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TU BISHVAT READING
Rabbi Michael Hattin
MITZVOT HATLUYOT BAARETZ CHALLAH
Ch la and Ho
-d spoke to Moshe saying: (ואבת יכ) of your dwellings that I am the Land’s produce, even though their
Speak to the people of giving to you.” As the Midrash Sifre secure settlement of its soil may have
“GIsrael and say to them: ‘At explains: “Rabbi Yishmael expounded: been many years off.
once upon entering the Land to which ‘The text indicates a different form of Although the mitzvah of challah is a
I am bringing you when you eat from entry concerning the mitzvah of chal- function of geography because it is
its produce, then you shall offer up a lah than any other entry-related mitz- contingent upon Am Yisrael entering
portion to G-d. The first part of your vah in the Torah. Concerning all the Canaan, it is not Land-dependent in the
dough, the challah, you shall raise up, other commandments contingent upon narrow halachic sense. Challah stands
just as you raise up a portion from the entering the Land, the text says ‘When in contrast to most other agricultural
grain of the threshing floor. The first you enter the Land…’ or ‘It shall come mitzvot, for only produce grown in the
portion of your kneading you shall raise to pass when G-d brings you into the Land of Israel must be tithed and only
up to G-d, for all generations’” (Bamid- Land…’ Here, however, the text says: the farmer in Israel must abstain from
bar 15:17–21). ‘At once upon entering the Land.’ This the planting of diverse seeds, etc. But
This section introduces the mitzvah indicates that as soon as the people after we enter the Land, anyone who
of challah, or “taking the dough.” The of Israel entered the Land, they were kneads dough, whether they live in
Torah presents this mitzvah in the immediately obligated in the mitzvah of Israel or not, must fulfill the mitzvah
aftermath of the sin of the spies, after challah’” (Sifre Bamidbar Chapter 110). of challah. In other words, challah
Am Yisrael had been condemned to connects us to the Land of Israel even
perish in the wilderness and not enter though we are not yet there.
the Promised Land.
Thus, the mitzvah of challah provided
The root of the word is probably profound solace to Jews throughout
derived from a stem meaning “first,” history who were separated from their
for the challah is the first portion of Land. To the generation of the wilder-
the dough separated before it is baked, ness, the Land may have seemed far
and presented to the kohen as a gift. off, but challah suggested the Land was
Today, in the absence of a Temple and relevant even prior to its formal settle-
laws of tahara, the challah is symbol- ment. And for the many generations
ically separated and then disposed of forced to live exiled from the Land,
respectfully, to preserve the memory of challah reminded us that one could still
the original rite. Like the meal offerings be symbolically connected to its holy
and libations the Torah speaks of at the soil even in the absence of possessing
beginning of the chapter (15:1-16), the formal deed. In both situations, the
mitzvah of challah is also contingent point was the same: to gently remind
upon entering the Land of Israel, indi- In other words, Am Yisrael were not us that living in the Land of Israel was,
cating that the judgment meted out to obligated to fulfill all the other Land- and remains, the goal.
the generation of the wilderness would based agricultural commandments –
one day be rescinded.
such as the separation of tithes from
But in contrast to the meal offerings their produce or the designation of the
and libations, the mitzvah of challah first fruits – immediately upon cross-
speaks of an unusual immediacy: “At ing the Jordan and entering Canaan.
once upon entering (םכאובב) the Land First, they would have to conquer the
to which I am bringing you when you Land and settle it, a process that took Rabbi Michael Hattin teaches at the Pardes
eat from its produce, then you shall a number of years. However, they Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and
offer up a portion to G-d,” is more were obligated to fulfill the mitzvah serves as the Director of the Beit Midrash
direct than “When you enter the land of challah as soon as they partook of for the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators.
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