Challah Bikurim Basket

Hi boys and girls! Parshas Mishpatim contains many Mitzvos, 53 to be exact. One of them is the Mitzvah of Bikurim. This is the Mitzvah to bring the first fruits to the Beis Hamikdash, but it is a Mitzvah that is able to be done only in Eretz Yisroel and at the time when the Beis Hamikdash stood.

Did you know?

The Mitzvah of Bikkurim is our reminder to thank Hashem for everything we have, even things we did ourselves!

Ingredients:

  1. 2 Cups Water
  2. 2 Packets Yeast
  3. ½ Cup Sugar
  4. ½ Cup Oil
  5. 2 Teaspoons Salt
  6. 2 Eggs
  7. 6 ½- 8 ½ Cups Flour
  8. Sesame Seeds

 

Supplies

  1. Medium Metal Bowl
  2. Mixing Bowl
  3. Measuring Spoons and Cups
  4. Mixing Spoon
  5. Foil
  6. Parchment Paper

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
  3. Add sugar, mix and let stand for 2 minutes, until it starts foaming.
  4. Add oil, egg, salt and mix well.
  5. Gradually add flour, 1-2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition.
  6. Flour your hands and begin kneading, turning over often, until dough is smooth, elastic and a bit tacky.
  7. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, around one hour.
  8. Make around 12 golf size balls. Roll them into strings
  9. Place 6 strings vertically. Now start braiding one string at a time. Start in the middle. Go over, under, over, under. Do that with all the strings that are left. Make more if needed.
  10. Now place your metal bowl in the middle of the braided dough and flip.
  11. Make sure the braided dough spreads evenly, pull it to the sides of the bowl if needed. Twist the strings so they don’t pull apart
  12. From the rest of the dough make small buns. You can make them in whatever way you want. They can be just round, knotted or twisted.
  13. Place everything on the baking sheet
  14. Gently brush the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with desired topping.
  15. Bake for 15 min, then lower temp to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 min until golden
  16. When ready let it cool out. Take the bowl off the basket. Place the buns in the basket
  17. All done! Your bikkurim basket is ready!

 

Imagine…

You bought a small pomegranate shrub, because you really want to grow a big, beautiful tree that will produce pomegranates, one of the seven special fruits of Eretz Yisrael. So you get to work! You choose a sunny spot, dig a large hole in the ground, plant the shrub in the ground and fill the hole with soil. You water the baby tree each day and sometimes give it special plant food called fertilizer. As it begins to grow bigger, you prune off the dead leaves and branches. Finally, after a long, long time, you notice the very first small pomegranate fruit begin to develop. You are so excited! You quickly tie a red string around the fruit, so that you will be sure to know which fruit is for Bikkurim – the first fruit given to Hashem from the produce that you worked so hard to grow.

Delving Deeper

Why do we give the first fruits to Hashem? When we grow fruit and vegetables for ourselves sometimes we can forget Who is behind it all – Who really grows our seeds, and Who makes the rain fall. Although we certainly have to put in effort and hard work, it is Hashem Who has provided us all the raw materials – from the seeds to the soil, as well as the sunlight and the rainfall. In fact, Hashem created everything! This is why we have the Mitzvah of Bikkurim. This Mitzvah reminds us that the food we grow, the houses we build, the people we help, or anything we do is only possible because of what Hashem gives us. Nothing is purely from ourselves. We always have to remember to thank Hashem for everything we have and for all we have been able to accomplish.

Point to ponder

What is something you did that you can thank Hashem for?

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