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| Matzoh on Seder Plate (Photo by Claude Truong-Ngoc) |
Sooner or later, supermarket shoppers come across the Passover staple known as matzah. Although some may savor its crunchy bite, most favor its religious significance.
Often described as “unleavened flatbread,” and sometimes as “the bread of affliction,” matzah has long been associated with the Israelites’ flight from Egyptian slavery. Exodus 12:18 states: “From the evening of the 14th day of the first month until the evening of the 21st day, you are to eat matzah.” Deuteronomy 16:3 adds: “Thus you will remember the day you left the land of Egypt as long as you live.”
How so? Simply put: When on the run, it’s not only difficult to wait for dough to rise, but also impossible to keep it from spoiling beneath the harsh desert sun. Symbolically, this “poor man’s bread” also reminds the faithful to remain humble.
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