Kitchen Judaism: The history and halacha behind your favorite Jewish foods

(3) You shall kindle no fire throughout your settlements on the sabbath day.

MISHNA: In addition to the halakhot that deal with cooking on the fire on Shabbat, several related halakhot are discussed. The mishna says: One may not place a raw egg next to an urn full of hot water so that it will roast slightly. And one may not even wrap it in cloths, i.e., one may not heat the egg inside cloths that were heated in the sun. And Rabbi Yosei permits doing so in that case. And, similarly, one may not insulate it in sand or in road dust that was heated in the sun so that it will roast. Although there is no actual cooking with fire here, it is similar to cooking and the Sages issued a decree to prohibit doing so.

(3) A pot may be placed over a fire, or meat may be placed in an oven or over coals [on Friday], so that they continue to cook throughout the Sabbath [with the intent] that they be eaten on the Sabbath.8The Rambam is explaining that according to the Torah itself, leaving food over a fire to cook would resemble all the activities mentioned in the previous halachah. For although cooking is a forbidden labor, the cooking would continue without any further activity. Nevertheless, as is explained in the subsequent halachot, our Sages enacted certain restrictions because they were afraid that a person might stir the fire to cause the food to cook faster. With regard to this matter, however, there are certain restrictions that were enacted lest one stir the coals on the Sabbath.

(17) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:(18) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land to which I am taking you(19) and you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set some aside as a gift to יהוה:(20) as the first yield of your baking,*baking Meaning of Heb. ‘arisah uncertain. you shall set aside a loaf as a gift; you shall set it aside as a gift like the gift from the threshing floor.(21) You shall make a gift to יהוה from the first yield of your baking, throughout the ages.

(7) The [minimum] measure of hallah is one twenty-fourth [part of the dough]. If he makes dough for himself, or if he makes it for his son’s [wedding] banquet, it is one twenty-fourth. If a baker makes to sell in the market, and so [also] if a woman makes to sell in the market, it is one forty-eighth. If dough is made unclean either unwittingly or by an unforeseeable circumstance, it is one forty-eighth. If it was made unclean intentionally, it is one twenty-fourth, in order that a sinner should not profit.

(1) Even regarding someone who depends on others for his livelihood, if he has [even just] some [food] of his own, he must make an effort to honor the Shabbat. The halakhic decisors [poskim] who said, "make your Shabbat as a weekday so that you not rely on others," only said it regarding one in a time of dire need. Therefore [a person who has a bit of their own food, i.e., the initial situation discussed,] must practice restraint during the week so that he can honor the Shabbat. This is based on the decree of Ezra, that people should wash clothes on Thursday (i.e., prepare during the week) for the honor of Shabbat. RAMA: We customarily knead a quantity of dough that is sufficient to become obligated in the mitzvah of challah in the home. With these, we bake breads that we will then break on Shabbat and holidays. This is one of the [many ways] in which we honor Shabbat and holidays, and one must not deviate from this custom. Some write that in a few places they are accustomed to eat mulitha, also known as pashtida, on the night of Shabbat as a remembrance to the manna, which was covered above and below. [Source: Maharil; Rama comments: I don’t see that one should be concerned to follow this.

(5) You shall take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves, two-tenths of a measure for each loaf.(6) Place them on the pure*pure See note at Exod. 31.8. table before יהוה in two rows, six to a row.(7) With each row you shall place pure frankincense, which is to be a token offering*token offering See Lev. 2.2. for the bread, as an offering by fire to יהוה.(8) He shall arrange them before יהוה regularly every sabbath day—it is a commitment for all time on the part of the Israelites.