Let's Talk About Challah

Let’s talk about challah (pronounced with a hard H at the beginning).⁣⁠

You may recognize this loaf of bread from our occasional posts, or you may have seen it in the home of a Jewish friend or at the grocery store.⁣⁠

Challah is a sweet bread that is baked for Shabbat dinner (on a Friday evening). It is made with egg and considered a richer bread than ordinary white bread eaten everyday.⁣⁠

Challah symbolizes manna, the bread that God provided for the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert.⁣⁠

Traditionally two loaves are served at the Sabbath table. This is symbolic of the fact that God provided enough manna on the sixth day for the seventh.⁣⁠

There are many other traditions and explanations about 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘩 and its details, but one thing is done nearly universally the same: a blessing is prayed over the bread at Shabbat: "Baruch Atah Adoni, Eloheinu Melech haOlam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz. Amen.”

Translated: Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, Ruler of the universe, who gives us bread from the earth.⁣⁠

⁣⁠Messianic believers also sometimes add something about Jesus being the Bread of Life (John 6:35)!⁣⁠

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Our purpose in sharing these tidbits is not to imply that these traditions have to be followed by believers in Jesus/Messianic Jews, but in order to help others better learn about and understand their Jewish neighbors and friends so that they can better build bridges and connections with them.