Opening the Gates
For generations, some Jewish communities have had the minhag of baking what is commonly referred to as shlissel challah for the Shabbos after Pesach.
In recent years this minhag has taken on a life of its own. Many families have rediscovered what was for them a long-forgotten custom; others chose to adopt this minhag even though their ancestors may not have heard of it. The fact that it is widely attributed to be a segulah for parnassah has added significantly to its popularity.
There are various ways to practice this custom. Some add to the top of the challah a piece of dough shaped like a shlissel, a key. Others make an indentation with a key in the challah prior to baking, and yet others bake the challah with a key inside. Some try a combination of the above.
The earliest written source for this minhag is believed to be the sefer Ohev Yisrael, which contains the divrei Torah of the Apta Rav, zy”a.
The Apta Rav refers to it as an ancient minhag, adding that minhag avoseinu vadai hu Torah, the custom of our forefathers is certainly Torah.
Some of the explanations he gives are according to Kabbalah, but he also gives the following reason:
Reaching Eretz Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael continued to rely on the mann as their source of sustenance until the offering of the korban omer on the second day of Pesach. From that day on they no longer ate mann, but food that grew in Eretz Yisrael. This was the time when they had to start worrying about their parnassah, which until then had literally fallen from heaven.
Thus, the Apta Rav says, the keys on the challos symbolize our plea to the Ribbono shel Olam that He open for us the gates of sustenance.
According to one view, the most potent segulah for parnassah is clearly stated in the Torah itself. The Torah (Devarim 14:22) bids us, “Aser t’aser, Tithe you shall tithe,” and Chazal explain the double lashon as “Asair bishvil shetisasher, Tithe so that you will become wealthy.”
There is no doubt that Klal Yisrael performed this segulah this year in an exemplary fashion. While too many families are still struggling to pay off debts and make ends meet, astronomical sums of tzedakah were distributed to the poor in the weeks preceding Pesach. In addition to the huge sums raised and distributed by various organizations and maos chittim campaigns, countless individuals acted on their own as well.
Sefarim tell us that the Geulah sheleimah will come in the merit of the chessed of Klal Yisrael; may it be speedily in our time.
Reprinted from a daily Hamodia
This article appeared in print on page D26 of edition of Hamodia.
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