{"id":12189,"date":"2026-07-11T00:09:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=12189"},"modified":"2026-09-02T13:26:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:26:05","slug":"17-11-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/17-11-09\/","title":{"rendered":"09. FLOUR AND LIQUIDS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mitzva of \u1e25alla<\/em> applies specifically to dough intended for baking bread, as the Torah states: \u201cWhen you eat of the bread of the land\u201d (Bamidbar 15:19). In this context, \u201cbread\u201d means dough made from one of the five species of grain: wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye. These grains are unique because their dough can ferment and become \u1e25ametz, which makes them suitable for bread and cakes; when one prevents the dough from fermenting, they can also be used to make matza for the mitzva on Pesa\u1e25. By contrast, one does not separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from baked goods made from corn flour or rice flour, because their dough cannot become \u1e25ametz and is not considered bread. For the same reason, they cannot be used to make matza for Pesa\u1e25 (see Peninei<\/em> Halakha:<\/em> Pesa\u1e25<\/em> 2:3). It should be noted that buckwheat \u2013 called kusemet<\/em> in modern Hebrew \u2013 is a legume; therefore, even when it is ground into flour, one does not separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from it, since it is not one of the grain species.<\/p>\n

Flours from the five species of grain combine with one another. Therefore, if together they reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em> (SA YD 324:2). When other ingredients are added, such as cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, or eggs, for \u1e25alla<\/em> to be relevant, the grain component must define the mixture. Three factors determine this: the finished baked good must taste of grain; the grain flour itself must reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold; and the grain flour must make up the majority of the mixture. If all three conditions are met, one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> with a berakha. If the first two conditions are met, but the grain flour is not the majority, one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> without a berakha. If the baked good does not taste of grain, or if the grain flour itself does not reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one does not separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from it.[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The liquid used to knead the flour also affects the obligation. When flour is kneaded with one of the seven liquids that halakha treats as significant, one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the dough. Six of these liquids are edible: water, dew, olive oil, wine, milk, and bee honey; the seventh, blood, is forbidden for consumption. If the flour is kneaded with other liquids, such as fruit juice or eggs, it is uncertain whether one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the dough, and therefore one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> without a berakha. If even a small amount of water is added to the fruit juice, however, one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> with a berakha.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

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[9]<\/a>. The Mishna states: \u201cOne who makes dough from wheat and rice: if it has the taste of grain, it is subject to \u1e25alla<\/em>, and a person may fulfill his obligation with it on Pesa\u1e25; if it does not have the taste of grain, it is not subject to \u1e25alla<\/em>, and a person may not fulfill his obligation with it on Pesa\u1e25\u201d (Mishna<\/em>, \u1e24alla<\/em> 3:7).<\/p>\n

According to Rambam and SA, wheat mixed with rice has a unique law. Since rice has a special property of being drawn along with wheat, one may have to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the mixture even when the wheat is only a minority. As long as the mixture has the taste of grain and the total mixture reaches the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em>, even if the wheat itself does not reach that threshold (MT, Laws of Bikurim 6:11; SA YD 324:9\u201310). According to Rambam, the wheat need not even constitute a kezayit<\/em> within akhilat<\/em> pras<\/em>; according to Raavad, it must.<\/p>\n

