Blessing over the bread
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: How To Make Hamotzi
This short video from Former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks demonstrates how to perform the blessing over the bread on Shabbat according to Orthodox
Friday Night & Beyond: Insights on HaMotzi
This thorough excerpt from “Friday Night and Beyond” by Lori Palatnik includes spiritual explanations for many of the customs surrounding the HaMotzi ritual
Rav Kook on HaMotzi: For All Times
This excerpt from “Gold from the Land of Israel” by Rabbi Chanan Morrison is a textual analysis of the word “HaMotzi” as
Why We Cover the Bread During HaMotzi
This article from Chabad.org provides biblical, Talmudic and halachic reasons for the custom of covering the challah before and during the HaMotzi blessing. In
HaMotzi: The Primordial Past & The Messianic Future
This excerpt from “The Way Into Jewish Prayer (Jewish Lights)” by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman explores how the words of the blessing over
Chabad: Origins, Laws and Customs of the Two Loaves
This thorough article, written by Rabbi Aryeh Citron of Chabad.org, discusses both the meaning behind the two loaves used for the blessing
Reform: Explaining the HaMotzi Ritual
The following excerpt from “Shabbat Customs,” published by ReformJudaism.org, describes the various customs pertaining to the blessing over the bread on
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan: The Connection Between the Exodus and Challah
This excerpt from “Sabbath: Day of Eternity” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan describes the deep spiritual connection between the Exodus from Egypt
Friday Night & Beyond: Insights on HaMotzi
This thorough excerpt from “Friday Night and Beyond” by Lori Palatnik includes spiritual explanations for many of the customs surrounding the HaMotzi ritual
Why We ‘Scratch’ the Challah before Bircat HaMotzi
This article from Chabad.org discusses the halachic (legal) and Kabbalistic (mystical) explanations for ‘scratching’ the Challah before the blessing over the bread on