Shabbat & Women

They are mitzvot that, as a rule, pertain to women: Observing the halakhot of a menstruating woman, separating ḥalla from dough, and lighting Shabbat candles.

I have called you the first (Jer. 2:3 "Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruit of his harvest") therefore I have cautioned you concerning matters of the first (of the dough, i.e. Challah tithes). The soul that I have placed within you is called a candle thus I have cautioned you concerning matters of candles ( kindling the sabbath lights). If you fulfill these responsibilities all is well; but if you do not I will take back your souls.

(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.

(12) Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.

(1) The lighting of Sabbath lights is not of free choice, to light or not to light as one chooses, nor is it the kind of religious performance that an individual is not called upon to make a special effort to render, such as preparing an eruv in courtyards or washing the hands before eating. It is rather a duty, binding on men and women alike; they are obligated to have lamps burning in their homes on Sabbath eve. Even if one has nothing to eat, let him go begging at the doors, buy oil, and light a lamp, forming an integral part of Sabbath delight (oneg shabbath). Before lighting, one should recite a blessing: "Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with thy commandments, and commanded us to light the Sabbath lights."

Rava said: [...] When a person is poor and must choose between purchasing oil to light a Shabbat lamp for his home or purchasing oil to light a Hanukkah lamp, the Shabbat lamp for his home takes precedence. That is due to peace in his home; without the light of that lamp, his family would be sitting and eating their meal in the dark. Similarly, if there is a conflict between acquiring oil to light a lamp for his home and wine for the sanctification [kiddush] of Shabbat day, the lamp for his home takes precedence due to peace in his home.

Rava said to [Abaye]: Because I say that kindling Shabbat lights is an obligation, and one is required to eat specifically by that light in deference to Shabbat.

(27) The lifebreath of man is the lamp of the LORD Revealing all his inmost parts.

...Blessed are you, HaShem our God, Master of the Universe, who makes us holy through commandments, and commands us to separate Challah.

(4) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread for you from the sky, and the people shall go out and gather each day that day’s portion—that I may thus test them, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not. (5) But on the sixth day, when they apportion what they have brought in, it shall prove to be double the amount they gather each day.”

(18) Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land where I bring you, (19) then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set apart a portion for a gift to the LORD. (20) Of the first of your dough you shall set apart a cake (Challah) for a gift; like that which is set apart of the threshing-floor, so shall you set it apart. (21) Of the first of your dough you shall give unto the LORD a portion for a gift throughout your generations.

Adam was the "Challah" of the world as the verse says "God created Adam from the dust of the Earth". When a woman mixes the flour with water she must take Challah to atone for the transgression of Chavah who caused the fall of Adam.

(2) From the root of the commandment - since the life of a person is dependent on food, and most of the world subsists on bread, Hashem desired to give us merit with a constant commandment in our bread, so that blessing should be placed in it through the commandment, and through it, we will accept merit in our souls. It turns out that the dough is food for our body and food for our soul.