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Shlissel challa sparks important debate



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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:30 pm
I found this article to be spot on.

Why Jews must keep fighting over shlissel challah
April 8, 2021 By Rabbi Derek Gormin
Why Jews must keep fighting over shlissel challah by the Forward
For hundreds of years now, on the Shabbat following Passover, Jews have made shlissel challah. Shlissel in Yiddish means “key.” Some families will make gorgeous bread loafs that look like a key. Others will hide an actual key inside a braided loaf. Others will press a key shape into the top of a challah roll. However a family may observe this custom, the goal is to evoke God to “open” the locked gates of heaven and grant more blessing.

Like any minhag, or Jewish custom, there is much debate about its validity and acceptability. Shlissel challah is exciting for some and for others a violation of authentic Judaism. The week after Pesach social media is flooded with #challahpics and an equal number of posts evoking the more aggressive and negative term, minhag shtus –a baseless custom.

Particulars of the lively debate amongst senior rabbinic leaders, concerned citizens, and academics, while worthwhile, are not what excites me about the shlissel challah debate. What excites me is the debate itself.

As the regional director of West Coast NCSY, a high school youth movement involving 4000 students yearly, and a high school teacher of Jewish philosophy and Talmud, much to my chagrin, I am not met with swarms of passionate Jews pining to learn deeply. Questions of Jewish practice and belief are not flooding my inbox and WhatsApp.

To be clear, serious questions of personal identity, politics, gender, body image, sports, wealth and social status dominate the minds of our children, our students, our friends and colleagues. These items are meaningfully examined by our community because the world instigates them. Social media instigates them. Schools instigate them. Similarly, we, as a Jewish community, need to instigate passionate learning of our heritage.

While there is a significant minority of Jews involved meaningfully in religious life, how often do we ask, discuss, learn “Why do we do this?” We need to be reminded to explore our personal, authentic, Jewish identity. The same way that a miner of precious metals works hard, acquires the right tools, and endures the proper training to find gold in the rock, so too does a student of religion. As Jews, we must excavate our heritage.

Our heritage challenges us to know how to answer someone whose views are antithetical to ours. Shlissel Challah debaters on both sides of the aisle find themselves aggressively researching history and Jewish law. There will be an opposing social media post, op-ed or Shabbat guest, forcing the necessary preparation. Google searches for “Shlissel, Jewish Customs, and History of Key Challah” are no doubt trending this week. When a personal, external pressure is perceived, the learner responds with passion. This gusto for learning is what our community needs for a stronger future.

I believe part of the exciting power of shlissel challah is predicated on its calendar placement. Passover is the holiday of questions. Our tradition tells us that many of the customs of Passover are done, simply, “so the children will ask.” When our heritage states a value of questioning, it doesn’t simply stop at age 13. Passover reminds us to think deeply, to question and to learn. We cannot let our family customs, societal pressures, or even particular Jewish organizational affiliations dictate what questions we ask, or more bluntly, our personal demand for a better understanding of our own authentic self. A first step towards building passionate debate is simply asking, “Why?”


Whether you plan to make a delicious shlissel challah this year or to kvetch about those who do, don’t let the engagement and deep dive end there. A strong Jewish future depends on a thriving communal debate. The next time you find yourself involved (or not involved) in something spiritual, begin to excavate. Ask questions, don’t settle for subpar answers and enjoy your personal quest for truth.

Rabbi Derek Gormin is the Regional Director of West Coast NCSY, Dean of the JSU Leadership Institute, and teacher of Talmud and Jewish philosophy at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, CA. Derek and his wife Sarah Leah live in North Hollywood, CA with their 5 ridiculously cute children.
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amother
Jetblack


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:35 pm
https://shulchanaruchharav.com.....sach/
Quote:
The reason behind the custom:

On Pesach all the heavenly gates were open. After Pesach they are closed. The symbol of the key on the Challah is to show that we are opening the gates slightly through our honor of Shabbos, and Hashem will then open it fully for us. Alternatively, it represents the opening of the gates of Parnasa, as after Pesach the Mun stopped falling and we were required to fend for our own livelihood. [Oheiv Yisrael of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta]

Is the key Challah sourced in Christian doctrine and thereby its custom should be abolished?

