In the seder, matzah occupies a special place.
Yet its symbolism changes from the beginning to the end of the seder:
מַגִּיד
מגלה את המצות, מגביה את הקערה ואומר בקול רם:
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַּׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַּׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
The Recitation [of the exodus story]
The leader uncovers the matsot, raises the Seder plate, and says out loud:
This is the bread of destitution/affliction/poverty/oppression that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is hungry should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and do the Pesach. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.
~ What is the symbol of matzah at the beginning of the seder? What does it remind us of?
רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַּפֶּסַח, לא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: פֶּסַח, מַצָּה, וּמָרוֹר.
Rabban Gamliel was accustomed to say, Anyone who has not said these three things on Pesach has not fulfilled his obligation, and these are them: the Pesach sacrifice, matsa and marror.
מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוֹ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מַה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּגְאָלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹּת, כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ, כִּי גֹרְשׁוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ, וְגַם צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶם.
This matsa that we are eating, for the sake of what [is it]? For the sake [to commemorate] that our ancestors' dough was not yet able to rise, before the Ruler of the rulers of rulers, the Holy One of Blessing revealed [Godself] to them and redeemed them, as it is stated (Exodus 12:39); "And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt into matsa cakes, since it did not rise; because they were expelled from Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they made for themselves provisions."
~ What is the symbol of matzah now, just before the meal?
That same tension is found in the story of the Exodus itself:
וְהָיָה֩ הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְזִכָּר֔וֹן וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ חַ֣ג לַֽה' לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תְּחׇגֻּֽהוּ׃
שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מַצּ֣וֹת תֹּאכֵ֔לוּ אַ֚ךְ בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר מִבָּתֵּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ׀ כׇּל־אֹכֵ֣ל חָמֵ֗ץ וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַהִוא֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשֹׁ֖ן עַד־י֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃
וּבַיּ֤וֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִקְרָא־קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כׇּל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹא־יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה בָהֶ֔ם אַ֚ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֣ל לְכׇל־נֶ֔פֶשׁ ה֥וּא לְבַדּ֖וֹ יֵעָשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ אֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת֒ כִּ֗י בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶת־צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֞ם אֶת־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֖ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם׃
This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to ה' throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
You shall celebrate a sacred occasion on the first day, and a sacred occasion on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them; only what every person is to eat, that alone may be prepared for you.
You shall observe the Matzot, for on this very day I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day throughout the ages as an institution for all time.
שָׁמוֹר֙ אֶת־חֹ֣דֶשׁ הָאָבִ֔יב וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ פֶּ֔סַח לַה' אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ כִּ֞י בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽאָבִ֗יב הוֹצִ֨יאֲךָ֜ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם לָֽיְלָה׃
וְזָבַ֥חְתָּ פֶּ֛סַח לַה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֑ר בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֣ר ה' לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃
לֹא־תֹאכַ֤ל עָלָיו֙ חָמֵ֔ץ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֛ים תֹּֽאכַל־עָלָ֥יו מַצּ֖וֹת לֶ֣חֶם עֹ֑נִי כִּ֣י בְחִפָּז֗וֹן יָצָ֙אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכֹּ֗ר אֶת־י֤וֹם צֵֽאתְךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֨ה לְךָ֥ שְׂאֹ֛ר בְּכׇל־גְּבֻלְךָ֖ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְלֹא־יָלִ֣ין מִן־הַבָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּזְבַּ֥ח בָּעֶ֛רֶב בַּיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן לַבֹּֽקֶר׃
Observe the month of Aviv and offer a passover sacrifice to your God ה', for it was in the month of Aviv, at night, that your God ה' freed you from Egypt.
You shall slaughter the passover sacrifice for your God ה', from the flock and the herd, in the place where ה' will choose to establish the divine name.
You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress/poverty —for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live.
For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh of what you slaughter on the evening of the first day shall be left until morning.
