Question:
I am starting to learn Dirshu Mishna Berurah. Recently my wife asked me a simple hilchos shabbos question and I was embarrassed that I didn’t know the answer. So I decided that it was a great time to start learning Dirshu Mishna Berurah (which started Chelek Gimmel this week).
Regarding baking on Erev Shabbos, the Mishna Berurah seems to say that there is two aspects of baking. One is to bake the shiur challah and if one doesn’t bake the shiur challah, there is still an inyan to bake for Shabbos. The Biur Halacha says that there is a remez from the posuk Asher Tofu Efu that one should bake on Erev Shabbos in honor of Shabbos. If one does not bake 5 LBS of flour for Shabbos, could one be mekayim the inyan of baking for Shabbos with chicken? From the Posuk it implies that any baking would be fine. Or maybe the two halachos are connected that would should bake the amount the one would be obligated to take off Challa and if not one should bake something that one would be obligated in challah if they would bake the shiur like challah or cake?
Answer:
I think you are right. The posuk doesn’t hint to the actual mitzva of taking challah, so any baking would also fulfill this halacha.. I asked a very similar question to Horav Y. Gans Shlit”a of Yerushalayim, and he agreed that when baking other items lekavod shabbos, it would fulfill this reason.
