How to give challah to a kohen

Bits of challah collected over many weeks and stored in the freezer before being brought to the kohen

Is there a way NOT to give challah (first bread offering) to the kohen? we think so, and want to share it with you.

So here’s the story, a lady messaged a kohen erev shabbat (after chatzot) and said she wants to bring over her challah – Her husband, she explained, told her to do so.

Her husband Moshe (lets call him), apparently, has read what we wrote in our mishpat hakohanim commentary about the mitzvah of giving the challah in chu”l to a kohen as opposed to burning it (see here all about that) for the kohen to make a brocha on (אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן וציוונו על אכילת תרומה) and consume – so the kohen was eager to have the opportunity to do so.

Challah, baked and ready for the kohen to make three (3) blessings on

It turned out that the goods weren’t in the best shape, she explained that she had wrapped her challah in tissues, envelope paper etc. (apparently she assumed the kohen would burn it for her – which is also proper as the separated challah does not belong to the ba’alim to burn), so the kohen salvaged what he was able to, baked it, and this Friday night had the merit to make 3 blessings – all of them בשם ובמלכות;

1. ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וציונו על נטילת ידים
2. ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם, המוציא לחם מן הארץ
3. ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן וציונו על אכילת תרומה

So now, what about the unsalvageable parts? the kohen decided to bring it with him erev pesach for sreifat chometz, the holy dough given to him from the table of הקב”ה (midirabbanan here in chu”l) can go towards making the biur chometz fire all that bigger – anybody else burning it would be burning what is not theirs.

So, here are some best practices for giving your challah to your kohen;

• • Give it to the kohen while the dough is still fresh (if you must freeze it, do so in airtight plastic bags or similar airtight container)
  • Make sure the amount is at least a kazayis (the size of an olive), so the kohen can make a brocha on it
  • Make sure the kohen is aware of the peripheral requirement’s to eating challah in chu”l.

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