As you can see from today's erev Shabbos table photo, springtime has come to the G6 household. Avram brought a lovely, light springtime bouquet which goes perfectly with the ladybug dappled vase that I made years ago at Little Shop of Plaster and Pottery.You may also note from the picture, that I baked shlussel challah this week, though I must admit that after reading this article (subsequent to baking the challah...), and considering that I am the one that instituted the practice into my family, this may very well be the last year that I in fact partake in this activity.
Thoughts? How many of you know for certain that your grandmothers did it?
12 comments:
A Yekke falling prey to something like schlissel challah? Oy vey, what is the world coming to?
:-)
We don't do it. My parents don't do it. My grandparents never did it. My great-grandmother never did it. And I presume all the rest didn't either.
But seriously, plenty of people I respect have told me that it is either actually avoda zarah or very close to being avoda zara and should be avoided. And that applies to many of the segulot that have become popular recently.
Yeah, um, it's not Jewish, and most certainly not German Jewish. However, it is interesting that I don't know any men that are really into it; women however, seem to love it.
Teshuvah, tefillah and tzedakah are all a Torah-true Jew needs. Rambam is The Man.
YDL,this brings up the question of whether men or women are more likely to put stock in "segulot" bichlal. Your assertion that you don't know any men who are "really into" schlissel challah may have more to do with the number of men you know who bake challah vs. the number of women you know who do the same. I personally don't know anyone at all who bakes schlissel challah and was pretty shocked to learn that G6 did. But, then, I don't live in Williamsburg-Crown Heights-Boro Park, which I suspect are the Schlissel Challah capitals of the world.
For a remotely valid survey one would have to control for traditional background (Chassidish, Lithuanian, Polish, Edot haMizrach, Yekkish and so on)and level of formal Jewish education, particularly halachic education.
My guess would be that, regardless of gender, those with less formal halachic education and stronger ties to mystical communities would be more likely to believe in and practice segulot. The fact that women's formal halachic education tends to be more limited precisely in those very communities that center around mystical beliefs is an unfortunate confounding factor.
I am merely commenting on the situation based on my personal experience. As far as I know, there is no test and I am not currently concerned with any academic studies or surveys on the matter. I also take slight offence that you accuse the great G6 of possibly lacking some level of formal education...
Sweet of you to come to my defense, YDL, but no offense was taken.
I understand what Golly Mama was saying and she may have a point (present company excluded, of course...).
She was referring not to those like myself, who (regrettably?) took it on more as a lark, but those for whom practice of segulos has become a culture unto itself.
Well, then I stand corrected on the point.
The thing is, most of these segulot, even among the "segulah set" are new, or at least newly reintroduced.
After leaving Washington Heights in the mid 60's and having moved to Boro Park, I (and my parents) don't recall the Chassidim there doing things like shlissel challah. Nor did any of my non-Yekke family do shlissel challah. Today almost "everyone" except for the remaining Yekkes do it. It's new. And the same applies to upshirin. And to the 40 challot for refuah. And to the amen parties. And to saying perek shira for 40 days. And to saying parshat ha"man. And red strings. All these are newly practices recently (last generation, or two in some cases).
Some things I recall were practices back then. Like giving peticha to a man whose wife was due or close to being due. And eating the etrog for some sort of good luck. Fingers in havdalah wine. Passing around sheva brachot wine to singles.
I also saw that article after I already baked my shlissel challah. And...no..as far as I know, my grandmother didn't do it. My husband's grandmother did do it, on the other hand, but I need to find out how far back that goes.
For me, this - and other segulos - were just something I'd do cuz...why not? But after reading that article, there are some pretty good reasons why not, and I'm not sure I'll be baking shlissel challah next year.
I'm certain neither my mother nor either of my grandmothers baked shlissel challahs.. I can only guess about the inlaws but it is safe to assume they did not. I only first heard of shlissel challah in 2004. When did shlissel challah enter the G6 household?
Someone in my community had the audacity to call it a "minhag Yisroel" in response to someone who mentioned that it is not a universal practice.
Sometimes I get very angry.
RE: Amen parties - I love them. But they aren't a segula for anything, are they? I thought they were just a chance to concentrate deeply on the plethora of good things Hashem has given us here, and to praise Him. To me that sounds ok.
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