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Hafrashat Challah
In 2010 my neighbor fell ill with breast cancer. She was only 37 at the time. When I received the news, I felt as if a knife cut me in the stomach. I felt I had to do something.
But What?
I decided to gather our local women and bake Challah and make hafrashat Challah in her zechus (merit)
Today baruch Hashem Esther Bas Sarah is doing well and raising her 3 adorable children.
Monday after we baked for her, I received a call from our Rabbi who forwarded me a request from a woman who lived in my town but is not a member of my shul. The letter said that although she doesn't belong to our community, she heard that gathering women to bake and make hafrashat challah was a big zechus and her sister was barren for years and they really wanted a baby. Could the rabbi help to get a group together? The timing of this letter was a bit freaky. I felt that this was a message. There are a lot of people needed Yeshuot and it was my job to continue providing the hope, the unit and the tefilot in their merit.
That lady got pregnant the next cycle. Today she has an adorable baby girl (my challah baby) whom i feel a strong connection, though I have never met her as she does not live in my state.
We continued and so we heard many good news. We have 2 more babies on the way. We have men and women who were in their death beds miraculously recover.
We do not believe that we do the miracles. Chas Veshalom!!!! Also, this is not, in my humble opinion, a segulah. What this is, is unity. Is Hashem seeing his daughters getting together and asking for another. Even if they don't know them. Women who never baked or thought to bake before, are now making hafrashat challah on a regular basis. Women who do not keep shabbat or kashrut but heard about this project and today they bake regularly.
I like to tell the story of when my daughters wanted a dog and I really didn't want one. Each one asked for a dog individually and I said no. Until they outsmarted me. They called me for a family meeting. All of them together sat me down and begged together. Next thing I knew we were the proud owners of a Rhodesian Ridgeback (they are tiny when little but very soon she was 95 pounds of muscle). Its hard for parents to say no to kids when they ask for something with a united front. That is what we are doing.
I encourage you to participate in our group (or another group - there is no competition!). I promise you that you will feel empowered that you are doing something for someone else. You will feel good to give the family hope and you will be inspiring your kids, friends and neighbors.
Please spread the word. Encourage your friends to visit our site and sign up. This is a chesed you can do at the comfort of your home, its free, and you and your family will enjoy your challahs. It doesn't get much better than that.
Timing - In order for us to be a real group and do this in unity, we must do this process within the same 24 hour period. The time is from sundown on thursday thru Friday (until Lechtzen of course).
You may prepare your dough earlier on Thursday but the time of Hafrashat challah must be after sundown. If you want to check what time sundown is at your location, I recommend myzmanim.com.
To sign up for our group, please email me: mg@ghdweb.com
For information on Challah4Gilad please click here
Thanks
Miri Grunhaus
Challah Recipe
Ladies, there are tons of challah recipes out there. Please use the one you like.
I am providing you my recipe, which my family and friends like very much and is quick and easy.
I use the Bosch Mixer because it has the capacity to mix 5 Lbs., but you do not need a machine to make Challah.
Ingredients
5 Lbs. of flour (I use King Arthur's Unbleached Bread Flour)
Yeast (I use Fleischmann's Instant Yeast. It does not need to rise and saves time.)
1 cup of oil
5 eggs
2.5 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
4 cups of water (filtered water is better)
How to make
Put approx. 1/3 of the flour in the bowl
Add 2 tablespoons of yeast and mix
Add approx. another 1/3 of the flour to the bowl and 2 tablespoons of yeast and mix
Put the rest of the flour in and add the last 2 tablespoons of yeast
Mix a bit more
The yeast I use doesn't require fermenting or proofing.
Add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl (oil, eggs, sugar, salt & water)
If you use a mixer (or bread machine) mix for 12 minutes. If you are kneading by hand you should knead the dough for at least 25- 30 mins.
When you knead the dough (by hand or by machine) it is a great time to say tehillim and request yeshuot for people on your list.
once the dough is ready:
If you have a bread proofing mode on your oven, use it. If not, just put it somewhere warm, (like under a light or close to the oven).
My good friend Mimi taught me to put the dough in a clean garbage bag and let it rise in there. You can recycle the bag for your trash later. This way you can immediately clean your bowl. If you let it rise in the bowl, you will need to divide the dough into 2 bowls as it grows a lot. If you use bowls to rise, spray the top of the dough with pam so it doesn't dry up and crack and cover with a towel. Also, if you use two bowls you MUST remember to put all the dough back together before you do the Hafrasha.
