The Tradition of Key-Shaped Challah: A Taste of Heritage

Some have the custom of baking challah in the shape of a key for the Shabbat after Passover. (As mentioned in the teachings of Imrei Pinchas).

The book 'Ohev Yisrael' offers two explanations:

1. The first reason is that during Passover, the counting of the Omer begins. It's known that from the time of the Omer offering, the Israelites stopped eating manna and needed sustenance. The key-shaped challah symbolizes the opening of the gates of livelihood: "The first reason is straightforward: at this time when the Israelites ate manna, from the Omer offering onward, they no longer ate manna... Since then, they began to eat from the produce of the land, and the Israelites needed sustenance, as until now they had manna.

And it is known that everything has a gate, as we pray that Hashem opens the gates of sustenance for us. This practice of making a key shape on the challah symbolizes our prayer that Hashem will open the gates of livelihood for us" (according to Ohev Yisrael, section 202).

2. The second reason is that during Passover, all gates were open and now we must reopen them: "As it is written, 'Open for me, my sister, my darling,' and our sages said, 'Open for me a door as tiny as the eye of a needle, and I will open for you [a door] as wide as a hall,' and during Passover, all the gates and higher illuminations were open (during Passover, all gates were open) and then they were closed, and now we need to open them. Therefore, on this Shabbat, we pierce the breads with keys to hint that we open a little through the commandment of Shabbat, and the good Hashem will open for us His good treasure, the heavens above, and open the doors of heaven, just as He gave our ancestors manna in the month of Iyar, which is blessed this Shabbat, and it is a blessing for many good influences" (according to Ohev Yisrael, the notes for Passover)..

The full chapter can be found in the book "Shivilei HaChallah" by Rabbanit Esther Toliodano.

From the Department of Home Gatherings and Challah Separations – To book a home gathering and challah separation: Tel: 073-2221290, Email aviva@htv.co.il