Why Is Challah Braided?

[Chabad.org]( [View Online]( ב"ה [Chabad.org Magazine]( --------------------------------------------------------------- On the Calendar [Tuesday Is Asarah B'Tevet Fast]( [Tuesday Is Asarah B'Tevet Fast]( On Asarah B'Tevet, the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet, in the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Asarah B'Tevet (this year, January 3, 2023) is observed as a day of fasting, mourning and repentance. [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- By the Numbers [14 Reuben Facts You Should Know]( [14 Reuben Facts You Should Know]( The High Priest wore a breastplate with 12 precious stones, one for each of the tribes. The first stone, etched with Reuben’s name, was the red ruby. By Menachem Posner [Read]( [10 Questions: Take the Jewish Warriors Quiz]( [10 Questions: Take the Jewish Warriors Quiz]( Do you know who led the battle against Amalek? How about the war against Ammon? By Menachem Posner [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Your Questions [What Does Israel Mean?]( [What Does Israel Mean?]( The homeland of the Jews (also called Israelites) is Israel, which means literally, “One who struggles with G‑d.” By Aron Moss [Read]( [Why Is Challah Braided?]( [Why Is Challah Braided?]( The long-standing Jewish custom is for Shabbat breads to be braided. Here's why. By Yehuda Shurpin [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Story [Tied to Tradition]( [Tied to Tradition]( Years passed, and one day a well-heeled gentleman knocked on the door of the Avtzon home. Taking a wad of cash out of his pocket, he offered it to the rabbi, “This is for you, and I want to beg your forgiveness.” By Aharon Loschak [Read]( [The Drunk and the Driver]( [The Drunk and the Driver]( A tale of two reckless (and helpless) fathers By Yossi Ives [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Parshah [Close Your Eyes: Things Aren’t as They Seem]( [Close Your Eyes: Things Aren’t as They Seem]( It is natural to become enveloped by the minutiae of our challenges. Awareness of the greater picture of which we are all a part, however, is essential. By Katia Bolotin [Read]( [What Does It Mean to Be a True Leader?]( [What Does It Mean to Be a True Leader?]( A virtuous person thinks in terms of duties and responsibilities. What is my role? What is my obligation? But a leader thinks in terms of needs. What are the needs of this person? This organization? This population? [Read]( [Don’t Write the Obituary Just Yet!]( [Don’t Write the Obituary Just Yet!]( The Jewish People never die. We almost die on a regular basis. But do we die? Will we? Can we? Never! By Yossy Goldman [Read]( [For Your Vayechi Study Group (PDF)]( [For Your Vayechi Study Group (PDF)]( This weekly study packet is part of theJewishwoman.org “Be a Leader” initiative. Print it out and learn it with your study group. [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Voices [To My Baby Sister in Heaven]( [To My Baby Sister in Heaven]( A Virgin Islands emissary finds light in a dark, cold world. By Moussia Federman [Read]( [In a Nepal Monastery, a Menorah’s Glow Brings a Jew Home]( [In a Nepal Monastery, a Menorah’s Glow Brings a Jew Home]( Three Jews lost in a Buddhist monastery find their way back to Judaism By Chani Lifshitz [Read]( [Why I Changed My Name from Rosenberg to Kohn]( [Why I Changed My Name from Rosenberg to Kohn]( A family’s journey to reclaim their lost last name By Moshe Kohn (Rosenberg) [Read]( [Life Lessons From Three Broken Blue Bowls ]( [Life Lessons From Three Broken Blue Bowls]( Each of the shattered bowls reminds me that G‑d is the only constant in our lives, there when we need His loving care to remake us in a new and better way. By Rachel Leah Fry [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Video [A Mother's Greatest Loss and Her Way Forward]( [A Mother's Greatest Loss and Her Way Forward]( After she buried four of her eight children from a rare genetic disorder, Devorie Kreiman's son drowned, six weeks before his wedding day. This is her story of healing and faith. Devorie Kreiman in conversation with Chana Weisberg [Watch (51:43)]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Jewish News [50 Years On, Learning and Leisure at Jewish Libraries]( [50 Years On, Learning and Leisure at Jewish Libraries]( A 1972 call by the Rebbe spurred creation of international network By Menachem Posner [Read]( [Masha Vogel, 64, Mother to Countless Students in Rochester]( [Masha Vogel, 64, Mother to Countless Students in Rochester]( Long-serving Rochester campus emissary is mourned by her many students and community members By Mendel Super [Read]( [Rabbi Moshe Miller, 67, Translator and Teacher of Chassidism and Kabbalah]( [Rabbi Moshe Miller, 67, Translator and Teacher of Chassidism and Kabbalah]( Prolific author of more than 20 books on Jewish mysticism By Menachem Posner [Read]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Lifestyle [How to Make Halva at Home]( [How to Make Halva at Home]( By Miriam Szokovski [Read]( [Torah Ice Cream Dessert]( [Torah Ice Cream Dessert]( Mark the end of the book of Bereishit with delicious edible Torahs! By Aidela Rabiski [Read]( [Subscribe to The Scroll]( [People of the Word]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: {EMAIL} [Change email address]( · [Manage Subscriptions]( · [Unsubscribe]( [Contact Us]( · [Ask the Rabbi]( · [Privacy Policy]( · [Donate]( © Copyright [Chabad.org]( · 770 Eastern Parkway Suite 405 · Brooklyn, NY 11213