He Forgot to Separate Challah and Remembered Later

Someone prepared a cake or challah (a baked item) from dough in an amount that is obligated in the separation of challah, and he forgot to separate. After a few hours, before eating, he remembered. May he separate challah with a blessing?

The question arises because there are hidden righteous Torah scholars who separate challah on behalf of someone who forgot, [as the Rabbi already mentioned in the Azamrah Lishmecha bulletin, issue 138]. If so, perhaps they already separated on his behalf, and he should separate out of doubt without a blessing. On the other hand, can he say retroactively that he does not want their separation to take effect for him, because it is preferable for him to fulfill the mitzvah himself with a blessing? Conversely, at the time when he forgot, he certainly wanted them to separate on his behalf, since at that time it was not certain that he would remember afterward.

Another question: according to the opinion of the Chazon Ish, what is the amount of flour that obligates separating challah with a blessing, and what is the amount that obligates separation without a blessing, in dough made from white flour and from spelt flour?
And with flour that contains 80% spelt and the like, is the amount calculated according to the ratio between the types of flour, and likewise with other mixed flours?

Thank you very much.

Shalom u’vrachah 

A. 

Their separation applies only for someone who forgot and will not remember. 

For they do not have the halachic status of “zachin” in a way that would cause a loss to the separation of one who remembered. 

B. 

The amount of flour required for separation with a blessing according to the view of the Chazon Ish is 2.250 kg. 

Spelt flour and whole wheat flour have a volume that is larger by approximately 10%—that is, about 2 kg.

Separation without a blessing is from 1.200 kg of flour, and some have the practice to separate from 1.100 kg. With whole wheat flour and spelt flour, one should separate without a blessing from 1.100 kg. 

With mixed flours, the calculation is made according to the ratio between the flours. 

Azamrah Lishmecha 138

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