Question:
Hi, thanks so much for this amazing site!!
A few questions regarding “taking challah”:
1. When is the proper time to be mafrish the challah? I have seen it done as soon as the dough is made (before it rises) as well as after the dough rises. Which is correct?
2. We have always frozen the pieces of challah taken and burned them at Pesach time in fires specially made for that purpose (not the fire for serafas chometz). Recently I heard that this practice is incorrect. Is that true? If so, what should in fact be done?
3. I also heard that if one bakes challah and gives it all away, then one should not take challah. Is that correct?
Thank you!!
Answer:
- The proper time to be mafrish challah is any time after the dough had been kneaded and all of the flour has been mixed with the water. There is a preference though to take off the challah after it has risen, however if you have any fear of forgetting to take off the challah then, do it right after you finish kneading he dough.
- Although the best way to get rid of the challah is to burn it, it is incorrect to keep the challah around because it can get mixed up, accidentally eaten, or even worse mixed into the rest of the dough, which would make the whole dough problematic. Therefore it is best to either burn it right away, (but not in the oven together with the other dough), or to simply put it into a plastic bag and respectfully put it in the garbage.
- What you heard is not precise. There is a halacha that if a person makes a dough with the intention to split it as a dough, ( i.e. a kindergarten teacher that makes a big dough, then each girl gets “her” dough and bakes it) that challah is not taken. However if the person baked the dough and is only splitting it after it is baked then challah is taken.
Sources:
- Y:D 327-2, Sefer Hateruma 85 brought in the Bais Yosef, R’ Y. Cahen shlit”a.
- Shabbos 25a, Rashi and Tosefos ibid, Noda B’yehuda Y:D 201, Noam Halacha 23-7.
- Taz Y:D 326-2, Shach ibid 5. Regarding making a bracha it is controversial, some poskim say that it should not be said, while others hold that it may be said, see Minchas Yitzchok 10-102.
Regarding what to do with the challah dough that is “taken”…we have always put that piece of raw challah dough into a special marked bag in the freezer and then we take all the pieces from the year to be burned before Pesach. If it is carefully put aside in a marked bag and cannot get confused with any other dough, would it be best to continue this practice or should we rather wrap the dough in a bag and put it into the garbage right away?
Thank you!
If it is in a marked bag as you say, and it can’t get confused, then that is also fine.
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