What makes Matzah... Matzah? How it's made for Passover

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What is Matzah?

by Rabbi Shlomo Chein

Matzah is a cracker like flat bread that comes in various shapes, sizes, and flavors. The word Matzah most often reminds you of (the Kosher section in your local supermarket, and more importantly) Passover. However, not all Matzah is kosher for Passover.

Passover and Matzah is a match made in Heaven. The Torah says:1 "In the first month on the fourteenth day in the evening you shall eat Matzah... for seven days leaven shall not be found in your houses". Hence a Jew has an active obligation to eat Matzah on the first night of Passover, and whilst s/he doesn't have to eat Matzah for the rest of the week, s/he has a passive prohibition from eating/possessing any leavened bread.

Since the Matzah we eat on Passover stems from a Divine Commandment, special measures must be taken to make sure the Matzah qualifies for Passover use. In order to prevent leavening only water3 and flour4 are used in the making of Passover Matzah (for Egg Matzah see here). Additionally, the Matzah is made in record breaking time: no longer than 18 minutes from when the water is poured into the flour until the baked product comes out of the oven. Passover Matzah is also made with the specific intent of using it for the Mitzvah.

When shopping for Passover Matzah check the package to make sure it says Kosher for Passover. Kosher for Passover Matzah is available in most supermarkets in the United States, and is fairly inexpensive (especially the week after Passover). The Rolls Royce of Passover Matzah is Hand Baked Shmurah Matzah, which is available from specialized Matzah Bakeries or through your local Chabad Rabbi, and begins at about $18 a pound.

Passover Matzah is also known as the "bread of affliction"5, "poor man's bread"6 , "bread of faith"7 and "bread of healing"8 .

Those four terms actually sum up the reason behind eating Matzah on Passover: when our ancestors were slaves in Egypt (affliction) G-d miraculously redeemed them (healing); the Jews followed G-d out into the desert without knowing exactly where they were going or how they would survive in the desert (faith), carrying with them just simple dough which didn't have time to rise (poor man's bread).

By eating Matzah we commemorate the Exodus of the past, and because "we are what we eat" we actually bring faith, healing, and humility (poor man's bread) into our personal lives, enabling us to escape and transcend the personal afflictions of life.

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[swewhy]

is he jewish ?

[AskMoses]

I believe he is.

[mekeda05]

i'm not Jewish but I looooove eatting Matzah :) i make mine softer (adding more olive oil)

[53531640]

I am not jewish, so I dont understand the special ceremony about pouring in the flour and bread through separate holes in the wall.

[quirk18]

Great video! Looks like mine was filmed in the same mazo bakery!