Matzah: Al Shum Mah?

Rabbi Eliyahu ben Harosh d.1883, Kos shel Eliyahu on the Haggadah

At the beginning of the Haggadah, we open the story of the Exodus with a statement in which we call matzah, lachma anya, the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate while they were in Egypt. Later, we explain the reason for matzah differently: our ancestors ate matzah when they left Egypt because they left in haste and the dough did not have time to rise. These two explanations seem to contradict one another. Rabbi David Abudraham, in his commentary, wonders why we begin the Seder by referring to matzah as ‘the bread which our ancestors ate in Egypt.’ If matzah was baked when our ancestors left Egypt, how can we then say that it also the bread which our ancestors ate before they left Egypt: “They shall eat the Passover offering with matzah and maror?” Why did the Israelites eat matzah before they left Egypt? It was a portent of what was to come for the Israelites. It was a sign that they would leave Egypt in such haste that they would not have time to bake bread or for their dough to rise…. There are other reasons that we eat matzah as well. The poor eat matzah because it takes time to digest so that they will not be hungry as often. Also, it is easy and quick to prepare so that those who return home would have something to eat quickly.

Rabbi Yerachmiel Danziger d. 1910, Yismach Yisrael on the Haggadah

The purpose of matzah is to bring us to a state of submission and self-abnegation. It teaches us that everything comes from God and not through our own ability. This is a lesson we learn from the sages: “A person says, “I have learned wisdom and Torah, what need have I of in performing commandments?’ The Holy One responds: ‘Acquiring knowledge of Torah is a simple matter. Acting in a God-fearing manner is another matter! One who fears me and then performs acts of Torah, wisdom and Torah will be in his heart as it is written (Palms 111:10): ‘The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord; they have understanding who perform His commandments.” (Devarim Rabbah 11:6) Through humility and self-abnegation one comes to a state of fear of the Lord. All wisdom is already present in his heart but it is only through submission of one’s ego that one becomes worthy of learning Torah freely. From matzah we derive fear of God from above and through fear and awe we merit the learning of Torah and other blessings. -

B'nai Yissachar

We should carefully examine this fact: Throughout the entire Torah, this festival is called “The Feast of Matzot.” Yet, Jews call the festival “The Feast of Passover.”

Give ear to this teaching -- we’ve heard it taught in the name of the Holy, Renowned Rabbi whose Jewish leadership, teaching, and holiness are great, our teacher, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev (may the memories of the righteous and holy be a blessing) --

Look: In Torah it is written (Exod 12:39): “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.” For this, God praised them through the words of His prophet: “Thus says the Eternal: I remember the devotion of your youth, how you loved Me as a bride, following me in the desert, in a land unsown” (Jer 2:2). Note that they didn’t ask, “should we take provisions?” They simply trusted in the Eternal, and were sure of His salvation. And so they took only dough, to bake unleavened cakes.

And look: the Passover sacrifice that the Jews ate in Temple times was performed because the Omnipresent One passed over the houses of our ancestors, etc...

This is why God, in the Torah, calls the holiday “The Feast of Matzot.” In doing so, God is praising the Jewish People for baking unleavened bread which they brought out of Egypt as cakes of matzot, and for not taking along provisions for themselves.

Meanwhile, the Jewish people call the holiday “Passover” in praise of the Holy One, “who passed over the homes of the Israelites...when He struck Egypt, but saved our houses” (Exod 12:27).

Perush Kadum, a Yemenite commentary pre-16th century

Just as the Passover offering taught the swiftness of God’s justice, so matzah teaches us the swiftness of God’s act. There was not even time for the people to allow their dough to rise when He redeemed them. The people could not tarry while the dough became leavened and there was no time for them to prepare provision for the journey. The dough they brought out of Egypt provided them with food for an entire month, from the 15th of Nisan until the fifteenth of the next month, when they came to ask God for food in the wilderness. -

Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum d.1832, Ma’aseh Nissim, Haggadah

The Haggadah explains that we eat matzah to remind us of the haste with which we left Egypt. Yet we ate matzah prior to leaving Egypt. So how do we explain matzah? Rabbi Eliezer Ashkenazi, in his commentary Ma’aseh Adonai, explains that there are two separate reasons for eating matzah. We eat matzah throughout the week of Passover as a reminder that we were slaves in Egypt. But we eat matzah on the first night of Passover at the Seder as a means or reenacting the haste with which we left Egypt. On Seder night it is an obligation to eat matzah but during the week of Passover, matzah is a reminder of being enslaved in Egypt (and not a commandment). Matzah is lechem oni, the bread of affliction. We refrain from eating leavened bread and only eat matzah for seven days to symbolize the fact that the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt for a very long time. The seven days of Passover symbolize the seven days of creation and the fact that the Israelites were enslaved all seven days of the week. So we eat matzah Sunday for all the Sundays, Monday for all the Mondays, etc.