{"id":12164,"date":"2026-07-11T00:05:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=12164"},"modified":"2026-08-05T12:45:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:45:55","slug":"17-11-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/17-11-05\/","title":{"rendered":"05. The Practical Procedure for Separating \u1e24alla"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mitzva of \u1e25alla<\/em> applies to dough intended for baking when its flour comes from the five species of grain, as explained below, and when it contains a significant amount of flour \u2013 enough flour to provide food for at least a full day. This means that the flour must have a volume of at least 43.2 eggs, approximately 2.160 liters, as explained in the next section.<\/p>\n

The mitzva applies to men and women alike. When husband and wife knead the dough together, however, the wife is given the first opportunity to perform the mitzva, because she generally carries greater responsibility for the inner life and needs of the home (see Or Zaru\u2019a<\/em>, end of \u00a7225; Rashi, Shabbat<\/em> 32a).<\/p>\n

The obligation of \u1e25alla<\/em> begins only once flour and water have come together to form dough. Therefore, one who separated \u1e25alla<\/em> from dry flour has not fulfilled the mitzva. Though \u1e25alla<\/em> may be separated once dough has begun to form, the preferred time is after the kneading is complete (SA YD 327:3).<\/p>\n

Before separating \u1e25alla<\/em>, one recites the berakha: \u201cBlessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us le-hafrish \u1e25alla<\/em>.\u201d Some communities use a slightly different concluding formula: Sephardic communities generally say le-hafrish \u1e25alla teruma<\/em>, while many Ashkenazic and North African communities say le-hafrish \u1e25alla min ha-issa<\/em>.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

After reciting the berakha, one separates a small piece of dough as \u1e25alla<\/em>. Many have the practice of declaring at the time of separation, \u201cThis is \u1e25alla<\/em>.\u201d Since the \u1e25alla<\/em> may not be eaten, it should be burned so that no one mistakenly eats it. Alternatively, it may be wrapped respectfully and placed in the garbage, which is the practice of many (above, 9:5, note 8).[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

If one forgot to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> before baking, one separates it afterward, thereby permitting the baked goods. If one is unsure whether \u1e25alla<\/em> was separated from baked goods served to him, one should separate a small crumb as \u1e25alla<\/em> and place it somewhere it will not be eaten.<\/p>\n

Girls and boys may perform the mitzva once they reach the age of mitzvot.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

One may also appoint another Jew to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> on one\u2019s behalf, in which case the appointed person separates it with a berakha. A cook may likewise be appointed as a standing representative to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from all dough prepared during the course of employment. However, \u1e25alla<\/em> separated without the owner\u2019s consent is ineffective (SA YD 328:3).<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>. There are various customs regarding the nusach<\/em> of the berakha, all of which are valid: le-hafrish \u1e25alla<\/em> (MT, Laws of Bikkurim 5:11; KSA 35:1; AHS 328:2; Olat Re\u2019iya<\/em>, p. 353; SSK 42:12; Derekh Emuna<\/em> 5:100); le-hafrish \u1e25alla teruma<\/em> (Ben Ish \u1e24ai<\/em>; Kaf ha-\u1e24ayim<\/em> 457:9); le-hafrish \u1e25alla min ha-issa<\/em> (Rashba; Siddur Beit Yaakov<\/em>); le-hafrish teruma<\/em> (SA YD 328:1; Vilna Gaon, Bi\u2019ur ha-Gra<\/em> 2); and le-hafrish teruma \u1e25alla<\/em> (Maharshal; \u1e24atam Sofer<\/em>). These variations reflect the dual meaning of the word \u1e25alla<\/em>. In biblical usage, \u1e25alla<\/em> refers to the dough, while the portion separated from it is called teruma<\/em>, as the verse states: \u201cThe first of your doughs \u2013 \u1e25alla<\/em> \u2013 you shall set aside as teruma<\/em>\u201d (Bamidbar 15:20). In rabbinic usage, however, both the mitzva and the portion given to the kohen are called \u1e25alla<\/em>; even the tractate devoted to this mitzva is called \u1e24alla<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>. Rambam and SA do not require one to declare, \u201cThis is \u1e25alla<\/em>.\u201d Based on Raavad, however, there is a view that one should make such a declaration. Many women follow this practice, though it is not obligatory.<\/p>\n

As explained above, 9, note 8, many Rishonim maintain that there is a mitzva to burn teruma<\/em> and \u1e25alla<\/em> that have become tamei<\/em>, and several authorities rule this way in practice (Sha\u2019arei Tzedek<\/em> 14:34; Ha-Ma\u2019aser Ve-ha-Teruma<\/em> 10, note 30; Tevu\u2019at ha-Sadeh<\/em> 9:10). Since \u1e25alla<\/em> is prohibited for consumption, one must dispose of it in a way that prevents anyone from eating it and also avoids having its taste absorbed into utensils. Therefore, when burning the \u1e25alla<\/em>, one should not place it on a baking tray; instead, it should be placed on the bottom of the oven. This may be done even while other food is baking there, because the taste of the \u1e25alla<\/em> will not enter the food. Some are stringent and wrap the \u1e25alla<\/em> in aluminum foil before burning it (see Tevu\u2019at ha-Sadeh<\/em> 8:6).<\/p>\n

In practice, many people do not burn the \u1e25alla<\/em>. Since burning can be difficult, and waiting to burn it may lead to mistakes, the accepted lenient practice is to wrap it respectfully and place it in the garbage. There is also a view that when less than a kezayit<\/em> is separated as \u1e25alla<\/em>, all agree that it need not be burned (Yehuda Ya\u2019aleh<\/em> YD 352). On the other hand, Rema YD 322:5 writes that the custom is to enhance the mitzva by separating a kezayit<\/em>. One may choose which enhancement to follow.<\/p>\n

When kohanim would eat \u1e25alla<\/em>, people were careful to keep it from becoming tamei<\/em>. They therefore separated it at the earliest possible time, once most of the flour had mixed with the water. In the present era, since we are all in a state of tum\u2019a<\/em> and the \u1e25alla<\/em> will not be eaten, we wait until the preferred time: when the mixture has become a cohesive dough (SA YD 327:2\u20133).<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a>. If a boy or girl separated \u1e25alla<\/em> during the year immediately before reaching the age of mitzvot, Rambam maintains that the separation is valid after the fact, provided the child understood what he or she was doing. This follows the law of a mufla ha-samukh le-ish<\/em> \u2013 a child close to adulthood whose halakhic declarations can take effect when made with understanding (MT, Laws of Terumot 4:5; SA YD 331:33). According to another view, children do not have the halakhic capacity to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> until they actually reach the age of mitzvot (Vilna Gaon, Bi\u2019ur ha-Gra<\/em> 331:78, following the straightforward reading of Mishna<\/em>, Terumot<\/em> 1:1).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mitzva of \u1e25alla applies to dough intended for baking when its flour comes from the five species of grain, as explained below, and when it contains a significant amount of flour \u2013 enough flour to provide food for at least a full day. This means that the flour must have a volume of at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[232],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-17-11"],"yoast_head":"\n05. 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