Why do we eat Matzah on Paysach?
מגלה את המצות, מגביה את הקערה ואומר בקול רם:
The leader uncovers the matsot, raises the Seder plate, and says out loud:
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַּׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַּׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
This is the bread of destitution that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.
אוחז המצה בידו ומראה אותה למסובין:
He holds the matsa in his hand and shows it to the others there.
מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוֹ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מַה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּגְאָלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹּת, כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ, כִּי גֹרְשׁוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ, וְגַם צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶם.
This matsa that we are eating, for the sake of what [is it]? For the sake [to commemorate] that our ancestors' dough was not yet able to rise, before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed [Himself] to them and redeemed them, as it is stated (Exodus 12:39); "And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt into matsa cakes, since it did not rise; because they were expelled from Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they made for themselves provisions."
(ב) וְזָבַ֥חְתָּ פֶּ֛סַח לַיי אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֑ר בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֣ר יי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃ (ג) לֹא־תֹאכַ֤ל עָלָיו֙ חָמֵ֔ץ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֛ים תֹּֽאכַל־עָלָ֥יו מַצּ֖וֹת לֶ֣חֶם עֹ֑נִי כִּ֣י בְחִפָּז֗וֹן יָצָ֙אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכֹּר֔ אֶת־י֤וֹם צֵֽאתְךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ (ד) וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֨ה לְךָ֥ שְׂאֹ֛ר בְּכָל־גְּבֻלְךָ֖ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְלֹא־יָלִ֣ין מִן־הַבָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּזְבַּ֥ח בָּעֶ֛רֶב בַּיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן לַבֹּֽקֶר׃
(ג) וַיִּפְצַר־בָּ֣ם מְאֹ֔ד וַיָּסֻ֣רוּ אֵלָ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וּמַצּ֥וֹת אָפָ֖ה וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
(2) ומצות אפה AND HE BAKED UNLEAVENED BREAD —It was Passover (Genesis Rabbah 48:12).
(39) And they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt to make cakes of matzot, for it was not leavened… | |
(6) And Lot went out to them at the entrance, and shut the door after him. | (22) And none of you shall go out from the entrance of his house until morning. |
(11) And they struck the men that were at the entrance to the house with blindness… and they wearied themselves to find the entrance. | (23) …God will pass over the entrance and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses, to smite you. |
(3) And he made them a feast, and baked matzot, and they ate. | (8) And they shall eat the meat on that night, roasted with fire, with matzot; they shall eat it with bitter herbs. |
(27) It is the sacrifice of Pesach unto God, Who passed over the houses of Bnei Yisraelin Egypt, when He smote Egypt, and delivered our houses. | |
(13) For we will destroy this place, for their cry has grown great before God, and God has sent us to destroy it. | (12) I shall smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… (13) … when I smite the land of Egypt (29) … God smote all the firstborn in the landof Egypt |
(14) …Get up; get out of this place, for God is going to destroy the city… | (31) And he called for Moshe and Aharon by night, and said: Get up; get out from among my nation – you and Bnei Yisrael… |
(15) And when the dawn came… (12) …whatever you have in the city, bring it out of this place. | (51) And it was, on that same day, that God brought Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt by their hosts. |
(16) And he lingered… so they brought him out… | (39) And they could not linger… |
(24) And God rained down upon Sedom and Amora brimstone and fire from God out of the heavens. | And God sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran down to the ground, and God rained hail upon the land of Egypt. (9:23) |
(25) And He overthrew those cities, and all of the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the vegetation on the land. | And there was hail, and fire flaring amidst the hail, very heavy, such as had not been seen throughout the land of Egypt since it became a nation. (9:24) |
Duration: All night until the morning Lot’s family is saved, producing two nations: Moav and Ammon. | Duration: All night until the morning The Exodus from Egypt gives rise to Am Yisrael |