(maht∙sah) n. unleavened bread in the form of large crackers, typically square and corrugated [Hebrew]
Well at least that’s how the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it! But when we take a deeper look into the message behind these ‘large crackers’, we are sure to walk away inspired.
Matzah is referred to as Lehem Oni, the bread of our affliction, as it reminds us what it means to live without dignity; to be afflicted, enslaved, and powerless. Yet, the matzah also serves as a symbol of our freedom, as the Haggada explains. We eat matzah to commemorate our emancipation from Egyptian sovereignty, for we departed Misrayim with baked matzah on our backs. Later on in the Pesach Seder, we are again conflicted when we break the matzah in half, proclaiming that this, scanty bread, is what our forefathers ate in Egypt, rather than appetizing and soft leavened bread. The matzah is however eaten while reclining, indicative of a person of leisure who has time to dine without worrying an interruption that would cause him to get up. The question is quite obvious: Is the misva of eating matzah intended to remind us of the plight of slavery we once endured, or is it instead to remind us of the redemption we so thankfully experienced?
Motty’s Bad Day
Motty woke up with a startling jolt. Jumbled and frantic, he quickly grabbed the digital clock at his bedside, fuming upon seeing he’d missed his alarm and overslept. It was the first day of his much-needed vacation, and the flight that would unite him with his family in Los Angeles was scheduled to leave in just a little under two hours! Motty raced out of bed, washed his face, grabbed his bags, and while still in his pajamas, went out to hail a taxi.
His heart raced, and the mere thought of missing his long-awaited flight made him uneasy to say the least. After arriving at Logan International Airport, Motty hurried through check-in, waited impatiently through the security lines, and darted for the gate. Still catching his breath, Motty placed his ticket on the table, staring incredulously at the woman on the other side.
“I’m sorry, sir… You’re flight has left,” she informed him.
Motty’s head sunk deep in his hands, remembering he’d bought the cheap ticket on non-refundable terms. The drive home was nothing short of depressing.
Hours later, after relaying the news with his loving family, Motty turned up the radio, hoping to ease his mind. He was dismayed to hear that his flight, United Airlines Flight 175, had crashed into the second World Trade Center building.
The Torah tells us(1) “Et Sara Hi Le’yaakob Umimena Yevashe’a”, “It is a time of trouble for Yaakov, but out of it shall He be saved”. This pasuk here imparts a fundamental concept, one that is vital we become familiar with as Jews:
It is through the events and occurrences that seem to be inconvenient, bad, or even tragic, that salvation will ultimately surface.
Initially, Motty was infuriated by the inconvenience of missing his flight, simply torn that he wouldn’t be seeing his family as soon as he’d hoped. Yet, just hours later, it became clear that through the very same inconvenience, his life was spared.
The Message
We repeatedly question the challenges we’re forced to face in life. “Why?” is what we’ll often ask when bringing Hashem into the picture.
We live in exile, a time in which Hashem has chosen to be “Metzitz Min Ha’harakim”, “Peer through the cracks”.(2) Gd is often hard to find amid misfortunes and tough times, a notion quite understandable as we search for someone visible only through small cracks. Indeed, most of us are not given the answer to this question, as Motty was.
By eating matzah on Pesach, we are reminded not merely of the slavery we faced in Egypt, nor solely of our triumphant liberation from Pharaoh’s evil control. We are reminded that even in the hardest of times; even when forced to perform backbreaking labor in Egypt, it is through those very situations that salvation will ultimately come about. It was only through the Galut of Misrayim that we were able to attain the required spiritual level to receive the Torah at Har Sinai, enter Eres Yisrael, and become the great Jewish nation we are today.
It should give us hope to realize, that when Gd sees fit to redeem us one last and final time, he will watch his children – no longer through the cracks, but will be “Masgiah Min Ha’halonot”, “Watching through the window”,(3) thus visible throughout all situations that seem intolerable.
(1) Yirmiyahu 30:7
(2) Shir Ha’shirim 2:9
(3) Ibid
