Dough offering

Packer of Passover Shmurah Matzah at the "Boro Park Matzah bakery" performing the Mitzvah of separating Challah from each basket (called "צירוף סל" in Hebrew)

In Judaism, the dough offering (or mitzvat terumat challah, "commandment of separating challah" Hebrew: מצוות תרומת חלה) is an assertive command requiring the owner of bread dough to give a part of the kneaded dough to a kohen (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.[1] This commandment is one of the twenty-four kohanic gifts,[2] and, by a biblical injunction, is only obligatory in the Land of Israel, but from a rabbinic injunction applies also to breadstuffs made outside the Land of Israel.[3]

The common modern practice in Orthodox Judaism is to burn (although simply throwing away the dough in a double-wrapped container is allowed) the portion to be given the Kohen, although giving the challah to a Kohen for consumption is permitted—even encouraged[4]—outside Israel (permitted with restrictions, see article below for detail).

  1. ^ Aharon HaLevi (1958). Sefer ha-Chinuch (in Hebrew). Jerusalem. OCLC 233044594. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), mitzvah # 385
  2. ^ The Talmud of the land of Israel: a preliminary translation 28 p121 Jacob Neusner "Unit II introduces Tosefta's amplification and adds a sizable number of items. It would not be possible more precisely to ... [C] For dough-offering on behalf of dough about which there is a doubt whether or not dough-offering has ..."
  3. ^ Jerusalem Talmud (Orlah 3:7); Maimonides, Mishne Torah (Hil. Bikkurim 5:7); Jacob ben Asher, Arba'ah Turim (Yoreh Deah 322:3); Shulhan Arukh (Yoreh Deah 322:3).
  4. ^ Igud HaKohanim, The Torah of Challah; Giving Challah To The Kohen, 2nd ed. 2016, p. 6-24,.