Whats a Matza?

TNT (
Thursday Night
Shabbat Afternoon

Torah)
8 Nissan, 5776 (Shabbat Hagadol)
TheTorahpresentstwoperspectivesonMatza,whicharebothreflectedintheHaggadah:

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1.Devarim16:3

Youshalleatnoleavenedbreadwithitsevendaysyoushalleatunleavenedbreadwithit,thebreadof
afflictionforinhasteyoucomeforthfromthelandofEgyptsoyoumayrememberthedaywhenyou
cameforthfromthelandofEgyptallthedaysofyourlife.

, .
, .
. , .

ThisisthebreadofafflictionourforefathersateinthelandofEgypt.Allwhoarehungry,come
andeatallwhoareneedycomeandcelebratePassover.Nowweareherenextyearintheland
ofIsrael.Nowweareslavesnextyearwewillbefree.

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2.Shemot12:34

Andthepeopletooktheirdoughbeforeitwasleavened,theirkneadingtroughsbeingboundupintheir
clothesupontheirshoulders.

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, , : ,
,
,
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Thismatzaweeat,forwhatreason[doweeatit]?Forthedoughofourancestorsdidnothave
timetorisebeforeKingofallkings,theHolyandBlessedone,appearedtothemandredeemed
them,asitsays(Shemot12:39):AndtheybakedthedoughtheyhadtakenoutofEgypt,
unleavenedcakes,notleaven,fortheywereexpelledfromEgyptandcouldnottarry,andthey
hadmadenoprovisions.

Howdothesetwoperspectivesrelatetooneanother?

Whats a Matza?
TNT (
Thursday Night
Shabbat Afternoon

Torah)
8 Nissan, 5776 (Shabbat Hagadol)
Progression
:

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3.MishnahPsachim10:4

Inaccordancewiththeknowledgeofthechild,thefatherteaches.
Hebeginswithdisgraceandendswith
praise
,andheexplicatesfrom[theverse]MyfatherwasawanderingArameanuntilhefinishesthat
section.

WhywouldtheHaggadah(ortheTorah)wantthestorytostartfromthedisgrace?Howdoes
thataddtothestory?

Faith
:
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,(,).,
,",,'
.!?"
.,',,,

4.MeshechChochma,Shemot12

Thereasonforeatingmatzaisthattheirdoughdidnothavetimetorise.ForGdhascommandedthem
[toprepare]silverandgoldandclothing,andtheypreparedthemselvestogotothedeserttocelebrate
beforeGd,yettheypreparednofood,nordidtheyinquireofMosheWhyhaveyouinstructedusto
gatherclothing,yetwehavepreparednofoodtotravelintoabarrenland?!Suchtrustandfaithis
unbelievable.AnditispraiseofIsraelthattheydidnotpreparefood,butfollowedMoshelikeananimal
toahillockandsheepaftertheshpeherd.AndthroughthistheymeritedtoreceivetheTorahandtobe
Gdspeople,andtohavethedivinepresenceuponthem.

Whichisabetterindicatoroffaith:preparing,ornotpreparing?(ThemidrashsaysthatMiriam
andthewomenwerecreditedforpreparingtimbrelsforthedefeatoftheEgyptians.)

Whats a Matza?
TNT (
Thursday Night
Shabbat Afternoon

Torah)
8 Nissan, 5776 (Shabbat Hagadol)
Recompense
:

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:.
".
:(,)
5.Seforno,Devarim16:3

Breadofafflictionthebreadthattheyateinaffliction(i.e.servitude),fortheydidnothavetimetoallow
theirdoughtorise,forthetaskmasterspressuredthem.
Forinhasteyouleftthereasonformentioningthehasteofthebreadisthatinplaceofthehasteoftheir
afflictiontheylater(experienced)thehasteofredemption,asitsaysAndIshallturntheirmourningto
joy.(Yirmiyahu31:12)

TheSefornohasintroducedanexcitingidea:elementsoftheredemptionparallelelementsofthe
affliction.Whatotherpiecesoftheredemption(e.g.Passoverlamb,bitterherbs,nighttime,
firstborns,etc.)mightreflectanelementoftheaffliction?(MegillatEstherplaysheavilyonthis
theme.)

