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This sprawling halacha, based on Likutay Moharan II, 7, develops a vast conceptual architecture linking the sanctity of Shabbos, the 39 melachos, the Mishkan, tzedakah, Shekalim, and Purim into one organic whole. 56

Chalah (חַלָּה) is the dough-offering commanded in the Torah (Bamidbar 15:17–21): when kneading dough from one of the five grain species (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, rye) in a quantity of at least one omer, one must separate a portion — the reishis arissosechem, the first of your dough — and give it to the Kohen (Priest). In Temple times it was eaten by the Kohen in a state of ritual purity. Today, since we are all in a state of ritual impurity, the separated piece is burned. Outside the Land of Israel the obligation is Rabbinic rather than Biblical, and the Chalah is burned rather than given to a Kohen. The blessing recited is: "Blessed are You… who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate Chalah."

It is customary — particularly among women, for reasons explained in this halacha — to pray for one's household at the moment of separation.

According to the Torah "Tefilah l'Chavakuk" in Section 19: Five species are obligated in Chalah. For the essential obligation of Chalah begins from when one places water into the flour — for then the completion of the rectification of the grain begins through the placing of the water, through which grain becomes bread from the grain, which is the essential food, which is the aspect of da'as — as is stated in the words of our master, may his light shine (Rabbeinu nero ya'ir): that bread is the aspect of da'as, and the essential da'as comes through the chasadim, as is stated there. And therefore from the moment of the placing of the water — which is the aspect of the waters of chasadim — it then becomes the aspect of da'as, which is the aspect of bread. And therefore it requires rectification — namely, to separate Chalah, which is the reishis [first portion] from the dough. For all things fell into the klippos [husks of impurity] through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge (cheit Etz HaDa'as), as is known. And therefore all things require clarification (beirur) and rectification (tikkun). And in particular bread and food — for bread is in the aspect of da'as, and the essential grip (achizah) of the klippos is there, in the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which clings after (karuch achar) the holy da'as. For they cling more intensely in a place where there is greater holiness, as is known. And the essential holiness is da'as. And therefore, even though the grain has already been rectified through terumos and ma'asros — which are themselves the aspect of reishis — with all that, afterward, when one places water into the dough — which is when the essential completion (gemar tikkuno) of its rectification takes place, as it becomes the aspect of da'as through the water — therefore then one must guard more carefully to expel the evil and to elevate the good. For then extra vigilance (shmirah yeseirah) is required against the leaven (se'or) in the dough that grips onto the dough specifically (davayka). And therefore one must separate Chalah — which is reishis — which is the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue (shleimus leshon hakodesh), which is also reishis as mentioned above [in Hilchos Bechor Beheimah Tehorah, Halacha 1]. For with the holy tongue the world was created, and through this the evil that grips there — from the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge — is subdued as mentioned. For the essential subduing of the aforementioned evil is through the wholeness of the holy tongue. And one must give the Chalah to the Kohen — for the essential wholeness of the holy tongue is when speech (dibur) is connected to (mekushar el) da'as and drawn from there (nimshach misham). And this is the aspect of the holy tongue (leshon kodesh) — for kodesh is chochmah, which is the mochin [intellect/mind]. And the tongue — the speech — when it is connected to the mind (mekushar el hamoyach), then it is the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue, which is the aspect of the rectification of the covenant (tikkun habris). As is brought there in the words of our master, may his light shine (Rabbeinu nero ya'ir): that the wholeness of the holy tongue and the rectification of the covenant are mutually dependent (taluy zeh bazeh) — for the essential rectification of the covenant depends on da'as. And it is the opposite (heifech) of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — for it is stated in the Tikkunim: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — this is the commingling of good and evil (da irbuvya d'tov v'ra) — and it is one thing in the mouth and another in the heart (echad bapeh v'echad baleiv) — meaning that speech is distant from (rachok min) the wisdom that is in the heart — which is the blemish and corruption (pegam v'kilkul) of the holy tongue as mentioned. And therefore one must give the Chalah and all the Priestly gifts (matanos kehunah) to the Kohen — for the Kohen is in the aspect of chochmah, the aspect of kodesh, as is brought. And through raising up and taking out (ma'alin u'motzi'in) the first of the dough and the like, and giving them to the Kohen — through this the speech is connected (mekashrin hadibur) — namely, the letters (osiyos) clothed therein are connected to the chochmah, which is the Kohen. And then it becomes the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue. And then the evil that grips there is subdued as mentioned. And then one can afterward eat the food, and clarify it (ulvareiru), and rectify it (ultaknoh) — for all of this is accomplished through the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue, which is the aspect of the reishis that is donated (tormin) and separated (umafrishin) from the grain and from the bread as mentioned. And therefore one who eats tevel [untithed produce] is liable to death — for it is the aspect of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge, concerning which it is said: "On the day that you eat from it..." etc. (Bereishis 2:17). And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: that Chalah was given to women (nittenah lanashim) — for she corrupted the Chalah of the