Although some self-acclaimed historians argue that the custom of making key shaped, or key filled, Challah’s is also sourced in Christian or even pagan culture, and should hence be banished from amongst Jewish tradition, practically, the above custom is an authentic Jewish custom that may and should be honored by those who traditionally abide by it. The Halachic criteria of banning an activity due to idolatry or Darkei Emori is not satisfied by simply drawing historical sketches of a similar custom to that of other societies, as aside for the burden of proof to historically conclude that the innovation originated from those, and not Jewish, cultures, an action that contains a permitted logical symbol and representation which was never originated for the sake of idolatry is permitted to be adapted by Jews even if it originated from gentiles.[4] Certainly there is no issue of Darkei Emori for one to perform an action customarily done by Jews for righteous reasons, even if there are gentiles who do so for the wrong reasons, as he is doing it to mimic his Jewish tradition and not that of the gentiles. This is aside for the Talmudic and Halachic dictum of “Minhag Yisrael Torah Hi”[5] and thus certainly a custom which has been handed from generation to generation, and mentioned in Sefarim of Tzadikim, and is done for specially Kosher and Jewish oriented reasons, does not need any further defense or legitimization to legalize its continuity. We find many precedents of Jewish customs that can be argued to be considered Darkei Emori and are nonetheless traditionally done, and defended by the great Poskim, Rishonim and Achronim.[6] Accordingly, we humbly suggest that historians [especially those who are self-acclaimed] stick to their field and not try to spread Halachic conclusions based on their ignorance of the workings of Halacha, and the criteria’s needed to be met in order for a matter to be forbidden. Whatever the case, as in all matters of Jewish law, this is an issue that requires arbitration from a licensed and practicing Posek and not an amateur who claims to specialize in the field of history.
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amother
Wheat


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:36 pm
Loved the article!
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amother
Purple


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:37 pm
Idk about the history of it, but one year I remembered that it was schlissel challah week and made challah right before shabbos (like it came out of the oven at licht benching) I was looking for a job at that point and bh got an amazing job a few weeks later.

Good enough for me. Very Happy
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:44 pm
Lately we have seen many lively debates here on imamother on different customs and practices some of us do or believe in.
Some people feel attacked when questioned about why they do certain things. This article puts a positive spin on the debates. Its not only not negative, it is essential to our yiddishkeit.

For me these discussions lead to further learning. It spurs me on to research and learn new things, or clarify things that I thought I knew.

I think questioning why we do things is extremely healthy and a sign of having a dynamic relationship with one's yiddishkeit.
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amother
Burlywood


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:44 pm
I don't know that this segullah has ever done anything for us, but my kids get very excited about this and anything that gets my children excited and interested and engaged for Shabbos is a good thing in my book.
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b.chadash




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 12:47 pm
amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:
https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/shlissel-challah-key-in-challah-shabbos-after-pesach/
Quote:
The reason behind the custom:

On Pesach all the heavenly gates were open. After Pesach they are closed. The symbol of the key on the Challah is to show that we are opening the gates slightly through our honor of Shabbos, and Hashem will then open it fully for us. Alternatively, it represents the opening of the gates of Parnasa, as after Pesach the Mun stopped falling and we were required to fend for our own livelihood. [Oheiv Yisrael of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta]

Is the key Challah sourced in Christian doctrine and thereby its custom should be abolished?

Although some self-acclaimed historians argue that the custom of making key shaped, or key filled, Challah’s is also sourced in Christian or even pagan culture, and should hence be banished from amongst Jewish tradition, practically, the above custom is an authentic Jewish custom that may and should be honored by those who traditionally abide by it. The Halachic criteria of banning an activity due to idolatry or Darkei Emori is not satisfied by simply drawing historical sketches of a similar custom to that of other societies, as aside for the burden of proof to historically conclude that the innovation originated from those, and not Jewish, cultures, an action that contains a permitted logical symbol and representation which was never originated for the sake of idolatry is permitted to be adapted by Jews even if it originated from gentiles.[4] Certainly there is no issue of Darkei Emori for one to perform an action customarily done by Jews for righteous reasons, even if there are gentiles who do so for the wrong reasons, as he is doing it to mimic his Jewish tradition and not that of the gentiles. This is aside for the Talmudic and Halachic dictum of “Minhag Yisrael Torah Hi”[5] and thus certainly a custom which has been handed from generation to generation, and mentioned in Sefarim of Tzadikim, and is done for specially Kosher and Jewish oriented reasons, does not need any further defense or legitimization to legalize its continuity. We find many precedents of Jewish customs that can be argued to be considered Darkei Emori and are nonetheless traditionally done, and defended by the great Poskim, Rishonim and Achronim.[6] Accordingly, we humbly suggest that historians [especially those who are self-acclaimed] stick to their field and not try to spread Halachic conclusions based on their ignorance of the workings of Halacha, and the criteria’s needed to be met in order for a matter to be forbidden. Whatever the case, as in all matters of Jewish law, this is an issue that requires arbitration from a licensed and practicing Posek and not an amateur who claims to specialize in the field of history.


The point of this article is not to argue against shlissel challa. It is to argue that the argument iteself is valuable.
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tigerwife




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 1:40 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Lately we have seen many lively debates here on imamother on different customs and practices some of us do or believe in.
Some people feel attacked when questioned about why they do certain things. This article puts a positive spin on the debates. Its not only not negative, it is essential to our yiddishkeit.

For me these discussions lead to further learning. It spurs me on to research and learn new things, or clarify things that I thought I knew.

