When we ingest we completely accept food into our bodies, and our overwhelming preference is for the ingredients of bread to change in this way before we accept them fully. Leaven therefore symbolizes that acceptance is conditioned on change or transformation; whereas matzah represents the acceptance of things in their current state.
Both Passover and the Tabernacle stress the value of unconditional acceptance. The Israelites were not freed from Egypt because they were pious and fasted for three days, like the Jews in the Purim story Esther , or because they took initiative to change the status quo, like the Maccabees of the Hanukkah story. Rather, the Torah says, it was because God simply loved them as they were: a small, enslaved nation Deuteronomy Instead, it was a sanctuary for anyone to experience spiritual and emotional solace.
In both situations, matzah reminded the Israelites not that they were perfect, but that they were worthy of unconditional acceptance and love. Ayalon Eliach is a lawyer and a rabbinical student at Hebrew College. He is passionate about using religion as a source of connection rather than separation in the world. He tweets at ayaloneliach. Consequently, if there were no shutdown every 18 minutes, any residual material in continuous motion would not compromise the system.
In order for matzah to be properly and thoroughly baked, sustained levels of heat are required for a prescribed period of time; if the matzah is not thoroughly baked, it is considered chametz. Mashgichim must therefore continuously monitor ovens against any drop in baking temperatures.
Two other types of inadequately baked matzot are: 1. The Basic Ingredients For most of the year, flour mixed with water is considered a kosher-friendly combination. Levels of Shmurah Flour All wheat flour used in matzah production must be continually supervised.
Mayim Shelanu Water to be used in matzah baking must be left to stand overnight to ensure that it is allowed to cool. Safeguarding Against Insect Infestation The potential of insect infestation must be addressed when dealing with any grain product.
Flour-Dust Control The flour and water that make matzah must be mixed and kneaded into dough in a rabbinically-supervised, controlled environment. Heat and Fermentation The heat generated by the oven and the machinery running in an industrial setting often cause bakery temperatures to rise.
Unacceptable Matzot In order for matzah to be properly and thoroughly baked, sustained levels of heat are required for a prescribed period of time; if the matzah is not thoroughly baked, it is considered chametz.
Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz. Related Articles. Get Kosher alerts, new product updates and just click to ask a question. In contemporary Passover celebrations, relevant political or social justice themes have been incorporated into the seder. And while there are myriad Haggadot to choose from to fit nearly all religious, age-specific, political or even satirical needs , the retelling of the Exodus is a key fixture in a Haggadah, along with the reading of the 10 plagues, the asking of the four questions, and explaining various Passover rituals, some of which date back 2, years, according to My Jewish Learning.
In the very basic Passover storyline , the Pharaoh is fearful that there will be too many Jews living in Egypt so he institutes slavery and demands that male Jewish babies be killed.
After killing a slave master, Moses flees into the desert, and encounters a burning bush of God revealing himself to Moses. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Jews out of slavery. Moses goes to the Pharaoh and asks that he let the Jews go free from Egypt. The tenth and final plague is the most drastic: the killing of the first born by the so-called angel of death.
The Israelites were ultimately freed from slavery and wandered the desert for 40 years before making it to the promise land. Families hold a seder on the first and sometimes second night of Passover. It is fundamentally a religious service set around a dinner table, where the order in which participants eat, pray, drink wine, sing, discuss current social justice issues and tell stories is prescribed by a central book called the Haggadah.
On Passover seder tables, you may see a partitioned plate containing small amounts of specific food. This is the seder plate, and each food is symbolic for an aspect of Passover: A roasted shank bone represents the Pescah sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.
Also placed on the table are three pieces of matzah — a cracker-like unleavened bread — that represent the bread the Israelites took with them when they fled Egypt, and salt water to represent the tears of the slaves. At your seat, you may see a specific wine glass or kiddish cup. The Torah commands that at least four symbolic cups of wine be consumed during the Passover seder.
There may also be one or two extra kiddish cups at your table: One is a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah whose spirit visits on passover.
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