Eating Matzah: Difference between revisions

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=Reasons for the Commandment=

One of the central reasons for eating matzah on Passover is to commemorate the haste of the Exodus from Egypt. As it is stated: "they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay"<ref>Exodus 12:39.</ref>. Similarly, it is written: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it... so that you may remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt... for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste"<ref>Deuteronomy 16:3.</>.

One of the central reasons for eating matzah on Passover is to commemorate the haste of the Exodus from Egypt. As it is stated: "they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay"<ref>Exodus 12:39.</ref>. Similarly, it is written: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it... so that you may remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt... for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste"<ref>Deuteronomy 16:3.</ref>.

Accordingly, the eating of matzah represents the fact that at the time of the Exodus, our ancestors’ dough did not have time to leaven, and they were compelled to bake it as it was—matzah{{ref|They brought out dough from Egypt, and baked it into matzot when they arrived at Sukkot; and from the time they left Raamses until they came to Sukkot, the dough did not leaven. Likkutei Torah}}.

Accordingly, the eating of matzah represents the fact that at the time of the Exodus, our ancestors’ dough did not have time to leaven, and they were compelled to bake it as it was—matzah<ref>They brought out dough from Egypt, and baked it into matzot when they arrived at Sukkot; and from the time they left Raamses until they came to Sukkot, the dough did not leaven. Likkutei Torah</ref>.

Although the primary reason for eating matzah is because the dough of the Israelites did not have time to rise when they left Egypt, the Torah commanded the eating of matzah even earlier. Already in the passage of "This month shall be for you"{{ref|Exodus 12}}, it is stated: "They shall eat the meat on that night, roasted over fire, and matzot; with bitter herbs they shall eat it," and explicitly: "In the evening, you shall eat matzot." Thus, the commandment to eat matzah preceded the actual event of the hasty departure.

Although the primary reason for eating matzah is because the dough of the Israelites did not have time to rise when they left Egypt, the Torah commanded the eating of matzah even earlier. Already in the passage of "This month shall be for you"<ref>Exodus 12.</ref>, it is stated: "They shall eat the meat on that night, roasted over fire, and matzot; with bitter herbs they shall eat it," and explicitly: "In the evening, you shall eat matzot." Thus, the commandment to eat matzah preceded the actual event of the hasty departure.

This requires explanation: if the main rationale for eating matzah is that the dough of our ancestors did not leaven until God revealed Himself and redeemed them, as stated, "They baked the dough into unleavened cakes... because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay,"—how is it possible that the commandment to eat matzah was given before the Exodus itself, in the passage of "This month shall be for you", before the event of the hasty redemption had occurred?

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'''Second explanation:''' A distinction should be made between two types of matzah: matzah eaten before midnight and matzah eaten afterward. Before midnight, it was consumed in fulfillment of God's command as part of the Paschal offering. After midnight, when God revealed Himself and redeemed Israel, their dough did not have time to rise—this gave rise to the "matzah of haste." The commandment we fulfill today, even when we eat matzah before midnight on the Seder night, incorporates both aspects: both the matzah commanded by the Torah and the matzah symbolizing the haste of the redemption.

'''Third explanation'''—and the simplest: Although the commandment to eat matzah was issued before the actual Exodus occurred, this was because God, who knows the future ("declaring the end from the beginning"), knew in advance that the redemption would come in haste and the dough would not have time to leaven. Therefore, He commanded them to eat matzah so that their eating would be not only in response to circumstance but also in fulfillment of a divine precept. For had they eaten matzah merely because their dough had not leavened, it would not have constituted a commandment. Thus, God preemptively issued the command so that what was done under duress (due to the haste of redemption) would also be performed intentionally as a mitzvah{{ref|Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5629, Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, p. 132ff; and Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5729}}.

'''Third explanation'''—and the simplest: Although the commandment to eat matzah was issued before the actual Exodus occurred, this was because God, who knows the future ("declaring the end from the beginning"), knew in advance that the redemption would come in haste and the dough would not have time to leaven. Therefore, He commanded them to eat matzah so that their eating would be not only in response to circumstance but also in fulfillment of a divine precept. For had they eaten matzah merely because their dough had not leavened, it would not have constituted a commandment. Thus, God preemptively issued the command so that what was done under duress (due to the haste of redemption) would also be performed intentionally as a mitzvah<ref>Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5629, Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, p. 132ff; and Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5729.</ref>.

