Key Veshaim Kodshoi Votochnu

Key Vesheim Kodshoi Votochnu                     "Schlissel Challah". This Chasidic Minhag. (אוהב ישראל- Apter Rav zt"l) has recently been adopted by all women regardless of family background. The Minhag of חלת עני is at least 500 years older than Schlissel Challah. It goes back to the times of the ראשונים (רא"ש), yet very few have ever heard of it. The Minhag of the four-cornered Challah also goes back to the times of the ראשונים (כל בו). Most women (& men) don't know when to bake it. It would be interesting to know what's the key that makes the Schlissel Challah so successful compared to other special Challahs.     --------------------------------------------------------------   Some claim that Schlissel Challah is rooted in Christian and/or pagan practices. Keys used to be manufactured in the form of a cross, and at Easter time, Christians would bake them into a rising loaf of bread to symbolize Yoshke rising from the dead. (Hot cross buns.) The חיד"א מורה באצבע ז' -ק"צ writes, " This is a כלל גדול. You should not follow any Minhag unless you know the root (source) of it from חז"ל, or authentic כתבי אריז"ל, or you know the true reason behind the Minhag. "      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- הרה"ג ר ' אי"ל שטיינמן זצ"ל  said, "Only those סגולות that the סגולה is in itself a Mitzvah (eg, סנדק - paying tuition for others). Those Segulos one should do." Even if the סגולה won't work, the זכות of doing the מצוה might work. Most of the other non-Mitzvah סגולות are a waste of time to do. (סתם ג'האקט אין קאפ אריין)    THE KEY TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS The גמרא נדה ע' ע"ב  says, "If one wants to become wealthy, he should, 1) increase his השתדלות* in business. (ירבה בסחורה) 2) Be honest in his business dealings. 3) Daven to Hashem to grant him riches. *I'm not sure how the בעלי מוסר would explain ירבה בסחורה      to