40 challah bakers

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  • #600937

    I am looking for 40 women to make challah in the zechus of a refuah shelaimah for my uncle who is very very sick. Does anyone want to volunteer?

    Please keep him in your tefillos. His name is Pesach ben Sara Gittel. Hashem makes nissim every day, and you have no idea how powerful ONE tefila, even one word, makes in the world! We should hear only simchas throughout all of klal yisrael!

    #833487
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    So once my sister in law agreed to bake challas as part of 40 women.

    She comes home late thursday night exhausted, and then starts to take out the challa stuff.

    My brother says, “You go to sleep- I’m making challa.”

    Now that sounds like something Hashem wants.

    #833488
    smartcookie
    Member

    Popa- I’m assuming she comes home late from work?

    Because, yes, that’s what Hashem wants from us woman. We shouly not work, but stay home and bake Challos. Yup!

    #833489
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    You make bad assumptions. I could make you feel really dumb, but I won’t.

    #833490

    popa, I like that! That’s amazing. With Hashems help, ill have a husband like that :-).

    #833491

    popa,

    if I’m reading that right, I wish someone a refuah shleima b’karov.

    #833492
    YehudahTzvi
    Participant

    My wife will add him to the list tonight when she bakes, B”N.

    #833493

    Amen charlie brown.. from your mouth to Hashems ears. I am still looking for volunteers…. anyone?

    #833494
    TheGoq
    Participant

    I think its a very nice thought to do this for your uncle its not at all a half baked idea.

    #833495
    YehudahTzvi
    Participant

    He should have a complete Refuah Shelaima!

    #833496
    flowers
    Participant

    Making challah now. Will have your uncle in mind.

    #833497

    Popa, if you wanted, you have a zechus and could daven for pesach ben sara gittel as you did not make smartcookie look really dumb as you proposed you were able to.

    #833498
    YW Moderator-72
    Participant

    I thought the group was supposed to be 43 the gematria of Challah

    #833499
    a mamin
    Participant

    Count me in. Besiras Tovos!!

    #833500
    YehudahTzvi
    Participant

    My wife did it last night.

    #833501
    twisted
    Participant

    must the challah baker be a womnan?

    #833502
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    must the challah baker be a womnan?

    I was going to ask the same question. I think that in two weeks, I might be cooking for Shabbos, including baking challah. In such a case, I will be doing hafrashas challah as well.

    The Wolf

    #833503
    real-brisker
    Member

    Wolf – I remember you posting that you once baked challah before.

    #833504

    Baruch Dayan Haemes…. My Uncle returned His holy neshama to the Ribono Shel Olam this Shabbos. Thank you for all of your tefillos…we should all be zoche to dance to Yerushalyim, along with all of the family members we have lost to the Beis HaMikdash with Moshiach Tzadkeinu.

    #833505
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Wolf – I remember you posting that you once baked challah before.

    Yep. While I love to cook, that time Eees was taking a set of comprehensive exams for grad school on a Friday, so I took over the complete cooking, including the challah baking. Her next exams are in two weeks (or so… I’m not sure of the exact date) so I might be cooking and baking that week too.

    So, Emunas, it is only for women? Can men join? Or would it be a breach in tznius for men to join with women in this?

    The Wolf

    #833506
    WIY
    Member

    Does anyone have a source for this segulah?

    Emunas,

    I think what would be a lot more effective is if the family took upon themselves to be more strict about a certain mitzvah say Shmiras Shabbos…

    With all due respect Segulos don’t really work. They can work in rare occasions but only as a last resort. Its ridiculous to think that if 40 or 43 women baked Challah someone sick would magically get better. You realize that if such a thing worked then there would be no Cholim left?

    You want to do something big? Get people to do something permanent like learn an additional 30 minutes a day and have your uncle in mind. Or take on to learn the Halachos of a certain mitzvah and start doing it properly or get a few people to go cold turkey on movies, non Jewish music or certain other aveiros like talking during Chazaras Hashatz and Kaddish or other such things.

    You have to understand, and its not just you a lot of people don’t get this, if you want something big from Hashem, you need to do something big. Its a chuzpah that people think they will come with some silly segulah and poof they will get engaged, healthy….

    Another point is that your uncle, I don’t know who he is or how frum he is but usually if Hashem does something to someone it is to give them a wake up call. Maybe he needs to start Davening better or maybe there’s something he did to someone and he needs to get mechila. Many of the worst things happen to people due to aveiros bein Adam lchaveiro.

    #833507
    sem graduate
    Member

    I think that it’s not so much the segula, as the zechus of the mitzva. We dont know things like if the mitzva for shmiras shabbos is more important than the mitzva of hafrashas challa. While taking on extra kabbalos would work, I’m not sure they would heal a sick person any more than the zechus of a mitzva

    #833508

    WIY- I have to say something. Usually, I let things go very easily. But as I read your post after my uncles levayah today, it mamesh made me nauseous. I posted on the CR for the support, and for extra tefillos, because thats what I thought it was all about. To join together Klal Yisrael, to answer questions, to get advice, and to ask for help and tefillos when needed chas vshalom.