After 1 hour of rising punch a hole in the dough and let it rise for another hour.
After 2 hours of rising, the dough is ready to make Hafrasha and braid it.
I smear eggs over the challah and put poppy seeds and sesame seeds or nothing depending on my mood...
I bake the challahs on 350F, or 325F convection, for 45 minutes. If you make big challah, let it bake for another 5 or 10 minutes.
Let it cool on a rack out of the pan.
You can freeze extra Challas if you wish. I wrap mine in aluminum foil and then in plastic wrap. When I take them out of the freezer, I remove the plastic wrap and put the Challah still wrapped in aluminum foil, on the blech to defrost and warm up.
Enjoy!
About Hafrashat Challah
Different people have different customs. I am not a rebbetzein and therefore I am telling you what I do and encourage you to confirm with your mothers as far as your family's minhag or with your Rav. I was told that in order to make a Beracha without questions, you should use 5 pounds of flour.
Please confirm all halacha details with your Rav!
1. Prepare your dough and let it rise. If you need to make mix the dough in 2 batches (or more), put it all together before hafrashah. You need to have all the dough (5 Lbs. of flour worth) together.
2. Once ready, make the statement that you are making hafrashat challah in the zechus (merit) of [Mention the name and the reason].
3. Say the Yehi Ratzon appropriate for the name of the week. For July 15th, Make misheberach for Gilad Shalit!
4. Make the bracha of hafrashat Challah and then separate the challah
5. Make Yehi Ratzon for after hafrashat challah
6. Say tehillim for the people on your tehillim list. If you knead your dough by hand that is the best time to do so.
7. You can also say tehillim once you place your challah in the oven
8. The challah that you separated must be burned separate from your challah. Do not put the hafrashat challah in the oven with your challah
9. Feel free to put a few pennies in your pushka in the merit of the person you are davening for
10. It is great if you can daven for that person when you light shabbos candles as well
May the zechus of your chesed and the mitzvah of hafrashat challah you should be blessed with only goodness, health, wonderful kids, financial stability and much happiness.
Challah4Gilad
Welcome to the Challah4Gilad Campaign
One of my challah group members asked me to do one week for Gilad. I thought that it was a great idea but we need to include other groups and women worldwide.
On July 15 we hope to have hundreds or more women bake for Gilad Shalit. Please spread the word!
After your dough has risen and you are ready to make Hafrashat Challah.
State that you are making this hafrashat Challah in Gilad ben Aviva's merit. May he be freed soon!
"This hafrashat Challah is Lezchut Gilad Ben Aviva freedom from the cruel incarceration"
Then I say the Misheberach:
Mi Sheberach
May HaShem, Who has blessed our Ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov; Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, May He bless, protect and guard the soldier, a member of the Israeli Defense Forces,
Gilad ben Aviva and Noam Shalit
May He redeem him from his captivity, and quickly return him to his home, healthy and whole.
May the prayers of the multitudes of B'nei Israel stand in his merit, so that he may be returned to his family and to his country speedily and in our days, AmEn.
May HaShem, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Bless the leaders of the State of Israel as they search their hearts and minds and souls for the means to bring Gilad home safe, AmEn.
I then say the following bracha:
Baruch Ata Ad-nai Asher Kidishanu Bemitzvotaiv Vetzivanu Lehafrish Challah min Hayissa.
Then, separate a part of the dough the size of a large egg and put it aside.
This dough needs to be burned in the oven but not at the same time as the challah as it is not considered Kosher. It will NOT treif your oven, it's just not supposed to be in the oven with the challah.
(I put on the grill outside so the house doesn't smell burned)
After that I say the Yehi Ratzon after Hafrashat Challah (I keep this tfila glued to the interior door next to my oven so its always handy)
Once I put my challah in the oven I say tehillim and mention the names on my list of others who need refuah, children and shidduchim.
Timing - In order for us to be a real group and do this in unity, we must do this process within the same 24 hour period. The time is from sundown on thursday thru Friday (until Lechtzen of course).
You may prepare your dough earlier on Thursday but the time of Hafrashat challah must be after sundown. If you want to check what time sundown is at your location, I recommend myzmanim.com.
Yehi Ratzon
1. Yehi Ratzon to say after hafrasha
2. For Refuah
3. For Kids
4. For Shidduch
Share your Challah Story - coming soon...
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