page_title: Challah
section_title: Traditional Sabbath meal procedure
hierarchical_section_title: Challah / Rituals and religious significance / Traditional Sabbath meal procedure
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of two homemade whole-wheat challos placed on a decorative olive-wood cutting board and covered by a traditional embroidered Shabbat challah cover. Photo taken on March 31 2006 by Yoninah.
context_page_description: Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. Ritually-acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering.
  The word is Biblical in origin. Similar braided breads – such as kalach, kalács, kolach, or colac – are found in Eastern Europe, though it is not clear whether these influenced or were influenced by the traditional Ashkenazic challah.
context_section_description: It is customary to begin the evening and day Sabbath and holiday meals with the following sequence of rituals:
  The challah is covered. It is customary to use a dedicated cloth called a challah cover for this purpose, although any improvised cover is acceptable.
  Something, often what is called a Challah board, is under the Challah, although a simple napkin is acceptable if nothing else is available. The "under" and "covering" are to remind of the dew that fell, before and after the manna. It also serves as a cutting board for slicing the Challah.
  (Another reason for the cover is that normally, in the order of saying blessings, the challah would precede the wine; we therefore cover the challah's presence.)
  Kiddush is recited over a cup of wine.
  Each attendee ritually washes their hands in preparation for eating bread. (It is customary not to talk between this washing and consumption of the bread.)
  The challah cover is removed.
  A nick is made in the bread with a cutting knife.
  The two loaves are held up together.
  The head of the household recites the blessing over bread: "Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, hamotzi lechem (Le Khemekh) min ha'aretz" (Translation: "Blessed are you LORD our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth").
  The bread is sliced (or torn, depending on minhag) and salted, and the pieces are distributed to each person at the meal to eat.
  The specific practice varies. Some dip the bread into salt before the blessing on bread. Others say the blessing, cut or tear the challah into pieces, and only then dip the pieces in salt, or sprinkle them with salt, before they are eaten.
  Normally, the custom is not to talk between washing hands and eating bread. However, according to some, if salt was not placed on the table, it is permitted to ask for someone to bring salt, before the blessing on bread is recited.
caption: Two homemade challot covered by a traditional embroidered challah cover
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