Passover is a Jewish festival that celebrates the liberation of the Hebrews from the enslavement of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Matzo is a traditional Jewish food, which holds great significance on the holiday of Passover. Matzo is known by a variety of names, such as matzah, matzoh, matza, matsah, matsa and matze. Five grains are forbidden to be eaten during Passover in any processed form except dry-roasting and as matzo. These grains are barley, spelt, rye, oats and wheat. Matzo is a bland, cracker-like unleavened flatbread made from white plain flour and water. Similar to the Southwest Asian lavash and the Indian chapatti, the matzo meal dough is pricked at several places to prevent it from rising, thereby producing a hard, flat bread. Continue reading to know more about what matzo is and its symbolism in Passover.
What Is Matzah
While leaving Egypt in haste, the Israelites did not have enough time to allow their bread dough to rise. Hence, they baked the dough which produced matzah. Thus, the historical reason behind preparing matzah is commemorating the exodus of Jews from Egypt. Matzah also has a symbolic meaning behind its preparation. On one hand, it signifies redemption and freedom, while on the other, matzah resembles “lechem oni” or “poor man’s bread”. Since leaven bread puffs up, it signifies corruption and pride. Consuming matzoh during Passover teaches the lesson of humility and appreciating one’s freedom.
Matzah is eaten three times during the Seder meal. Before eating matzah for the third time, the Sefardic rite is held which goes as ““zekher l’korban pesach hane’ekhal al hasova”. This means, “Remembrance of the Passover offering, eaten while full”. The third and last piece of matzah eaten is known as afikoman, a symbol of salvation in the future. The ancient Israelites considered bread to be a symbol of salvation. The Garden of Eden was fertile with bread trees as it was blessed with “motsi lechem min ha’arets”, signifying “brings forth bread from the earth”.
This was used to symbolize “that in the future, He will bring forth bread from the earth”, in other words, the paradise of the Garden of Eden will be restored. However, in the first century after the temple cult, the symbolism of the bread was transferred to matza. Since then, matzah has become a symbol of Passover as bread is already connected with salvation in the Jewish community. Today, different forms of matzah are made, the most common being the hard form which appears and tastes like cracker. This is used in all Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities in the United States. The other is a soft matza used by Mizrahi, Yemenite Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Hispanic and Latin Sephardi Jews.