From this case, authorities derive principles for other mixtures of grain flour with non-grain ingredients. According to Rambam, if the grain flour itself reaches the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, then one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the mixture even when the grain is not the majority, provided the grain is present at the level of a kezayit<\/em> within akhilat<\/em> pras<\/em>. Raavad maintains that the grain must also be the majority (Tevu\u2019at<\/em> ha-Sadeh<\/em> 3, note 4; see MB 453:14). Rosh is understood by many A\u1e25aronim as going further: when the finished baked good tastes like grain and the full mixture reaches the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one may have to separate \u1e25alla<\/em> even if the grain flour itself does not reach the threshold. According to Magen Avraham, this requires a kezayit<\/em> of grain within akhilat<\/em> pras<\/em>; according to another view, even that is unnecessary. Others understand Rosh as agreeing with Rambam (Beit<\/em> Ephraim<\/em>; Avnei<\/em> Nezer<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Many Rishonim, however, including Ramban, Rashba, Or<\/em> Zaru\u2019a<\/em>, and others, rule in accordance with Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel as cited in the Yerushalmi: \u201cIt is never subject to \u1e25alla<\/em> unless it contains the measure of grain\u201d (Yerushalmi<\/em>, \u1e24alla<\/em> 3:5). According to this view, even the unique law of wheat and rice applies only when the wheat flour itself reaches the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold. When it does, one must separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the mixture even if the wheat is not the majority; when it does not, one does not separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the mixture. In mixtures of grain flour with other ingredients, the requirement is stricter: the grain flour must both reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold and make up the majority of the mixture.<\/p>\n

In practice, wheat and rice are treated as a special case. In all other mixtures of grain flour with non-grain ingredients, if the grain flour itself does not reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one does not separate \u1e25alla<\/em> from the mixture. Those who wish to enhance the mitzva may nevertheless separate without a berakha in deference to the view of Rosh (see Mishpetei<\/em> Eretz<\/em> 1:14\u201316). If the grain flour does reach the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold but is not the majority of the mixture, one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> without a berakha. In a wheat-and-rice mixture, however, the presence of grain taste is enough to require separation without a berakha; if the wheat itself reaches the \u1e25alla<\/em> threshold, one separates with a berakha.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a>. The Mishna states: \u201cDough kneaded with fruit juice is subject to \u1e25alla<\/em>\u201d (Mishna<\/em>, \u1e24alla<\/em> 2:2). Most Rishonim understand this broadly: the same law applies to dough kneaded with any liquid (Ramban, Rashba, Rashbatz, and many in their understanding of Rambam). Rosh, however, maintains that dough is subject to \u1e25alla<\/em> only if it was kneaded with one of the \u201cseven liquids\u201d that halakha treats as significant.<\/p>\n

At first glance, SA YD 329:9 seems to follow the majority view, implying that dough kneaded with any type of fruit juice is subject to \u1e25alla<\/em>. However, in SA O\u1e24 462:5, he writes that one should not knead a \u1e25alla<\/em>-sized amount of dough with fruit juice, and some explain that he was concerned for Rosh\u2019s view that such dough is exempt from \u1e25alla<\/em> (MB 462:20; SHT 462:27). In practice, we are concerned for Rosh\u2019s view, and whenever dough is kneaded with liquids that are not halakhically significant, one separates \u1e25alla<\/em> without a berakha (Ba\u1e25; Shakh; Panim<\/em> Me\u2019irot<\/em>; AHS; R. Ovadia Yosef; Or<\/em> Le-Tziyon<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Some explain Rosh even more narrowly, maintaining that in his view only dough kneaded with water is subject to \u1e25alla<\/em> (Beit<\/em> Hillel<\/em> YD 329:1). Some authorities were concerned for this view as well (Ben<\/em> Ish<\/em> \u1e24ai<\/em>). However, since this is a minority interpretation of a minority view, the custom is not to be concerned for it, and one separates with a berakha. Therefore, if even a small amount of water is added to fruit juice that is not one of the seven liquids, one separates with a berakha. If a small amount of one of the other six significant liquids was added, one separates without a berakha; if that liquid constitutes the majority, one separates with a berakha (Sha\u2019ar ha-Melekh<\/em>, Laws of Berakhot 6:1; R. Akiva Eger; and many others).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mitzva of \u1e25alla applies specifically to dough intended for baking bread, as the Torah states: \u201cWhen you eat of the bread of the land\u201d (Bamidbar 15:19). In this context, \u201cbread\u201d means dough made from one of the five species of grain: wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye. These grains are unique because their dough […]<\/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-12189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-17-11"],"yoast_head":"\n09. 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