Weekly Torah Portion

One of the most powerful videos I have seen circulated after October 7th was of  a woman named Margalit Megidish. Her daughter Ori was taken captive in Gaza. Margalit was doing the mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah (separating a piece of the dough before shaping it), and as she said the blessing she tearfully added her own heartfelt prayer for Ori’s release:

“Borei Olam (Master of the World), please, please, Borei Olam. I love you, I’m crazy over you, Borei Olam. Don’t let me down, please. B’meheirah b’meheirah b’meheirah (quickly, quickly, quickly)…”

I was stunned by this mother’s ability to love and appreciate G-d while in the most excruciating pain of her life. And this video stuck with me even more when a few days later her daughter did indeed come home.

This week’s Torah portion describes the mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah. This commandment calls upon every person making bread to separate a small portion of the dough and give it to the Kohen who worked in the Temple.

Though nowadays we do not have Kohanim working in the Temple we still continue this practice. We take a small piece of dough and burn it instead. It is a special mitzvah for women and brings blessings, and sometimes miracles, into the home.

The verse states that the “first (reishis) of your kneading you shall set aside.” The Midrash expounds on the word choice, noting echoes of the very first words of the Torah: B’reishis bara Elokim: At first – or in the beginning – G-d created the world.”

It is in the merit of the first dough that G-d created the world. What is so significant about this mitzvah that the Midrash says it is for this reason the world was created?

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig has a beautiful approach to answer this question. He says that there are several commandments in the Torah to give our first fruit or first animal to the Temple. Many of these commandments can make sense to us because the reason the ground produced or your animal gave birth is clearly in G-d’s hands.

When we make bread, however, we work hard kneading the dough and through our own efforts creat it. In this very moment, when we feel like it is all our doing, we need to take pause and recognize G-d’s involvement.

G-d gave me the strength and the tools to make this bread, even though it looks like I did it all on my own. This is, after all, what so much of life is about: Recognizing Hashem in all places.

Even when it is hard, even when we feel like we are totally in control, we should take a moment to recognize Hashem’s involvement in our lives.

Today I sit thinking about my family in Israel. This week’s barrage of missiles directed toward many of our loved ones has shocked us all.

We can feel like the many successes this week in eliminating terror is due to the highly trained and skilled members of the IDF.

While this is true, and we need to thank the brave soldiers that sacrifice themselves to protect our beloved country, we also have to remember where the strength to fight comes from. It comes from Hashem.

When we recognize this duality, when we make space for Hashem even in a situation that doesn’t seem like He is involved, that makes it worth the whole world being created.

Hashem, please, please quickly end this war and protect our one and only homeland Israel.