world (kilkelah chalaso shel olam), etc. That is: through the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge (pegam Etz HaDa'as) she blemished (pagmah) the holy tongue. And therefore she must separate Chalah — which is in the aspect of the holy tongue — which is the aspect of Chavah, woman (Chavah ishah), as mentioned. And therefore it is called by the name Chalah — the language of prayer (leshon tefilah), the language of "Vayechal Moshe" [and Moshe entreated] (Shemos 32:11) — for prayer is the aspect of Malchus [kingship], which is the aspect of the holy tongue, and it is the vitality of all things (hachiyus shel kol hadvarim). For prayer is chayei sha'ah [the life of the hour] — that is, the vitality of all things in this world — as is brought in the words of our master, may his light shine (Rabbeinu nero ya'ir). And therefore the world lacked completion (chaseir tikkun) until Adam HaRishon came and prayed, and rains descended (yardu geshamim). It is found, therefore, that the essential rectification of the world was through prayer — through which he drew vitality (chiyus) and abundance (shefa) to the world. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said: "Adam HaRishon was the Chalah of the world" — that is, the aspect of Chalah reishis, the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue, the aspect of prayer — through which vitality and abundance were drawn as mentioned. For the essential vitality of all the world is through the aspect of the holy tongue, which is the aspect of prayer, through which the world was created as mentioned. And therefore it is customary (nohagim) to pray at the time of the separation of Chalah (bish'as hafrashас chalah) — for Chalah is in the aspect of prayer, the aspect of the holy tongue, as mentioned. And therefore the measure (shiur) of Chalah is an omer — in the aspect of: "and the omer is a tenth of the ephah" (Shemos 16:36). That is, the aspect of speech (dibur), which is the aspect of omer and measure (midah) — for speech is the measure and the boundary (hamidah v'hagvul) of all things. And it is drawn from chochmah through a chain of descending ten levels (bishtalshslus eser madreigos) until it becomes speech. And this is the aspect of "the omer is a tenth of the ephah" — [wherein] the aspect of the intellect (seichel) is the aspect of ephah, which is the beginning of thought (reishis hamachshavah), which is still above (adayin l'ma'alah) the spoken word of the mouth. And the omer — which is the measure, the aspect of speech as mentioned — is the tenth level (madreigah asiri) from chochmah, which is the aspect of ephah as mentioned. And this is the aspect of the holy tongue — namely, speech that is drawn from chochmah, which is kodesh as mentioned. And then one is obligated in Chalah, which is the aspect of the wholeness of the holy tongue as mentioned. And therefore the essential [obligation of] Chalah is in the Land of Israel — for the Land of Israel is the aspect of the holy tongue as mentioned. But outside the Land (chutz la'aretz), which is the land of the nations (eretz ha'amim), that is the aspect of the languages of the nations (leshonos ha'amim). And therefore the Chalah is fitting for the Kohen (ra'ui lakohen), but it becomes impure immediately (nitma miyad) in the air of the land of the nations (ba'avir eretz ha'amim) — for there is the aspect of the languages of the nations, which is the aspect of the blemish of speech (pegam hadibur) — namely, the aspect of speech without da'as as mentioned — drawn from the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge as mentioned. Therefore one does not give the Chalah to the Kohen [outside the Land] — for there it is impossible to connect the letters of speech (osiyos hadibur) to the chochmah, which is the aspect of the Kohen as mentioned. And therefore the Chalah of outside the Land is burned — in the aspect of: "From the fire they went forth and the fire shall consume them" (Yechezkel 15:7) — for the aspect of the languages of the nations must be subdued (lehachni'am) and burned in fire (ulisorfam ba'eish), in the aspect of: "Let coals fall upon them..." etc. (Tehillim 140:11) — as is brought in the words of our master, may his light shine (Rabbeinu nero ya'ir), there in the discourse "Tefilah l'Chavakuk." See there. And therefore five species are obligated in Chalah — corresponding to the heh [five] of da'as (bivchinas heh hada'as) — as is brought in the words of our master, may his light shine (Rabbeinu nero ya'ir). For the essential da'as comes through the aspect of chesed and gevurah. And this is the aspect of the dough that is kneaded (niloshes) from flour and water — for the flour, which is the essential food (ikar hamazon), is drawn from gevuros [severities] in the aspect of the table in the north (shulchan batzafon), the aspect of the gevuros of rains (gevuros geshamim). And the water is the aspect of the waters of chasadim. And when the water and the flour join together (kshenisvabbrim yachad) — then it becomes the aspect of da'as, which comes through the joining of chasadim and gevuros (chibur chasadim u'gevuros) as mentioned. And then one is obligated in Chalah — which is the aspect of the beginning of da'as (reishis da'as) — as mentioned above. Chochmah — The Kohen Kodesh · Root of holy speech (Dibur) Dibur connected to Mochin Chalah — Reishis Holy Tongue · Tefilah · Malchus · Adam HaRishon Water (Mayim) Meimei HaChasadim Flour (Kemach) Gevuros · Shulchan Batzafon Chibur Chasadim u'Gevuros = Da'as Dough (Isah) Obligation of Chalah arises · Se'or grips here Separate Reishis → give to Kohen Shiur: One Omer = 1⁄10 of an Ephah Ephah = Reishis HaMachshavah (above speech) Omer = 10th level from Chochmah Outside Eretz Yisrael Chalah defiled in air of nations Leshonos Ha'amim = Dibur b'lo Da'as → Burned, not given to Kohen Leshon HaKodesh Restored Klipa subdued · Food permitted to eat Five species = Heh of Da'as (Chesed + Gevurah) · as brought in the words of Rabbeinu nero ya'ir ✦ Translator's Summary This halacha (a single unbroken passage of seventeen clauses) reveals the inner dimension of the Chalah separation through the Torah "Tefilah l'Chavakuk" (Likutay I:19). The attribution "as is brought in the words of our master, may his light shine" (kamuvah b'divrei Rabbeinu nero ya'ir) appears five times, always pointing back to Rebbe Nachman's own teachings.