כי בשם קדשו בטחנו

Key Veshaim Kodshoi Votochnu

The Real Source Of The Shlissel Challah Phenomenon
  
The original source for the Shlissel Challah Segulah  is  from the Sefer Ohev Yisroel who claimed Shlissel  Challah to be an old Minhag  B’Yisroel .


The Sefer Ohev Yisroel is a collection of Divrei Torah from Reb Avrohom Yehoshua Heshil   zt”l, known as the Apte  Rov (Rebbe).


The Rebbe's son R. Yitzchok Mier zt”l writes in the Hakdama:

"Many people were quoting inaccurately Toirehs from  the Rebbe  and thereby  saying over in his name things he  never said, Therefore they appointed a Talmid Chacham to write down all the authentic and reliable Divrei Torah of the Rebbe.


The Kesovim were handed in to the Rebbe  who at times corrected them  and chose the Toirehs he agreed with."


In the year 1863 long after the Petira of the Rebbe and his son Reb Yitzchok Mier, the grandson R. Meshulem Zusia zt”l finally printed the Sefer Ohev Yisroel.

He also added to the back of the Sefer, “Likutim”, Divrei Torah that  wasn’t recorded in the Sefer Ohev Yisroel.  


There are two possibilities, why it didn’t make it in the Sefer.

a) The son R. Yitzchok Mier and the Talmid Chacham were not aware of that particular Dvar Torah.

b) The Rebbe never said it. It was made up by one of the many  people who claimed
the Rebbe to have said it.  It's also possible the Rebbe himself to have discarded it as mentioned in the Hakdama the Rebbe chose the Toirehs  to be entered.

R.  Meshulem Zusia zt”l  claimed to believe all the Toirehs to be of his grandfather being he heard them from reliable people (not as reliable as the original Sefer which was

edited by the Rebbe himself) and therefore added them to the back of the Sefer.

The source for the Minhag of Schlissel Challah is not in the Sefer proper, but in the Likutim printed in the back of the Sefer Ohev Yisroel. 

Others* claim that Shlissel 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.
(This is the source of the "hot cross buns.")

The Chida (Moreh B'etzba 7:190) writes " This is a Klall Gadol.
You should not** follow any Minhag unless you know the root (source)
of it from Chazal , or Authentic Kisvei Arizal or you know the true
reason behind the Minhag".

* Their opinion may be considered  only on the assumiption the Rebbe never mentioned this Minhag
** He is probably referring when introducing new Minhagim into
the family or Kehila.. Family or Kehila. Minhagim from the past needs no source or reason (אמבצי).
(Ashkenaz families and even many Chasidishe families never practiced this Minhag 50 years ago.)

shlissel challah

The Chida (Moreh B'etzba 6:190) writes " This is a Klal Gadol. 

You should not follow any Minhag* unless 

1) you know the root (source) of it from Chazal,

2) or authentic Kisvei Arizal, 

3) or you know the true reason behind the Minhag".

* Perhaps, the Chida was not referring to Minhagim that has been in 

the family for generations - your parents had from their parents etc, אמבצי

As far as I know, Shlissel Challah is none of the above.

NON Biased Opinion On The Shlisel Chalah

Some claim that Shlissel 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.

(This is the source of the "hot cross buns.")

The Chida (Moreh B'etzba 7:190) writes:

 " This is a Klall Gadol. You should not follow any Minhag unless you know the root (source) of it from Chazal  , Authentic Kisvei Arizal or you know the true reason behind the Minhag".

Special Challos for Shabbos

The only special Challos mentioned in the Rishonim are the  Four Corner Challos & the Challas Oni.  There is no mention of Schlissel Challa   The נוהג כצאן יוסף quotes the רא"ש  “The Minhag on Erev Shabbos Hagodol  is to bake חלת עני from the whole Kehilla and distribute it to the עניים. From the time this Minhag was  neglected, a curse was sent on the grain.” The כל בו writes:  "There is a minhag for women to bake on שבועות a long bread with four corners (points) זכר לשתי הלחם  (looks like 2 loaves of bread or  because  מזל סיון is תאומים (twins)"

The 2 Challos

חלת עני

The Mogen Avraham (O.Ch.430) writes that the Maharshal used to Darshen that "everybody should bake a Challah (before Pesach) using the Pesachdike flour, so if there was any  Chometz in the flour, we will assume that the Chometz was baked in the Challah and eaten.

 It is also a good thing to give this Challah to an Oni (poor man)

The Noheg Katzon Yosef quotes the Rosh

“The Minhag on Erev Shabbos Hagodol  is to bake

חלת עני from the whole Kehilla and distribute it to the Aniyim. From the time this Minhag was  neglected, a curse was sent on the grain.”

Four corner Challah

The Kol Bo (52) writes that there is a minhag for women to bake on Shavuos a long bread with four corners lezecher the Shtei Halechem 

(looks like 2 breads) or because  Mazel Sivan is Teomim (twins)