by Alyssa T. Wolk
Imagine the smell of yeasty dough rising in a warm oven and browning ever so slightly to a perfectly golden color. Now imagine having to wait until Shabbas to enjoy this beautiful loaf of bread and knowing that all that time and love you put into creating it will soon pay off, for the breaking of that challah will start off your wonderful Shabbas meal.
Because baking is one of my favorite activities to do (not only because of the wonderful final result, or the lovely smell of baked goods that fills a house, but because of the processes involved) I jumped at the chance to take part in an important mitzvah, making challah. At this event held on November 17, I not only learned about the significance of the word Challah and the tradition of taking a piece and burning it as an offering, but also the art of combining ingredients to create something wonderful for all to enjoy. Rebbetzin Miriam led those who participated in this lovely mitzvah in the combination of ingredients, kneading of the dough and letting it rise, and the braiding and baking of the challah.
For me, the process of making dough and braiding it is the most rewarding. This would sound odd to most people because you would think enjoying the result would be the best part. However, I find the process of baking the most rewarding because I know that the end result will have been made with love and care. Therefore, I put much love and dedication into my challot so that when it came time to eat a lovely golden loaf at a Shabbas meal, all would enjoy because of the wonderful mitzvot I took part in. And that is the most rewarding feeling.
So, next time there is a challah baking event, I would recommend attending not only to enjoy a lovely golden loaf of challah, but also to take part in a wonderful mitzvah that is most rewarding.
ב"ה