Sinfulness
:
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...
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6.SfatEmet,Pesach5639

ThematzaweeatAsoursagesteachthat[theJews]hadsunktothefortyninthlevelofimpurity.
Andleavenisasymboloftheevilinclination,whichislikenedtotheyeastindough.Andjustbeforethe
doughofIsraelhadrisenthelightofholinesswasrevealedtothem,andsoisthecaseeveryyear.To
symoblizethis,wegrabthematzaonthenightofPesach,asitsaysforinhasteyouleft,forwemust
rushtostrengthenourselvesinperformanceoftheritualsofPesach,whenthiskindnessoccursevery
year,asiswritten,Itisaprotectednight.

Forthelesschassidicallyinclined,someexplanation:TheSfatEmetsuggeststhatthesufferingof
theJewishpeoplestemmedfromtheirownsinfulness.Theywereredeemedwhentheywere
becausetheyweresoundeservingthathadtheynotbeensavedimmediately(inhaste)they
wouldhavebeenlostforever.ThisextremedivineloveiswhatsavedtheJewsthen,anditcanbe
experiencedeachyearonPesachnight.
DoesanythinginthestoryinShemotindicatethattheJewsweresinful?(Anywhereelsein
Tanach?)Whichisthebetterredemption:deservedorundeserved?
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Whats a Matza?
TNT (
Thursday Night
Shabbat Afternoon

Torah)
8 Nissan, 5776 (Shabbat Hagadol)

RethinkingFreedom
:

7.RHirsch,Devarim16:3

ThemitzvaofeatingmatzaonthefirstofPassoverexpressesthehistoricalrealityofourlackof
independenceatthetimeoftheredemption.Similarly,itreflectstherealitythatweareeverindebtedto
Gdforourindependence,andonlymatzamadeofgrainsthatcanbecomeleaveniscapableofexpressing
ourgratitudethroughthissymbol.Thatwhichisintendedasmatzacouldhavealsobeenleaven.Notdue
toalackofstrengthforfreedomwereweslavesinEgypt,norforthisreasondoweserveGd
forevermore.AmightyflatteningbroughtuponustheservitudeofPharaoh,andoutofsubmissionand
volitionweshallacceptuponourselvestheworshipofGd.

(SeeDevarim4:20forasimilarperspectiveonthereasonfortheservitudeinEgypt.)

8.RabbiJonathanSacks,PesachHaggadah,pp.2225

Thisisastrangeinvitation:"ThisisthebreadofoppressionourfathersateinthelandofEgypt.Letall
whoarehungrycomeinandeat."Whathospitalityisittoofferthehungrythetasteofsuffering?Infact,
though,thisisaprofoundinsightintothenatureofslaveryandfreedom.Asnoted,matzarepresentstwo
things:itisthefoodofslaves,andalsothebreadeatenbytheIsraelitesastheyleftEgyptinliberty.What
transformsthebreadofoppressionintothebreadoffreedomisthewillingnesstoshareitwithothers....

Sharingfoodisthefirstactthroughwhichslavesbecomefreehumanbeings.Onewhofearstomorrow
doesnotofferhisbreadtoothers.Butonewhoiswillingtodividehisfoodwithastrangerhasalready
shownhimselftobecapableoffellowshipandfaith,thetwothingsfromwhichhopeisborn.Thatiswhy
webeginthesederbyinvitingotherstojoinus.Breadsharedisnolongerthebreadofoppression.
Reachingouttoothers,givinghelptotheneedyandcompanionshiptothosewhoarealong,webring
freedomintotheworld,andwithfreedom,Gd.

RabbiSackssuggeststhatsharingcreatesfreedom.Whereelseisthisreflectedinthelawsof
Pesach?Inwhatwayhas(orhasnt)RabbiSacksincorporatedthehasteoftheredemptioninto
hisexplanation?

Wevepresentedanumberofsuggestionstoexplainthetwoprongedmitzvaofeatingmatza,breadof
bothafflictionandhastyredemption.Whichspeaksmosttoyou?