Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Challah with the Key; lots of questions
Topic Started: Apr 29 2008, 10:37 PM (1,094 Views)
BusyMommy
princess
[ *  *  * ]
So I am really busy with work and cannot decide if I should be making challah from scratch. It is a lot of effort for me. I usually make the dough in a bread machine and then bake it in the oven. then i was thinking about buying a frozen challah dough and stick the key in it. then I was thinking to make enough challah that I can make a bracha which I have never done in my life.

I could use some advice. and if your advice is to make the very large amount of challah- my sis just gave me a mixer- and i could use a good sweet challah recipe with a sugar topping.

so where does this minhag come from?

do you know anyone that it gave bracha to?

i think 1 year it did something for me but i don't remember what. i have such a bad memory sometimes :(
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zeesachaya
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I would be very interested in any answers too - good questions BusyMommy!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kmelion
Member Avatar
Yishuvnik
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
I make Challah on a regular basis, all by hand. I love the feel of the wet and dry ingredients as they come together. The velvety feel of the sifted flour, the creaminess of the beaten eggs and oil. The satiny smooth texture of dough perfectly balanced in sticky to dry. And the smell... oh... the smell of the yeast gives my Shabbat kitchen just the right earthiness. And when I'm ready to punch down the dough, the first and second time... I put my ear to the huge mass and listen to Hashem's creation at work as the yeast interacts with all the other ingredients as it pops and crackles.

And then... just when I think my appreciation for Hashem's creation can't get any better... I get to make a bracha! On dough! I get brownie points (pun intended) for doing something as basic as baking!

Now, with regards to the Schlissel Challah (Key Challah) it's a segulah for wealth and a happy home. often people will bake the key to their front door into the challah.

1. Based on "Pitchi Li Achoti, Ra'ayati..." ("Open up, my darling..."--Shir HaShirim 5:2), on which the Medrash states "Pitchu li petach ke-chudo shel machat...," (cf. Shi HaShirim Rabbah 5, s.v. "Kol Dodi Dofek") = something like "Open your hearts (in teshuvah) like the eye of the needle, and I (God) will open the rest like [a very large opening].

2. According to Kabbalah on Pesach the gates to heaven were open, and following Pesach the lower gates are shut, and it's up to us to open them again, therefor on the 1st Shabbat we put the key on the challah to show that through the mitzvah of Shabbat we are opening the locks [original source?].

3. In the desert the Jewish people ate from the manna until after Pesach upon entering the land (with the bringing of the Omer, see: Josh. 5:11), at which point the ate from the produce of the land, and became dependant on their livelihood for the first time (now they had no manna). The key in the challah after Pesach is a request the God should open the Sha'arei Parnasah (gates of livelihood). Alternatively, the manna began to fall in the month of Iyyar, and this Shabbat is always Shabbat Mevarchim Iyyar.

And as far as knowing if it has worked for anyone? Who knows... when I get a Bracha from Hashem, I have no way of knowing WHY I received it. I just thank Him that did.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bas Melech
Member Avatar
queen
[ *  *  *  * ]
I have never heard about this before. It sounds very interesting...

Do you need to bake the key into the Challah, as it add it to the dough, or just stick it on top of the Challah once baked?

Is there any source for this minhag, where did it come from etc. I want to look into this.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
U Tarzan Me Jane
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
there are many different ways of doing it. Some bake a key inside the chalah (Stick the key in while braiding it.). Others bake the whole challah into the shape of a key. and some make a key out of dough and place it on top of the challah.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ScrappingMom
Member Avatar
Jewish Housewife
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
My mother used to bake a key in the challah. Now she just sticks one on the bottom (or top).

Thanx for the reminder about Shlissel Challah. I was going to buy challah this week. Now, I'm going to try to make some instead.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
zuncompany
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I put the key in some foil, shove it in, and than bake.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hallie_ari_mom
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I've never heard of this before. I feel like I've grown up under a rock sometimes.

Kmelion, I love your description of baking challah. I love doing it by hand as well. I did just find my bread machine which I might dig out just to see if there is any dramatic difference in taste/texture, but I love feeling it as well.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zeesachaya
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Kmelion that was such a beautiful way of sharing how you feel about baking challah.

thanks everyone for all for information on this :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
U Tarzan Me Jane
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I do it by hand (but I hate the gloppy feel of mixing dough and wear rubber gloves, once its fully kneaded I have no issues with the dough just before its dough bothers me.) I once used my mothers bosch, But I found that cleaning it is a bigger pain then doing it by hand.

HAM, its mostly a chassidish minhag, so lots of people have not heard about it! :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hallie_ari_mom
Member Avatar
Rebbetzin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
thanks! That makes me feel a bit better as to why I've never heard it. I need a book of Chassidic minhags to flip through so I can catch up.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BusyMommy
princess
[ *  *  * ]
thanks.

any good recipies?

any advice on how to use a dough hook in the mixer?

how much flour do i need need to use to be able to make with a bracha?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kmelion
Member Avatar
Yishuvnik
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
To make it with a bracha it needs to be about 5 lbs (aprox. 14 cups) of flour.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
realeez
Member Avatar
Brain Freeze
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Is the segulah only for a 5 lb batch?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BusyMommy
princess
[ *  *  * ]
how many packages- small size (like $5.50 a bag) would i need to get 14 cups flour?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Shabbos/Yom Tov · Next Topic »
Add Reply