Matzah
Complementing the prohibition
of eating hametz on Pesah is the obligation to eat matzah. It is a positive
commandment of the Torah to eat k'zayit, an olive's bulk, of matzah on
the first night of Pesah. This practice is a reminder of the oppression
which our ancestors suffered in Egypt and of the hasty Exodus. For the
rest of Pesah, we are not specifically obligated to eat matzah, but, since
we are forbidden to eat hametz, we are virtually forced by circumstances
to do so.
Matzah is made of flour and
water made into a dough kneaded thoroughly and then baked immediately
at a high temperature so that it does not have a chance to rise. From
the time that the flour and water and mixed, the entire process must be
completed in no more than l8 minutes. Matzah may be made of any of the
"five species" of grain (wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt), but the
usual practice is to make it of wheat. In order to insure that no fermentation
of the grain takes place, the process of making matzah must be very closely
supervised by a knowledgeable person.
For most matzah, this supervision
begins at the time that the grain is milled into flour. However, there
are some who hold that the supervision must begin at the time that the
grain is cut. Matzah made in this manner is called matzah shmurah ("watched"
matzah). Some people eat only matzah shmurah all Pesah; many use matzah
shmurah for the matzah shel mitzvah, the matzah which we are obligated
to eat at the seder.
Egg matzah, known in Jewish
literature as matzah ashirah (rich matzah), is made from Passover flour,
eggs, sugar, and wine or cider. It is a confection, and not real unleavened
bread; therefore, egg matzah may not be used at the seder. Since slight
variations in the procedure for making of egg matzah would cause rapid
fermentation, strict Ashkenazic practice is that only the very young,
the elderly, and the ill eat egg matzah on Pesah.
Top
<<Previous
Next>>
Return
to Pesah Index
Return
to Home Page
|