== During Galus (Exile) ==

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 =Reasons for the Commandment=
-One of the central reasons for eating matzah on Passover is to commemorate the haste of the Exodus from Egypt. As it is stated: "they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay"<ref>Exodus 12:39.</ref>. Similarly, it is written: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it... so that you may remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt... for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste"<ref>Deuteronomy 16:3.</>.
+One of the central reasons for eating matzah on Passover is to commemorate the haste of the Exodus from Egypt. As it is stated: "they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay"<ref>Exodus 12:39.</ref>. Similarly, it is written: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it... so that you may remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt... for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste"<ref>Deuteronomy 16:3.</ref>.
-Accordingly, the eating of matzah represents the fact that at the time of the Exodus, our ancestors’ dough did not have time to leaven, and they were compelled to bake it as it was—matzah{{ref|They brought out dough from Egypt, and baked it into matzot when they arrived at Sukkot; and from the time they left Raamses until they came to Sukkot, the dough did not leaven. Likkutei Torah}}.
+Accordingly, the eating of matzah represents the fact that at the time of the Exodus, our ancestors’ dough did not have time to leaven, and they were compelled to bake it as it was—matzah<ref>They brought out dough from Egypt, and baked it into matzot when they arrived at Sukkot; and from the time they left Raamses until they came to Sukkot, the dough did not leaven. Likkutei Torah</ref>.
-Although the primary reason for eating matzah is because the dough of the Israelites did not have time to rise when they left Egypt, the Torah commanded the eating of matzah even earlier. Already in the passage of "This month shall be for you"{{ref|Exodus 12}}, it is stated: "They shall eat the meat on that night, roasted over fire, and matzot; with bitter herbs they shall eat it," and explicitly: "In the evening, you shall eat matzot." Thus, the commandment to eat matzah preceded the actual event of the hasty departure.
+Although the primary reason for eating matzah is because the dough of the Israelites did not have time to rise when they left Egypt, the Torah commanded the eating of matzah even earlier. Already in the passage of "This month shall be for you"<ref>Exodus 12.</ref>, it is stated: "They shall eat the meat on that night, roasted over fire, and matzot; with bitter herbs they shall eat it," and explicitly: "In the evening, you shall eat matzot." Thus, the commandment to eat matzah preceded the actual event of the hasty departure.
 This requires explanation: if the main rationale for eating matzah is that the dough of our ancestors did not leaven until God revealed Himself and redeemed them, as stated, "They baked the dough into unleavened cakes... because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay,"—how is it possible that the commandment to eat matzah was given before the Exodus itself, in the passage of "This month shall be for you", before the event of the hasty redemption had occurred?
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 '''Second explanation:''' A distinction should be made between two types of matzah: matzah eaten before midnight and matzah eaten afterward. Before midnight, it was consumed in fulfillment of God's command as part of the Paschal offering. After midnight, when God revealed Himself and redeemed Israel, their dough did not have time to rise—this gave rise to the "matzah of haste." The commandment we fulfill today, even when we eat matzah before midnight on the Seder night, incorporates both aspects: both the matzah commanded by the Torah and the matzah symbolizing the haste of the redemption.
-'''Third explanation'''—and the simplest: Although the commandment to eat matzah was issued before the actual Exodus occurred, this was because God, who knows the future ("declaring the end from the beginning"), knew in advance that the redemption would come in haste and the dough would not have time to leaven. Therefore, He commanded them to eat matzah so that their eating would be not only in response to circumstance but also in fulfillment of a divine precept. For had they eaten matzah merely because their dough had not leavened, it would not have constituted a commandment. Thus, God preemptively issued the command so that what was done under duress (due to the haste of redemption) would also be performed intentionally as a mitzvah{{ref|Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5629, Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, p. 132ff; and Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5729}}.
+'''Third explanation'''—and the simplest: Although the commandment to eat matzah was issued before the actual Exodus occurred, this was because God, who knows the future ("declaring the end from the beginning"), knew in advance that the redemption would come in haste and the dough would not have time to leaven. Therefore, He commanded them to eat matzah so that their eating would be not only in response to circumstance but also in fulfillment of a divine precept. For had they eaten matzah merely because their dough had not leavened, it would not have constituted a commandment. Thus, God preemptively issued the command so that what was done under duress (due to the haste of redemption) would also be performed intentionally as a mitzvah<ref>Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5629, Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, p. 132ff; and Maamar "Matzah Zo" 5729.</ref>.
 == During Galus (Exile) ==