Halakhah for Challah 2:3

הָאִשָּׁה יוֹשֶׁבֶת וְקוֹצָה חַלָּתָהּ עֲרֻמָּה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא יְכוֹלָה לְכַסּוֹת עַצְמָהּ, אֲבָל לֹא הָאִישׁ. מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת עִסָּתוֹ בְטָהֳרָה, יַעֲשֶׂנָּה קַבִּין, וְאַל יַעֲשֶׂנָּה בְטֻמְאָה. וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, יַעֲשֶׂנָּה בְטֻמְאָה וְאַל יַעֲשֶׂנָּה קַבִּים, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא קוֹרֵא לַטְּהוֹרָה, כָּךְ הוּא קוֹרֵא לַטְּמֵאָה, לְזוֹ קוֹרֵא חַלָּה בַשֵּׁם וּלְזוֹ קוֹרֵא חַלָּה בַשֵּׁם, אֲבָל קַבַּיִם אֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק בַּשֵּׁם:

A woman may sit and separate her <i>Challah</i> [and make the blessing] while naked, since she has the ability to cover herself [by crossing her legs], but a man may not do so. One who cannot knead one's dough in purity should make it in smaller portions of separate <i>Kabim</i> [sing., <i>Kav</i> a specific unit of volume, each less than the minimum quantity obligated in <i>Challah</i>], rather than make the dough in a state of impurity. Rabbi Akiva says, let one defile it, and make it in a state of impurity rather than make it in separate <i>Kabim</i>, because just as one designates [<i>Challah</i>] as pure, so one designates that which is impure. S/he designates one [the impure] as <i>Challah</i>, and s/he designates one [the pure] as <i>Challah</i>, but separate <i>Kabim</i> quantities have no portion in the name [of <i>Challah</i>].

Explore halakhah for Challah 2:3. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.