For the Love of Challah

Thanks to My Jewish Learning and my one time family of choice for the education behind this.

One of my great downfalls is my love of bread. I eat much more of it than my body requires. I like bread in all forms whether it’s bagels, baguettes, traditional loaves, …all of it. I lived in New York City where the bagels were divine. And I live in San Francisco where the sourdough loafs were transcendent especially when they were made into bowls and filled with chowder. Oh my. But Challah has a story.

Challah is understood as feminine, harmonizing with the feminine Shekinah that descends upon us during Shabbat. We keep the Challah covered because she is modest and shy. We touch it and caress it before we gently pull it apart with our hands as we touch it and caress it. For some, cutting Challah with a knife is considered an offense. It’s scares the Challah.

The Challah is braided for many different reasons. First and perhaps foremost, the braided bread is beautiful to behold, like no other bread. The Challah is braided to show us how we are strong. Each of our lives are intertwined with other lives. Something that’s braided is strong. A braided rope is stronger than a single strand. Another reason for the braid is that it looks like arms wrapped around each other suggesting mitzvah of making love on Shabbat.

The number of braids also have meanings.

Three braids represent truth, peace, and justice. Or they represent the past, present, and future. Or three braids might represent the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

A Challah made with four braids might represent the matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel. In Zohar, four represents the four spirituals worlds that exist all at the same time and intertwined together.

A six-braided Challah symbolizes the six days that lead up to Shabbat.

An eight-braided Challah represents new beginnings, the eight days that lead up to the brit milah, a new beginning for a little boy.

And a twelve-braided Challah represents how our twelve tribes - all of us - are intertwined.

One of the most loving things that has happened to me during my time in exile in Arkansas was the Shabbat I received a Challah from Abraham and Maria. On that Shabbat, that Challah meant to me that my life was still braided together with my dearest friends in Madison. It can get dark and lonely in the forest where I live and that Challah lit up my little world with love. And when we show off the Challahs that were made for Shabbat, it is such a joy.

Tonight we’ll gather in our sacred space and welcome Shabbat all of us braided together. I hope to see you tonight.

Gud Shabbos,
Brian.

Meeting ID: 963 5113 1550
Password: 1989
Phone: +1 312 626 6799