End with Carlebach's and Rebbe Nachman's teachings about Tzafun
בכל דור ודור וכו' כל זה מדברי ר"ג דהא קשה למה מצה בזמן הזה דאוריית' ומרור דרבנן הא שניהם זכר ליציאת מצרים מ"ש מצה ומ"ש מרור. אמנם לזה י"ל דמצה הוא זכר לגאולה שלא הספיק וכו' וכל אדם מחויב לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים לפיכך הכתוב קבעו חובה אף בזמן הזה משא"כ במרור דהוא על שם שמררו חייהם. ואנו ובנינו לא היו בקושי השיעבוד (ואע"ג דכתבתי דמרור מורה על קבלת התורה הלא הי' מודעא רבה לאוריית' עד שקבלו בימי אחשורוש) ודרש מדכתי' אשר עשה לי בצאתי ממצרי'. ואע"ג דדרש למעלה לי ולא לו לתשובת הרשע. אפשר דדרש מדכתיב בצאתי ממצרים דה"ל למכתב לי ביציא' מצרים. אלא דאתי הקרא להורות שיראה עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים. אך דיש להבין למה יראה עצמו בי"מ הלא כבר עברו יותר מאלפים דור ומה טובה הי' לנו בזה הגאולה. לזה מפרש דעיק' הגאולה לא הי' משום שיעבו' לחוד. אלא משום ביאת ארץ ישראל ולבנו' בי' הבחירה לכפ' על נפשינו ובפרט לפמ"ש דמצה זו קאי על אפיקומן דרומז על גאולה העתידה דנקרא צפון בירך ולזה הכתוב קבעו חובה דכתיב בערב תאכלו מצות ורמז לזה והי' לעת ערב יהי' אור:
In every generation: All of this is part of Rabban Gamliel’s statement. It explains why matzah is considered a Torah law (d’oraita) while eating maror is rabbinic (d’rabbanan). Why is there a difference in the status of these two symbols? According to Rabban Gamliel we are obligated by the Torah to see ourselves as if we went forth from Egypt. The matzah serves as a reminder of this biblical mandate while maror reminds us of slavery (which we are not obligated by the Torah to remember.) Matzah allows us to see ourselves in this fashion.
Yet, what purpose is there in “seeing ourselves” as if we personally went forth from Egypt; many generations have passed since the Exodus - what good is there is in seeing the redemption in this way? This teaches us that the purpose of the redemption was not just the liberation from slavery in Egypt but also the fact that we could enter the land of Israel, build the temple, and seek atonement for our sins. Also the matzah alludes to the future redemption as well. The afikomen is an allusion to the final redemption, which is called tzafun bareikh, the hidden blessing. It is because of these hopes that scripture made matzah an obligation, “You shall eat matzot at night,” This is an allusion to the fact that we eat matzah during the night (of exile) which comes before the light (of redemption.)
Yet, what purpose is there in “seeing ourselves” as if we personally went forth from Egypt; many generations have passed since the Exodus - what good is there is in seeing the redemption in this way? This teaches us that the purpose of the redemption was not just the liberation from slavery in Egypt but also the fact that we could enter the land of Israel, build the temple, and seek atonement for our sins. Also the matzah alludes to the future redemption as well. The afikomen is an allusion to the final redemption, which is called tzafun bareikh, the hidden blessing. It is because of these hopes that scripture made matzah an obligation, “You shall eat matzot at night,” This is an allusion to the fact that we eat matzah during the night (of exile) which comes before the light (of redemption.)
However, when a person is living in comfort one should pause to think back to the times of adversity in his life, moving from step to step in the way he tells the story of life. This is how we tell the story of the Exodus. The Pesach offering is a reminder of God’s greatness; it teaches us that God passed over the homes of the Israelites and struck the homes of the Egyptians who were their enemies. It represents comfort. Matzah is a reminder of two both aspects of the Passover story: comfort and adversity. We eat matzah because God redeemed us from slavery and it also reminds us that we were slaves who ate the bread of affliction. From matzah we move on to the maror which represents Israel’s complete humiliation. It is a symbol of our subjugation and that the Egyptians embittered our lives.