By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

“What Water Challah? And no dips? I can’t have my dips?”

Yes, the ideas presented herein are not so well-known, and the casual reader may be in for a bit of a shock. There may be halachic recommendations for both how we may eat Challah and also the specific recipe of the Challos that we bake for Sukkos.

It is not just that we are obligated in eating a Kezayis of Challah in the Sukkah on Sukkos- some even say that for the first K’zayis – we may also have to change our Challah recipe and change how we may consume it as well. It could be that it might just be a chumrah, but let us examine it nonetheless.

THE YERUSHALMI

But let’s start at the beginning. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Sukkah 2:7) states in the name of Rabbi Zeira: “Just like later (regarding Matzah on Pesach) the requirement is that we consume a kzayis of cereal grain of Matzah, so too here there is a requirement of a Kzayis of cereal grain (to be eaten in the Sukkah).”
This idea is based upon the well-known Gzairas Shaveh between Sukkos and Pesach. A Gzairas Shaveh can perhaps best be described (l’havdil) as a halachic-hyperlink that connects the laws of Sukkos to the laws of Pesach. The specific term that acts as that halachic-hyperlink is “on the 15th of the month” – a term stated regarding both Sukkos and Pesach.

JUST THE FIVE GRAINS

On account of this Yerushalmi and the Gzairas Shaveh, many Acharonim have ruled that the bread consumed in the Sukkah on Sukkos should be specifically from the five grains. Many have further written that the dough not be a rich dough made with fruit juice and the like. The Pri Magadim writes this in two different places (Mishbetzes HaZahav on the Turei Zahav 643 and the Aishel Avrohom on the Mogain Avrohom 639:15). The Mateh Ephraim writes this as well, (but he holds post facto one does fulfill the Mitzvah.)

DEBATE

The Minhag of Klal Yisroel, of course, is to serve the same Challos on Sukkos that we serve for Yom Tov all year round. Indeed, the Mishna Brurah makes no mention of the Pri Madagim’s view. We must also keep in mind, however, that during the Mishna Brurah’s time, the general Challah recipe was one without eggs and oil. Other items were not generally added, so the Mishna Brurah would have had no real need to mention it.

Rav Moshe Shternbuch (Moadim uZmanim (Vol. I 386 footnote 1) writes that it is worthwhile to be stringent, however, since the Rambam’s view is that if oil is mixed into the Challah it becomes a mezonos and one does not fulfill the required Mitzvah of eating a kezayis of the Challah on Sukkos.

There is also the idea that if one did bake a Challah with both cereal grain and another type, then as long as one eats the amount of a kezayis of the cereal grain within the allotted time of achilas pras then one has also fulfilled the Mitzvah.

Thus, it could be that it is just a chumrah – a stringency.

DIPPING CHALLAH

One of the most popular food developments in the past few years are dips. Many use Hummus, some use Jalapeno dip. There is even a Shwarma dip available at Gourmet Glatt. Can we use these on Sukkos for the Mitzvah?
The Tzitz Eliezer (Vol. XV 32:13) rules that ideally one should eat the Challah without any mixture. Rav Ovadiah Yoseph (Yechaveh Daas IV #37) and Rav Shternbuch all rule in the same manner.

Of course, if we enjoy them, we could and should have these dips later on in the meal after we have consumed that first kzayis. Indeed, most authorities, in fact, hold that the Mitzvah of Oneg Shabbos and Yom Tov is a Biblical Mitzvah (See Rashi and Rashba on Yevamos 93a and Rivash, responsa #513). A gut Yom Tov and happy dipping!

The author can be reached at [email protected]