I think questioning why we do things is extremely healthy and a sign of having a dynamic relationship with one's yiddishkeit.
j

Yes, I liked and appreciated the article. As “People of the Book”, intellectual curiosity is not only important but integral to us.
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GLUE




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 2:41 pm
My DH says that shlissel challa was made so that men would get home made challa on the week after Passover-especially on the week when Passover ends on Wednesday.
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amother
Lilac


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 3:11 pm
And I saw a source that has Easter roots, not jewish roots, therefore not a fan. I would find it if I could but it was a number of years ago.
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tigerwife




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 4:18 pm
amother [ Lilac ] wrote:
And I saw a source that has Easter roots, not jewish roots, therefore not a fan. I would find it if I could but it was a number of years ago.


I saw this practice recorded in Sefer Minhagim- inyanai pesach page reish gimmel. Why do you think it is more likely that Jews took this minhag from the Xtians and not the other way around?
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 5:41 pm
tigerwife wrote:
I saw this practice recorded in Sefer Minhagim- inyanai pesach page reish gimmel. Why do you think it is more likely that Jews took this minhag from the Xtians and not the other way around?


How old is this sefer minhagim? Does he have bring a source for it?
As far as I know, there is no ancient source for this. The earliest known source (afaik) is sefer Hatodaah, by Eliyahu Ki tov, which was written around 50 years ago.

This is not to take away from the minhag if you do it. But this is the reason for those who don't do it.

But again, by all means, research the topic. That's what this article is saying.
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amother
Sapphire


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 6:42 pm
This is a relatively new custom and not authentic.
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amother
Floralwhite


 

Post Fri, Apr 09 2021, 6:59 pm
amother [ Sapphire ] wrote:
This is a relatively new custom and not authentic.

That’s ok.
I love being creative.
Bonus if Pesach ends on Sunday.
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amother
Lime


 

Post Sat, Apr 10 2021, 1:37 pm
People can do what they choose to do. For the record, I'm in the anti-shlissel challah camp.

What we learn from this week's parsha, though, is that there are no shortcuts to holiness. We have to do what Hashem commands. An aish zara, no matter how well intentioned, may not be the right thing.

But some people find comfort in doing something new, fun, and different, and see it as a way of perking up their religious life. So as much as I don't approve, I think when a segula does no physical harm and doesn't extort money from the vulnerable, I should just explain my position and let it go.
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amother
Orchid


 

Post Sat, Apr 10 2021, 7:54 pm
GLUE wrote:
My DH says that shlissel challa was made so that men would get home made challa on the week after Passover-especially on the week when Passover ends on Wednesday.

aren‘t there shlissel chala that one could buy?
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amother
OP


 

Post Sat, Apr 10 2021, 8:54 pm
amother [ Orchid ] wrote:
aren‘t there shlissel chala that one could buy?


They probably could in some bakeries.

Actually, there is a very important mitzva for a Jewish woman to bake challa on erev Shabbos. This mitzva has fallen to the wayside with the availability of bakery challa.
Even if you are anti-shlissel challa, one positive aspect of it is that it gets many Jewish women to perform this mitzva even if they normally would buy challa.

ETA: From Halichos Bas Yisroel , page 37:
It is proper for women to bake loaves of bread on Friday and fulfill the mitzva of separating challah.
Footnote: remah 242, based on the Yerushalmi, Megillah, Chapter 2. The Biur Halacha...expands: "...in Talmudic times this was an established custom...But due to the multitude of our sins, today many women have stopped this practice, and they buy from the baker. This is not proper, for by doing so they diminish the honor of Shabbos."
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PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 11 2021, 9:48 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
I found this article to be spot on.


I believe part of the exciting power of shlissel challah is predicated on its calendar placement.
Passover is the holiday of questions. Our tradition tells us that many of the customs of Passover are done, simply, “so the children will ask.” When our heritage states a value of questioning, it doesn’t simply stop at age 13. Passover reminds us to think deeply, to question and to learn. We cannot let our family customs, societal pressures, or even particular Jewish organizational affiliations dictate what questions we ask, or more bluntly, our personal demand for a better understanding of our own authentic self. A first step towards building passionate debate is simply asking, “Why?”




And this year especially so.
Last week was Parshas Shemini. There is a marking between two words, darosh drash, that this is half way through the Chumash. The Stone Chumash quotes IIRC Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, that honest inquiry is the key to vibrant Torah study and life.
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amother
Magenta


 

Post Sun, Apr 11 2021, 9:54 am
PinkFridge wrote:
And this year especially so.
Last week was Parshas Shemini. There is a marking between two words, darosh drash, that this is half way through the Chumash. The Stone Chumash quotes IIRC Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, that honest inquiry is the key to vibrant Torah study and life.


Yet in some groups, it is the first step in going OTD. Women especially are not supposed to be learning things that a man should be learning for them.
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Aylat




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 20 2021, 4:04 am
PinkFridge wrote:
And this year especially so.
Last week was Parshas Shemini. There is a marking between two words, darosh drash, that this is half way through the Chumash. The Stone Chumash quotes IIRC Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, that honest inquiry is the key to vibrant Torah study and life.


I love this!!
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