Fresh Challa
Question: I like to bake fresh challa for Shabbos though it’s never enough to separate challa with a beracha . Should I rather bake a big batch for a few weeks so that I can take challa ? Answer: The Gemara (Bava Kama 82a) teaches that one of Ezra’s ten decrees was that women should get up early to bake bread . While the Gemara explains that the reason is so that the poor who go begging should have bread, the Gemara Yerushalmi (Megilla 4:1) teaches that this specifically applies to baking on Friday mornings lekavod Shabbos. Thus, the Rema (OC 242:1) stresses the importance of baking enough dough to separate challa before Shabbos and Yom Tov. The Mishna Berura (Biur Halacha 242:5) stresses the importance of baking fresh challa lekavod Shabbos . He notes that while this practice dates back to the time of the Gemara, unfortunately, many are lax about it, choosing to buy from bakeries instead, which diminishes kavod Shabbos . R’ Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler (Avnei Yashpei 5:45...