There is a custom in Jewish communities to bake a Shlissel Challah (Yiddish for key) for the Shabbos after Pesach. These Challos are best known as a segula for parnasa and livelihood, though there are other reasons for it.
There is a minhag to bake shlissel challah (shlissel means key in Yiddish) for the Shabbos after Pesach. Shlisel challos are best known as a segula for parnasa, though there are other reasons for it, as we will soon see. Some bake the challah with an actual key inside, some make the challah in the shape of a key and some put sesame seeds on top in the form of a key. There are those who make the challah flat to look like matzos. We will discuss this later on. The Ohev Yisroel says about shlisel challah that “the minhagim of our fathers are most definitely Torah”. There are many reasons given for this minhag of baking shlissel challah; we will go through some of them. (Some of the items written below can also be found in Taamei Minhagim, Nitei Gavriel, Sefer Hatoda’a and Minhag Yisroel Torah)
First of all, the second mishna in Rosh Hashanah says on Pesach we are judged on the grains, parnasa. Rabbeinu Nissim asks if we are judged on Rosh Hashana then how are we judged on Pesach? He answers that on Pesach it is determined how much grain there will be in the coming year for the world, but on Rosh Hashana it is decided how much of that grain each individual receives. The Meiri, however, says that on Rosh Hashana it is decided if one will live or die, suffer or not and other such things, but on Pesach is when we are judged on the grains. Based on this there are customs in Sephardic communities to do things Motzei Pesach as a sign that we want Hashem to give us livelihood. In Aram Soba (Syria) and Turkey they put wheat kernels in all four corners of the house on Motzei Pesach as a sign of prosperity for the coming year. (Moed L’kol Chai -R’ Chaim Palagi, Beis Habichira). From a mishna we already see that there is a connection between Pesach and parnasa.
Different ways of making Shlissel Challah
As mentioned above (reasons 8 and 9) there are those that make the challah round and flattish for this Shabbos, in the image of matza.
Some make the challah in the shape of a key.
Some attach a piece of dough in the shape of a key. Breslov Customs for Pesach (page 57) says this is the minhag of the family of Reb Elazar Kenig shlita and of Manistritch.
Sefer Hatoda’ah mentions making the image of a key with sesame seeds on top of the challah. These first three customs can, perhaps, be seen from the wording of the Ohev Yisroel in one place where he says we put the image of a key on the challah.
Some place an actual key in the challah. Perhaps this is done because of the wording in many places of indenting the challah with a key.
Either way it is done the key or image of the key is usually on top. An interesting observation about this. The Gemara quoted by the Yismach Yisroel (reason 6), about the key, is at the top of daf 31b. At the bottom of the daf is the mishna mentioning the women’s mitzvah of challah. Here too, the key is on top and the challah on the bottom.
More on this custom here.
#1 why do you want to know what the minhag is of old time lubavitcher families. You should know and follow the customs of your family. Did your bobba on your fathers side make shilshel challah?
The Rebbe did make fun of this person. On what basis do you deny it?
who cares? do it! even if its not a lubavitch minhag…
not JEWISH minhag !
Correction: you are making fun– not the Rebbe.
Think before you use your ego to speak in such a manner against nasi doreinu!
if you want money ,follow all the segulos ( and dont forget to get a job)
The author who claimed that it’s a Xian custom is a chutzpedikeh misnaged, who is kofer in the Zohar and in all kabboloh. His “research” is ludicrous. It’s a genuine chassidisher minhog, just not ours.
And yes, the Rebbe did make fun of this person who accumulated all kinds of strange minhogim together. Just because you think the Rebbe wouldn’t do something doesn’t change the fact that he did.
we always did the key challah till we heard from a reliable source that the source of the key challah is NOT JEWISH AND POSSIBLY CHRISTIAN. we stopped last year
You didn’t post the link by mistake
Where in reshimos just wondering
Btw, in Reshimos the Rebbe clearly says it is not our minhag!
on a seperate note check out this link.
My family does it and I know other lubavitchers who also do. When out comes to a segula for parnassa we’ll try anything!
Each year an article about shlisel challah is published and every year there are those who question its validity as a Chabad custom.
the rebbe would never make fun of somebody! think before you speak- or type
he joked, not made fun
The Rebbe didn’t make fun of anyone
and our ancestors were Lubavitch too
Ain lonu elo divrray ben amrom! As Chassidim of our Rabbiem that’s what we follow. It doesn’t take away from other Chassidim. But we should stand proud of doing what our Rabbiem encouraged. I’m sure they knew what others do.
and it’s also not chabad to put a key into the chalah?
http://chabadlibrary.org/books/chasidim/otzar/9/1/2.htm
I’m not talking for myself, I’m stating a fact. This minhag was unknown in Lubavitch.
The Rebbe made fun of someone who accumulated all sorts of strange minhagim from here and there, saying “here comes the United Nations”.
Where in sefer haminhagim?
no offence but talk for yourself
It says in sefer haminhagim that this is not a chabad minhag!!
Following our own minhagim does not make us divisive or judgmental. No one can follow EVERY minhag, and it is certainly not a ‘mitzvah’ that is being neglected if I don’t do this. I simply wanted to know if it is ‘our’ minhag, or a nice one from somewhere else. Each person ultimately does as he chooses, but there is a generally accepted concept of adhering to the minhagim of ONE group. 🙂 no disrespect intended.
It’s a nice idea, but it was unknown in Lubavitch.
in sefer ohev yisrael from the apta rav pages 282-3 and 330-1
there he brings explanations of this minhag. its also quoted in taamei haminhagim
to #1
It is a nice thing to do. Stop wondering if it okay as a chabbadnik to do. What ever brings Bnei Yisroel together in a mitzvah is a good idea.
What went on in Beis Rabbanu with this minhag.
Is this an accepted Chabad minhag? Do we take on minhagim of other groups, and do we know if old time Chabad families ever did this?