    I would go through everything you said and show you how you were so wrong in so many ways, but I dont have the emotinal energy for that, and I am going to be dan lkaf zechus and hope that you didnt realize what the situation was, and that you just needed to open your eyes a little bit.

    Every person in my family took something on in his zechus. Every person was doing something that would give Hashem nachas. It is not a matter of, “Do segulas work?”

    When you have a relative so so sick, you do ANYTHING you can, as a mere creation of the Ribono Shel Olam, to try to make some kind of different. Do you know the beauty of the mitzvah of hafrashas challah? Do you know that when you make a hafrashas challah, it is a time of eis ratzon for bakashos? I dont know where 40 comes from, I didn’t look into it, but I do know that Hashem gets so much nachas from women making hafrashas challah- one of the 3 mitzvos given to just women. And I do know that 40 women davening and doing the mitzvah in the zechus of a refuah for someone is huge. A person can only do so much, and Hashem takes care of the rest. But I was going to do everything and anything I could do make sure I did my hishtadlus.

    As for the last point you made. My uncle, was mamesh a Tzadik. Like the Rav said at the hesped.. He has suffering at the end of his life to cleanse his neshama. He davened with tremendous kavannah, his whole being was chesed and put every ounce of koach into his mitzvos. He was the kindest, gentlest person, so that suffering he went through was what he needed to go through in order to get to Olam Haba quickly. He accepted his suffering with love. He had no anger. His trust was completely and totally in Hashem Yisbarech.

    YehudaTzvi, a mamin, and flowers- thank you so much for your tefillos. No tefilla goes unanswered and we have no idea what impact it made, either for his neshama or Klal Yisrael. We should only hear of simchas throughout Klal Yisrael.

    #833509

    This is something I wrote yesterday after his Levaya. I hope other people can gain from it, and have it be an aliyah for his neshama..

    My Uncle, Pesach ben Leibig Zalman, (may his neshama have an aliyah) was a Tzadik. I want to share one thing that he taught his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He taught that a family is a chain, connecting one link to another- a strong chain. But sometimes, one link is broken or weak and it needs the other links to give it strength. Sometimes one person in a family, a sister, brother, mother- is broken and needs the other links, their family, to help them get their strength again. This is what he taught, and this is what he lived every single day of his life. My mother added something to this today. When you walk into a shiva home, (Hashem should have rachmanus on us and bring the geula soon so that we never have to again) who do you see on the floor? The chain… the individual links of the family holding on to one another, forming that strong chain. When one person breaks, the other link gives him strength and comfort.

    This is how it is for all of Klal Yisrael. We are all links making up one strong unbreakable chain. Why is that chain unbreakable? Because if one chain weakens, another will help build it up again. The chain can never be destroyed, because we work together giving strength in times of need. We share a little piece of ourselves, we give a little piece of our strength to another yid, that yid passes the new acquired strength to another, and it goes on and on. I relate this idea to a havdalah candle. A havdala candle has many wicks, that form into one. You can never loose that flame because if one wick goes out, it can be lit by another. A flame is like a neshama. A neshama can never die out. A neshama is always burning. When a neshama is weak, another will re ignite the flame, to help it burn bright and strong. That flame ignites another and another, and the “chain” goes on and on. Even when that flame, that neshama, is no longer clothed in a guf, a body, it is still burning, still giving strength, and will never die out. Take advantage of being a part of Klal Yisrael, and be that piece of wick, that one link, that will keep us strong and burning together. *This lesson is in the zechus of my Uncle, Pesach ben Leibig Zalman, may his neshama should rise straight to the kisei hakavod, and all of us should be reunited with our loved ones who returned their neshamos to the Ribono Shel Olam, dancing our way to the Beis Hamikdash, together, united with the greatest simcha, b’mehaira b’yameinu amen.

    #833510
    Sam2
    Participant

    Emunas: I don’t think WIY meant any offense. I think he was giving some honest advice as to what he thought would be most beneficial to your uncle. I don’t think he meant to imply C”V that you weren’t doing anything else. I think he was saying that (in his opinion) there were things that you could do for your uncle that would have more of an effect in Shamayim than a Segula about taking Challah.

    #833511
    twisted
    Participant

    To WIY and downward. Segula/Sigula: treasure, rare object, in Talmudic sometimes a large investment. It is the investment sense that we use segulah today, a spiritual investment. Many times this concept is corrupted, but the challah baking is one of the purest. Consider the doing of a mitzva in concert, and the targeting the zchus to elsewhere, a form of tzedakah. Challah taking is most often accompanied by heartfelt tefilos, as in candle lighting. Do not dismiss the efficacy of tefilah, certainly the tefilos of a group, and most certainly the tefilos of women whilst engaged in the mitzva delegated to them. And do not make the mistake of thinking we know what is weighed and how in the chesbonos of the Dayan Emes. The neshoma should have many aliyos, and efforts of the challa bakers should be mostze chen. We do hold that a sincere tefillah is never ‘wasted’.

