Hallah

  • August 28, 2018

Hallah-making is the practice and transmission of family story and connection to Judaism.

Authors were asked to offer short teachings on a piece of text that inspires them. To submit a text resource, click here.

:וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ

May the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us; for us the work of our hands; establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17)

Hallah…it has become a central piece of my rabbinate…I bake it, I bless it…and I teach others about it.

It was one step on my road to realizing that I wanted my Jewish soul to light the pathway for my life and define the road ahead for me. At age forty I was a patient in a hospital in Baltimore recuperating after surgery and away from my family. On Friday morning, two women ( I now understand that they were Lubavitcher Hasidim) came into my room and brought me “Shabbat.” They left two small challot, a bottle of grape juice and the blessings needed to make Shabbat. It was not my regular practice at that time to “make Shabbat.” Their visit moved me to tears, and I quickly reached for the phone to report this visit to my father, back in Philadelphia…..to share with him that “ Shabbat “ had entered my hospital room.

Those two Lubavitch women transformed my life. I tucked it into the recesses of my mind and would revisit the scene occasionally when I felt that my life was not complete. That visit launched a process of serious consideration about how being Jewish could be incorporated into my professional life. I knew that whatever path I would choose going forward, hallah would be a part of it.

Thirty years later, it has become more central than I could have imagined. While still a rabbinical school student, I took that Baltimore hospital visit with me when I worked as a chaplain for the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis. I shared with my supervisor that I wanted to begin such an initiative in Philadelphia hospitals…sponsored by progressive Jews. This was my first step in spreading the importance of hallah to others in my orbit. I have delivered these hallot myself, or taught others to do so. I have watched others have the same response as I had as a patient. The small loaves awaken a Jewish memory….or a dormant Jewish soul. My husband and I provide hallot every Shabbat to the patients in the hospital where he is a physician.

I have taken to baking hallot every Friday morning. As I knead the dough and then braid it, I bring my thoughts to my loved ones. Perhaps they are in need of special blessing this Shabbat. As I braid, the special blessings are in my heart. The rationalist in me knows full well that there is no magic in this blessing, but I do it anyway! It is another conscious connection to the ones most precious in my life.

I have taught so many people to bake hallot, and I have shared my recipe with anyone who asks. I have taught the mitzvah of hallah in large classes at our synagogue. I have taught individual classes to interested bakers in my home or the homes of friends.  I receive photos of hallot from proud new bakers. I feel their excitement each time a new baker emerges.

As the rabbi who is officiating at a wedding, a baby naming or a bar or bat mitzvah service, I come with home-baked hallah to mark the life cycle event. It is my way of bringing life and sustenance to these moments. I braid my own blessings into the fresh hallot.

The work of my hands….

The almighty subtly invited me in to this venture. I did not really know all of the places that it would lead me. I was willing to try and find out.  I thank the almighty for establishing for me the work of my hands and fully awakening my Jewish soul.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the latest from Evolve delivered to your inbox.

Related Resources

November 11, 2024
Rabbi Levi’s Abraham passes the test because he remains sufficiently calm and clear-thinking to avert a misinterpretation that would have ended Isaac’s life.
November 11, 2024
Finding the strength to read Bilhah and Zilpah as possessing power and autonomy helps me do that for myself.
June 1, 2024
How far are we willing to go to prove that we are right?
June 1, 2024
By telling and re-telling difficult, even ethically repugnant, stories in the Torah, we may move from silence to healing and from narrowness to expanse.
November 30, 2023
What did it mean to wrestle with God so that the two brothers could kiss and live in peace?
November 11, 2023
When permission is given to the destructive force to wreak havoc, it does not distinguish between the innocent and guilty. (Mekhilta Bo 12:22)

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Close-up of olive branches with green olives, sunlight filtering through the leaves creating a warm, golden glow.

Get the latest from Evolve delivered to your inbox.

The Reconstructionist Network