On the front of RabbiAriKahn.com, the rabbi debunks voodoo Judaism whereby if you do certain rituals at a certain place and recite certain things, you can get a shiduch (marriage) or a job etc.
Anything that does not make sense is outside of Judaism. Baking a key into your challah will not cause you to earn more money. Davening for 40 days by the kotel reciting certain Psalms will not bring you closer to getting a shidduch. Eating an apple with honey on Rosh Hashanah will do nothing to insuring that you will have a sweet year. Asking God to save you from bankruptcy will not do you any good financially. It may do your soul good to pour yourself out to God, but as Dennis Prager says, God is not a celestial butler.
If God says to do something, it is a mitzvah, but the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah.
Joe emails: You missed the subtlety of the class, (or you simply didn’t write it up). You can pray, this is good, prayer is good – just don’t expect the results. Pray even though they may not be answered. Don’t think that we have a magical potion that can force God into obeying us. On Rosh Hashana we eat the apple and honey, but the more important element is saying the prayer. The custom is good but prayer is more important – and there are no guarantees.
