Jun 15, 2026 · 34 min · 8 segments
In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: **Challah knives** - Is there a preference to use a smooth knife over a serrated one for cutting challah on Shabbos? - Does a…
So a question I've been asked recently, there are some people that are particular, Lekavod Shabbos, they wanna make sure that the knives, particularly the challah knife, should be a non-serrated knife.
And some people are particular, they definitely want to get a flat, smooth knife.
Is there a source about for this? Do we need to be particular about this? So while some are particular, the answer is no, there's no Halachic requirement as such, and as we will explain why there's reason, no reason to be concerned about this.
The source seems to be the Pesik, it brought down Halacha in the Kolbo, in Beit Yosef, the Rama, the Alter Rebbe talk about the Halacha of sharpening knives for Shabbos.
Now, there are certain sources, the Karban Shabbos, the Chesed Le'Alafim, the Chesed Le'Avraham, Rav Chaim Palaggi in his Sefer Kaf HaChaim, which-- who we've quoted a lot recently.
They mention to make sure that when you sharpen the knife before Shabbos, there's absolutely no pergimus, there are no defects whatsoever.
Now, there are circles that are particular about that, but let's examine this.
Exactly when it became popular for the masses, it's hard to know, but there used to not be such a thing.
So in earlier generations, it's hard to say there was a minhag not to use serrated knives.
That's a more recent innovation, because before that, that-- it wasn't even an option.
So a question I've been asked recently, there are some people that are particular, Lekavod Shabbos, they wanna make sure that the knives, particularly the challah knife, should be a non-serrated knife.
And some people are particular, they definitely want to get a flat, smooth knife.
Is there a source about for this? Do we need to be particular about this? So while some are particular, the answer is no, there's no Halachic requirement as such, and as we will explain why there's reason, no reason to be concerned about this.
The source seems to be the Pesik, it brought down Halacha in the Kolbo, in Beit Yosef, the Rama, the Alter Rebbe talk about the Halacha of sharpening knives for Shabbos.
Now, there are certain sources, the Karban Shabbos, the Chesed Le'Alafim, the Chesed Le'Avraham, Rav Chaim Palaggi in his Sefer Kaf HaChaim, which-- who we've quoted a lot recently.
They mention to make sure that when you sharpen the knife before Shabbos, there's absolutely no pergimus, there are no defects whatsoever.
Now, there are circles that are particular about that, but let's examine this.
Exactly when it became popular for the masses, it's hard to know, but there used to not be such a thing.
So in earlier generations, it's hard to say there was a minhag not to use serrated knives.
That's a more recent innovation, because before that, that-- it wasn't even an option.
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