“Question: The ladies in my building joined together for a big “challah-bake” where the organiser made a large dough (which contained the shiur of challah) and gave out smaller pieces of dough to all participants to bake their own challah. When I returned home I made another dough and combined the dough from the “challah-bake” to the dough that I made at home. Both doughs independently do not contain the shiur of challah but when combined they do. Am I supposed to take challah from this combined dough?
Discussion: We first need to discuss the din of a dough that is divided among several people:
The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah Siman 326 se’if 2) rules that an layman (as opposed to a baker) who makes a dough intending to divide it while it is still dough (i.e. before baking) is exempt from being mafrish challah. The Taz (s.k. 2) and Shach (s.k. 5) both explain that each divided portion of dough contains less than the shiur challah. Additionally, they say, the above only applies if one intends to divide the dough before baking; if he intends to divide it after baking then it is obligated in challah.
Most Poskim (Bach, Levush, Drisha, Vilna Gaon) learn that the exemption of “intending to divide it” pertains specifically to dividing the dough among several people. However, when one individual divides a dough intending to use it all himself, it is obligated in challah.
[It should be mentioned that according to some Poskim (namely, the Beis Ephrayim and Chazon Ish) the exemption of “intending to divide it” depends only on if one is particular whether or not the divided portions of dough touch each other, and whether or not one divides the dough intending to distribute it among various people is of no consequence. In a situation where one divides the dough among several people but one is not particular that the divided portions of dough should not touch each other it would be prudent to take challah (to be choshesh for this opinion) without a brocho.]
One who makes a dough intending to divide it (in the dough stage) among several people is exempt from challah, and certainly may not take challah with a brocho.
If a large dough was made with intention to divide it (and each divided portion of dough will contain less than shiur challah), and after it was divided among several people one of the recipients combined this with other dough, and both doughs independently do not contain the shiur of challah but when combined they do, the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah Siman 326 se’if 4) clearly rules that the combined dough is also exempt from hafroshas challah. The Shulchan Aruch (ibid) explains that this is because the first dough underwent a potential obligatory stage of hafroshas challah and was exempted at that stage [because it was intended to be divided]. The Shach (s.k. 8) adds that the exemption is [not just a temporary exemption but] considered as if challah was separated from the dough, and consequently it is not possible for the dough to combine with other dough and re-attain an obligation of hafroshas challah.
However, adds the Shach (ibid) if the new dough that is added contains itself a shiur challah then it is obligated in hafroshas challah and the combination to the other dough is inconsequential.
Conclusion: One who makes a dough intending to divide it among several people is exempt from challah. Not only is a dough that is made with intention to divide it among several people (where each divided portion of dough will contain less than shiur challah) exempt from hafroshas challah, but even if one of the recipients added other dough to their piece (and both doughs independently do not contain the shiur of challah but when combined they do), it also does not require hafroshas challah.
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