    #833512

    Twisted- Amen!!!!! From your mouth to HAshems ears!

    #833513
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Emunas,

    I never received an answer to my question. Please answer.

    Thanks,

    The Wolf

    #833514

    Wolf, Im sorry for not answering. I am not sure if men are included in it. I know the mitzvah of challah is for women, but a mitzvah is a mitzvah. I dont think that men davka cant do it. Ill ask my Rav and find out.

    #833515
    Sam2
    Participant

    Just curious Emunas, do you live in Eretz Yisrael? Because Hafrashas Challah in America isn’t a Mitzvah.

    #833516

    #833517
    Sam2
    Participant

    EI: That’s just not true. It’s a Minhag in CHU”L, and a perplexing Minhag at that. Not even a Chiyuv Mid’rabannan. Baking break for Shabbos is definitely Kavod Shabbos, but being Mafrish Challah in CHU”L is not.

    #833518
    sem graduate
    Member

    baking shabbos in chu”l IS a mitzva d’rabanan….

    #833519
    a mamin
    Participant

    Emunas Itecha: I am very sorry for the loss of your uncle.May you and the family only know of simchas.

    Thank you for your beautiful divrei torah! Truly an inspiration!

    Don’t let the posts bother you from Sam 2 and the like. They have absolutely no idea where you’re coming from….. Don’t even try to explain it to them… it’s a waste of energy.

    #833520
    Sam2
    Participant

    A mamin: What does that mean? I was just curious about the basis for this Segula and think that there is probably a big difference in it between America and Israel, so I was curious where she lived. I meant no harm or offense.

    #833521
    a mamin
    Participant

    Sam2 I think that the purpose of this thread was to help a choleh, who unfortunately passed away. I think you took the thread off on a tangent without sensitivity to the family loss IMHO.

    #833522
    Sam2
    Participant

    A mamin: You may be right about that. I apologize.

    #833523
    smartcookie
    Member

    Popa- I just realized your comment to me. I have no problem with any poster here making me feel dumb, and you have a lot of Chutzpah.

    #833524
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Popa- I just realized your comment to me. I have no problem with any poster here making me feel dumb, and you have a lot of Chutzpah.

    I do have a lot of chutzpah.

    I don’t understand the rest of your post. And you may believe that I’m not refraining from posting what happened to protect your feelings- it is because it is a sensitive topic.

    #833525
    oomis
    Participant

    Emunas, I am so sorry for your uncle’s petirah. May he be a meilitz yosher for you and all of klal Yisroel. The reason for this type of segula seems to be very fundamental. 40 women do the mitzvas nashim of hafrashas challah, with the thought in mind that the s’char mitzvah should accrue to the choleh,in the zechus of a refuah for him. It’s not a difficult concept. The number 40 has mystical overtones in Judaism – the Flood rained for 40 days and nights, B”Y wandered for 40 years in the Midbar, it was 40 days that Moshe R’ was on Har Sinai getting the Torah, 40 days before a baby is born (or is it after conception?) his/her zivug is called out by a Heavenly Voice, 40 days after conception a baby’s gender is determined and it is no longer considered as “mayim,” but as a fetus. So I guess that is why the number 40 has such a status in this case.

    #833526
    dash™
    Participant

    But why use a magic number in the first place, sure 40 is better than 39 but is the difference between 39 and 40 any different than the difference between 38 and 39? (After all 39 is a signifigant number for Shabbos.)

    #833527
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I know the mitzvah of challah is for women, but a mitzvah is a mitzvah. I dont think that men davka cant do it.

    You don’t have to ask your Rav if I can be mafrish challah. I have *exactly* the same requirement to do so that a woman does. I’ll continue to do so regardless of what your Rav says on the matter.

    I wasn’t asking if I can be mafrish challah. What I was asking was, should I end up baking, do you want me in your group?

    The Wolf

    #833528

    Wolf, yes I would have wanted you in the group. I would have asked if you could be included in the group of 40 women. In the end, I didnt get 40 because it was all very last minute, but thank you for the offer.

    #833529

    Twisted, a mamin, and oomis- thank you so much!

    #833530
    Sam2
    Participant

    Emunas: Now that you are here, I apologize if I was being insensitive. I wanted to understand and give my thoughts on the Segula, but it was probably an inappropriate time to do so.

    #833531

    Emunas Itecha, you wrote: In the end, I didnt get 40 because it was all very last minute, but thank you for the offer.

    I usually lurk, lost my log in/password info, so I sent an e-mail to Yeshiva World to pass on to you. My sister and I both took challah as a zechus for a refuah shlaymah for your uncle, Z”L. It is entirely possible that you did in fact have 40 for your group, as there may have been more that baked challah, but were not able to notify you of that fact.

    FYI, there are many gemachs and e-mail lists that organize groups of challah bakers on a regular basis. Feel free to email me off list for more info. We should be zoche to hear about simchas, refuos and yeshuos!

    #833532

    Sam2- Thank you very much for the apology. I would be more than happy to discuss it at another time when my thoughts are clear. Bracha V’Hatzlacha.

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