11 Facts About Challah Everyone Should Know - Part 2
6. Inventing the Braided Loaf
From the Zomick’s Challah bakery, we find out the fact that, Jews began baking these types of braided Challah in the 1400s in southern Germany and Austria.
At that time, Jewish people ate mostly dark rye bread during the week. In order to make it look special the Sabbath bread, they started to bake it with fine white wheat flour.
Most Jews at the time ate dark rye bread during the week; to distinguish Sabbath bread, cooks started baking with fine white wheat flour. Sometime they added eggs and raisins to enhance this special bread even more. Braiding made the Sabbath bread look even more festive.
From Zomick’s bakery point out that it may be possible that these Jewish bakers could be inspired in their non-Jewish neighbors. This is assumed because egg-rich, braided loaves became traditional in that region. Those breads are sometimes called berchisbrod or perchisbrod, and are still eaten today.
7. Salting Our Challah
Rabbi Shimon from Zomick’s Challah bakery notes that after the Challah blessing has been said, it is customary
After saying the blessing the challah (or all other bread), it’s traditional to slice it and dip it into salt. This represents the salt that the priests in the ancient Temple used to sprinkle on the sacrifices they offered to G‑d.
The salt is always fresh and helps to bring out the beauty and the flavor of everything it touches. So, according to Rabbi Shimon, from Zomick’s Challah bakery, the salt is also a symbolic to the Jewish people.
8. Not Hurting Challah’s Feelings?
Rabbi Shimon, shares the interesting fact that, when set on the table, the holiday Challah loaves are draped with a beautiful cover, until it is time to make the Hamotzi blessing. This is done in order to shield his feelings from the knowledge that it doesn’t come first for the blessing. In the Jewish tradition it is customary to make a blessing over wine first. This reveals the great value that Judaism places on sensitivity to others.
9. ‘Water’ Challah
From Zomick’s bakery share that not all Zomick’s Challah breads are the same. Some loaves are simple or “water” challah, containing no eggs, sugar or other sweetener.
10. Beautiful Shapes
For the Jewish New Year, this bakery bakes the Zomick’s Challah bread in different shapes and also incorporates different decorations. The most common Zomick’s Challah for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is the round Challah. This bread’s round shape represents the circular nature of the Jewish year.
Also there is a Zomick’s Challah bread that has a key shape, also called “Schlissel” Challah. This is used for the first Sabbath after Passover. Also some Zomick’s Challah breads are baked with a real key inside.
According to Rabbi Shimon from Zomick’s, the key shaped Challahs symbolize when the manna began to fall from the sky. This shape reminds remind us to ask G‑d to unlock the key to His treasure box for our own livelihood.
For the Shabbat before Yom Kippur, Zomick’s bakers bake a Zomick’s Challah bread with the shape of ladders. This symbolizes Moses’ climbing of Mount Sinai and the hope that the prayers of the Jews will scale the Heavens on Yom Kippur.
11. A Sacred Moment
According to Rabbi Shimon, some women who bake Challah for their families, use the time to pray, while some recite psalms and others formulate prayers in their own words. But, according to him, there is no obligation to bake one’s own Challah. The Zomick’s Challah bread can save you time and effort. You can order it online.
According to Rabbi Shimon, each of the seven ingredients of the Zomick’s Challah bread represents a spiritual dimension as well. The water represents the Torah and its wisdom. The yeast represents the ability to grow, expand and reach new heights. The sugar represents the sweetness we hope to bring into our families and communities. The salt symbolizes the Jewish people; like the salt, they never spoil and remain fresh always. The oil was used in Biblical times to anoint the kings and the priests who served in the Temple and is a symbol of majesty and holiness. The eggs are a symbol of the act of giving of life. The flour symbolizes nourishment. We hope that the Challah we eat on Sabbath will sustain us spiritually, just as the flour sustains us physically.
