In Jewish history, challah bread symbolizes manna, the special food that God provided for the Israelites during their years of wandering in the desert. It is traditional to have two loaves at the Shabbat table because God provided enough manna on the sixth day to last until the seventh.

Challah is an essential part of the meal. Some messianic communities fast on Fridays until the Sabbath meal, making the first bite of bread extra delicious and very meaningful, but in Jewish Shabbat thinking it is a day to eat, rest and rejoice, not a day of fast.