What is the reason behind the Mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah? (In Temple times, a part of the dough when baking was separated and given to the Kohanim, Temple Priests. Today, we burn the small selection of dough) What are the Kavanot, or, what shall I have in mind, when fulfilling this Mitzvah? S.

I hope, with God’s help’ to address the Mitzvah of Challah in the 613 Concepts #273. However, I would like to add a few more basic concepts about the Mitzvah of Challah: (The first two can be found on the General Forum)

1) We derive the measure of Challah, the dough we separate, based on the Manna that fell in the desert. (See Rashi Numbers 15: 19) Challah is our way of acknowledging the miracle of Manna and all it represented. The Manna fell every day to remind us each day that all our sustenance comes from God. When we separate Challah we are actively acknowledging God as the ultimate sustainer.

2) The Manna was both a physical and spiritual food. The Manna was a daily reminder of God as sustainer. The Torah could be given only to people who were living on this perfect food. The Manna was 100% nutritious; all was absorbed and none was wasted. It is the perfect combination of physical and spiritual. as is a human being. We are the perfect combination of the physical, our bodies, with the spiritual, our souls. The Midrash actually describes a human being as the Challah of creation. (Bereishit Rabbah 17:13, and Bamidbar Rabbah 17:2) Challah represents the level of creation that is called “Murkav”, or, a mixture. This Mitzvah is a celebration of the ability of the physical and spiritual to combine and create something special.

3) When Moses was teaching the generation that was about to enter Israel about the Manna, he said, “In order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live, rather by everything that emanates from the mouth of God does man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) The Ari HaKadosh explains that the sustenance we derive from bread does not derive from the bread but from the word of God that gives existence to the bread. We activate the word of God in all the sustenance of our homes when we fulfill this commandment. (See Shem MeShmuel, Shelach, 5677)

4) This Mitzvah was activated immediately upon Israel’s entry into Israel, even before they captured and settled the land, unlike every other commandment that was not activated until the people settled the land. This is because all of Israel accepted mutual responsibility immediately upon entering the land. Individuals became part of a greater whole, which is symbolized by the Challah, the dough which changes from water and flour into a new entity. (Ibid. Volume 5, Collected Sayings, Shelach) One should keep in mind our mutual responsibility when fulfilling this Mitzvah/Concept.