Eating regular bread on Shabbat
Question
Topic: Shabbat meals
Question: If there are no challot — is regular bread sufficient?
Answer
Shalom and blessings
There is no obligation to eat specifically challot on Shabbat.
There are many communities that are accustomed to eating various kinds of bread on Shabbat, and there is no problem whatsoever with this.
The custom to eat challot is in order to add pleasure and honor to Shabbat, with special and tasty bread.
It is important to note: there is a mitzvah to begin every meal on Shabbat with a blessing over two whole loaves of bread; this mitzvah is called “Lechem Mishneh”.
This mitzvah is more important than the custom of eating challot.
Therefore, someone who has sliced or incomplete challot, and in addition has regular whole loaves, should begin his meal with a blessing over the whole loaves, and after eating from that bread, he may continue the meal by eating the challot.
