challah
Moishe House: Friday Night Shabbat Rituals
This less than 5 minute long animated video introduces the basic Shabbat rituals performed on Friday night, including the candle lighting ceremony, the Kiddush over wine, the ritual hand washing, and the
Words Of Prayer and Intention: A Sustainability Motzi
This poetic blessing over the bread brings one’s intentions toward all of the people, powers, and systems that allowed for the bread to come into existence. The prayer finishes with an
Conservative Ashkenazi Grace After Meals (Audio + Text)
In this audio recording, Rabbi Barry Kenter of the Greenburgh Hebrew Center sings the Shabbat version of the Grace After Meals according to Conservative Ashkenazi tradition. Conveniently separated into 14 audio recordings
Laws and Customs Practiced in Preparation for the Grace After Meals
In this halachic discourse, Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir of the Orthodox Union, discusses the obligations and customs Jews practice before reciting the Grace After Meals, including washing hands, leaving the
‘I Love Challah Rolls’ Song
This humorous music video, produced by campers and staff from TheZone Jewish Sleepaway Camp, presents a humorous accounting of the mitzvah of the blessing the bread on Shabbat. A spoof of
HaMotzi: Origins, Laws and Customs
This detailed article by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett explains the meaning, origins, customs, and practical how-to’s of the blessing over the bread on Shabbat, including the Hebrew, English and transliterated text of the blessing. Published
The Mitzvah of Separating Challah
This introductory article by Rabbi Mendy Hecht explains the commandment of ‘Hafrashat Challah’ (‘separating challah’), complete with the English transliteration and translation of the blessing. Rabbi Hecht is the founder of
Why We Cover the Bread During HaMotzi
This article from Chabad.org provides biblical, Talmudic and halachic reasons for the custom of covering the challah before and during the HaMotzi blessing. In practice, the Shabbat challah is covered from the beginning of
Why We Dip the Bread in Salt During the HaMotzi Ritual
This responsum from Chabad.org discusses the origins of dipping bread into salt before eating it as part of the HaMotzi ritual. Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin, a writer for the websites ‘Ask the Rabbi’ column,
Why We ‘Scratch’ the Challah before Bircat HaMotzi
This article from Chabad.org discusses the halachic (legal) and Kabbalistic (mystical) explanations for ‘scratching’ the Challah before the blessing over the bread on Shabbat. Scratching, or placing a small cut in the top