Chalas Oni For Shabbos

Everybody heard of Schlissel Challa. Has anyone heard of Four Corner Challa or Challas Oni ?

The Mogen Avraham (O.Ch.430) writes," the Reshal used to darshen that everybody should bake a Challah (before Pesach) using the Pesachdike flour, so if there was any  Chometz in the flour,we will assume that the Chometz was baked in the Challah and eaten. It is also a good thing to give this Challah to an Oni (poor man)

The Noheg Katzon Yosef quotes the Rosh “The Minhag on Erev Shabbos Hagodol  is to bake

Challahs Oni from the whole Kehilla and distribute it to the Aniyim. From the time this

Minhag was  neglected, a curse was sent on the grain.”

The Kol Bo (52) writes,"there is a minhag for women to bake on Shavuos

a long bread with four corners (points) lezecher the Shtei Halechem

(looks like 2 breads) or because  Mazal Sivan is Teomim (twins)"

Dipping Challah In Salt Friday Night

I was once invited Friday night for a Shabbos meal. I noticed my host didn’t dip

the Challah in salt. I asked him why he doesn’t do what it says in Shulchan Aruch

to dip the bread in salt. His answer was, he conducts the way his father does.

His father’s Minhag is not to dip Challah in salt on Friday night.

I told him that he was wrong in this case to keep his father’s Minhag .



There are 3 main reasons for dipping bread in salt.

1) Kol korboncho takriv melach.
The table is like mizbeiach and the bread
is like a korbon that requires salt.

2) Bread has some harmful ingredients.
By adding salt to the bread the harmful
effects are removed.

3) While waiting for others to wash the soton
is mekatreg. The salt represents the Bris
Melach and protects from punishment.

On Friday night  the reasons are not applicable

1a) There was no burnimg of the chalovim
on the mizbeiach on Friday nights.

2a) The halacha says pas nekia doesn't require
salt. Only whole wheat needs salt to
counter the harmful effect.

3a) To get the  protection of the salt, it is enough

to place it on the table.There is no need to eat it.

The Chasam Sofer said, "On Friday night
we eat Challah which is Pas Nekia (clean bread) and being
there was no korban burnt, therefore there is no need

to dip the challah in salt.

This ruling won't apply on whole wheat bread. 

The hostess, where I ate, baked her own delicious

whole wheat Challahs.

The family minhag of not dipping in salt

is only on white flour, and not on whole wheat Challas .