#124: Reciting Hamotzi and Distributing the Challah on Shabbat (Part 6)

Rabbi Eli Ozarowski
  1. The participants at the Shabbat meal may not eat from the challah before the one who recites Hamotzi has eaten a bite (Shulchan Aruch 274:3). For this reason, the Acharonim recommend that the one reciting Hamotzi eat a piece of challah first before distributing the rest to the others at the table, as distributing the challah first is otherwise considered an unnecessary hefsek (interruption) for the one reciting Hamotzi (Mishnah Berurah; though the Rema disagrees).
  2. Some poskim also recommend that the one who recites Hamotzi eat a bite of challah first before cutting the rest of the challah for others around the table (Yalkut Yosef, O.C. 167:4). Others maintain that this is unnecessary, and allow one to cut the challah first, before taking a bite, provided that the distribution of the challah takes place after one eats a bite (as in #1) (Taz; Mishnah Berurah 167:79).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.