Matzah, the "Food of Faith"
When our forefathers left Egypt, they were in such a hurry that there was no time to wait for the dough to rise. They therefore ate Matzah, unleavened bread. With only this food (but with great faith), our ancestors relied on the Almighty to provide sustenance for the entire Jewish nation -- men, women and children. Each year, to remember this, we eat Matzah on the first two nights of Pesach, thereby fulfilling the Torah’s commandment, "Matzot shall you eat...."
The Humblest of Foods
Matzah symbolizes faith. In contrast to leavened bread, Matzah is not enriched with oil, honey, or other substances. It consists only of flour and water, and is not allowed to rise. Similarly, the only "ingredients" for faith are humility and submission to G-d, which come from recognizing our "nothingness" when compared with the infinite wisdom of the Creator.
One of the holiday's primary obligations is to eat Matzah during the Seder. It is strongly recommended to use Shmurah Matzah to fulfill this commandment.
Matzah is eaten three times during the Seder:
- After telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt (Maggid), washing our hands for bread (Rachtzah), and reciting the blessings (Motzi Matzah), two ounces of Matzah are eaten.
- For the sandwich (Korech), one ounce of Matzah is eaten.
- For the Afikoman at the end of the meal (Tzafun), 1½ ounces of Matzah are eaten.
In each instance, the Matzah should be eaten within 4 minutes.
How much is one ounce of Matzah?
Half a piece of Shmurah Matzah is generally one ounce.
If store-bought Matzot are used, the weight of the box of Matzot divided by the number of pieces shows how much Matzah is the equivalent of one ounce.
