBerachathanking God for sanctifying the Kohanim with the sanctity ofAharon.In Yemen, whenever baking a quantity of dough which required the separation of the dough-offering, one small loaf offlatbreadwas removed from the batch and designated as Challah and burnt, while another small loaf of flatbread from the same batch, being non-consecrated bread, was given to a small child of the priestly stock and eaten by him, so that the practice of giving the Challah would not be forgotten amongst Israel.
If no separation is done while cooking, it can be done afterwards without a blessing.
The commentators to theShulchan Aruchrecord that it is theMinhagof some Diaspora Jews to be scrupulous in giving Challah (in this case fully baked passover matzah) from the dough used for baking "Matzot Mitzvah" (the Shmurah Matzah eaten duringPassover) to a Kohen minor to eat.
Kohanim of the diaspora have begun initiating requests from Jewish communities and prominent Rabbis to widely implement this Minhag, citing that its implementation would increase inKiddush Hashem(per the uniquebrocharequirement) and reawaken awareness of the key component of themitzvah of challah-the actualgivingof the challah to the Kohen.
As of 2011, there are approximately 13 shmurah matzah bakeries in the diaspora.  Collectively, the amount of challah produced is as follows (approximate):