Chavarah- Jewish Community Learning

A blog of Jewish study and traditions. Notes from classes: Torah Study with Rabbi Marder, Toledot and Shabbaton as well as other details found of interest.

IF you want to be part of our Chavarah email group let me know at carol@traditionsrenewed.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Matzah: To Like or Not To Like?

The bread of affliction or the bread of poverty and distress.




So this bread that we are commanded to eat for 7 days each Spring is supposed to remind us of what it was to be a slave.

Does that mean it is supposed to taste bad or at least not very good?

A question explored in Torah study today 2/26/05.

So there are many places in the Torah where we are told to eat only unleavened bread for the Pesach Feast... it is repeated at least 5 time in Exodus, Leviticus and in Deuteronomy - I guess we better do it!

The question of Why we eat matzo (matzah) is answered in the Hagaddah in the words of Rashi, great philosopher, that we recall the suffering of our ancestors as slaves in Egypt.

Other say it is to remind us of the "escape" and the rush to freedom. And in this case the bland unleavened bread should taste good?

Well try telling my kids, who love matzah all year long that it isn't supposed to taste good, and we might have some protest at our home.

So it would be best, for the sake of positive perspective, to let the matzah represent both slavery and freedom, and continue to taste good all year long.

If you google matzah - you find all kinds of recipes that make matzah taste good... I especially like matzah koogle.

And for another perspective on this I found an interesting link to consider:
No Designer Matzah


So I guess we have to consider the elements that make this a FEAST! Guess next I will explore reclining too! (Traditions Renewed is making Pesach Pillows too! You can order them now if you email me.) For Pesach Traditions

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home