Why are there 2 breads (challah) eaten on the Jewish Sabbath?
The tradition of having the two challah loaves of bread for Shabbat traces back to the double portion of manna that fell in the wilderness before the Sabbath. In Exodus 16:22–26, God provided a double portion of manna on the sixth day so Israel would not need to gather on Shabbat: “On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one… Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.” Israel would now be able to rest since God had supplied their needs in advance.
In the rabbinic development of this tradition, we read in the Talmud (Shabbat 117b) that this practice of placing two loaves on the Shabbat table is known as leḥem mishneh , meaning double bread. This symbolizes the “double measure” of manna Israel received every Friday in the wilderness.
We are therefore reminded of His daily provision in advance of our needs and the rest that brings us.
We also read something very interesting from the book of Numbers. Along with all the other elements, the Table of Showbread was covered with a blue cloth when they were moving from one place to another. This then became a Jewish tradition to cover the Shabbat loaves in blue, at least in some Sephardic traditions. This association was made by Isaac Abarbanel, a Portuguese Jewish commentator from the 1400’s. But for the believer today, the color blue also reminds us of Yeshua’s promise.
The prayer in Matthew 6 begins with the words, ‘Our Father who is in heaven’ The blue cover reminds us of paradise, of the sky. The prayer continues with, ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Through this prayer, we recognize God’s provision for us throughout our journey on earth.
