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Torah
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The
concept of matzah is mentioned in the Torah several times in
relation to The Exodus from Egypt:
And they shall eat the meat on that night, roasted over the fire,
and matzos, with bitter herbs, shall they eat it.
—Exodus 12:8
In the first month, in the evening of the fourteenth day of the
month, you shall eat matzos, until the evening of the twenty-first
day of the month.
—Exodus 12:18
You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat
matzos, the bread of affliction; for in haste did you come forth out
of the land of Egypt; that you may remember the day when you came
forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.
—Deuteronomy 16:3
Six days you shall eat matzos and on the seventh day shall be a
solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you shall do no work therein.
—Deuteronomy 16:8
Meaning
There are numerous explanations behind the meaning of matza. One
is historical: Passover is a commemoration of the exodus from Egypt.
The biblical narrative relates that the Israelites left Egypt in
such haste, they could not wait for their bread dough to rise. The
resulting product was matza. (Exodus 12:39). The other reason for
eating matza is symbolic: On the one hand, matza symbolizes
redemption and freedom, but it is also (lechem oni), "poor man's
bread." Thus it serves as a reminder to be humble, and to not forget
what life was like in servitude. Also, leaven symbolizes corruption
and pride as leaven "puffs up". Eating the "bread of affliction" is
both a lesson in humility and an act that enhances one's
appreciation of freedom.
Another explanation is that matza has been used to replace the
pesach, or the traditional Passover offering that was made before
the destruction of the Temple. During the Seder the third time the
matza is eaten it is preceded with the Sefardic rite, “zekher
l’korban pesach hane’ekhal al hasova.” This means, “Remembrance of
the Passover offering, eaten while full.” This last piece of the
matza eaten is called afikoman and many explain it as a symbol of
salvation in the future.
Bread was often a symbol of salvation in ancient Israel. This is
related to the idea that the Garden of Eden was fertile with bread
trees. The benediction over bread was, “motsi lechem min ha’arets,”
meaning, “brings forth bread from the earth.” This implies “that in
the future He will bring forth bread from the earth,” or the
paradise of the Garden of Eden will be restored. After the Temple
cult, sometime in the first century, the saving symbolism of bread
was applied to matza. Matza became a substitute for the pesach
because bread was already a symbol of salvation in the Jewish
community.
The Passover Seder meal is full of symbols of salvation, including
the opening of the door for Elijah and the closing line, “Next year
in Jerusalem,” but the use of matza is the oldest symbol of
salvation in the Seder.
Ingredients
and preparation
At the Passover seder, it is customary to eat matza made of flour
and water only. Matza containing eggs, wine, or fruit juice in
addition to water is not acceptable for use at the seder.[3] Matza
made with these items without the use of water is acceptable during
the remaining days of the holiday, although most strictly Orthodox
Ashkenazi Jews will not eat this kind of matza at all during
Passover.
There are five grains that may not be used during Passover in any
form except for matzoh.
1. Wheat, חיטה
2. Barley, שעורה
3. Spelt, כוסמין
4. Rye, שיפון, and
5. Oats (according to Rashi) (or two-rowed barley according to
Rambam's interpretation of Mishnah Kilayim[disambiguation needed]
1:1; Yerushalmi Challah 1:1).שיבולת שועל
Wheat and spelt (biblical spelt is now more correctly identified
as emmer wheat) are both in the genus Triticum and anything else in
the genus is likewise forbidden. Oat-grain is practically
gluten-free and belongs to a different tribe than wheat, spelt, rye
and barley. Millet and teff are borderline; it takes a few days for
them to rise. Concerning Identification of שיבולת שועל "oats" see
מיני דגן (Clarification: In modern Hebrew כסמת is used for
Buckwheat, which is not a grain at all.)
Matza dough is quickly mixed and rolled out without an autolyse
step such as might be used in leavened breads. Most forms are docked
with a fork or a similar tool to keep the finished product from
puffing in the same manner as a tortilla or pita bread, and the
resulting flat piece of dough is cooked at high heat until it
develops dark spots, then set aside to cool (and, if sufficiently
thin, to harden to crispness). Dough made from the five grains is
considered to begin the leavening process 18 minutes from the time
it gets wet, and sooner if eggs, fruit juice, or milk is added to
the dough. In reality, though, the entire process of making a matzoh
takes only a few minutes in efficient, well-organized modern matzo
bakeries.
After baking, matza may be ground into fine crumbs, known as matza
meal. Matza meal is used to make matza balls and is added to other
foods, such as gefilte fish, to hold the ingredients together
instead of flour. Kosher for Passover cakes and cookies are made
with matza meal, which gives them a denser texture than ordinary
baked goods made with flour. Coarse matzo meal is known as matzo
farfel.
Common
varieties
Handmade shmura matzo
Machine-made Yehuda Matzos.
Matzo-forming machine, ca. early 20th century (the Lviv Museum of
the History of Religion)
There are two major forms of matza, with several subcategories. In
the United States, the most common form is the hard form of matza
which is cracker-like in both appearance and taste, which is used in
all Ashkenazic and most Sephardic communities. Many Mizrahi,
Yemenite Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Hispanic and Latin Sephardi Jews
traditionally made a form of soft matza. In those communities, matzo
looks similar to pita while in others it can resemble a tortilla.
However, it is made under proper supervision, just like the hard
form of matzah. The soft form of matza is only made by hand, and
generally with shmurah flour, as described below, like traditional "Shmurah
Matza".
Among Ashkenazi matza, one can distinguish between what is called
shmura matza — a round matza about a foot in diameter — which is
made by hand, and machine-made matza, which is usually square and
much smaller. Shmura ("guarded") matzo (Hebrew מַצָּה שְׁמוּרָה
maṣṣā šəmūrā) is made from grain that has been under special
supervision from the time it was harvested to ensure that no
fermentation has occurred. In addition, it is made with the
intention of using it to fulfill the commandment of eating matza on
the first night of Passover.
(The same shmura wheat may be formed into either handmade or
machine-made matza, while non-shmura wheat is only fashioned into
machine-made matza. Moreover, although it is possible to bake shmura-style
matza from non-shmurah flour, such matza is rarely produced today,
although before the invention of machine-made matza it was quite
common.)
Besides their shape, handmade and machine-made matza taste
distinctively different. Handmade matzo is dense and chewy, while
machine-made matza is lighter and crispy. Shmurah matza is generally
available only around Passover and is more expensive.
Various commercial brands of matza come in flavored varieties,
such as poppyseed- or onion-flavored. For those who cannot eat
wheat, it is possible to buy oat and spelt matza with kosher
certification. Organic wheat matza is also available.[4]
Chocolate-covered matza is a favorite among children, although some
consider it "enriched matza" and will not eat it during the Passover
holiday (Chocolate-covered matza should not be confused with
"chocolate matza," a flat confection of chocolate and nuts that
resembles real matza).
Matza contains approximately 111 calories per 1-ounce/28g serving
(USDA Nutrient Database). This compares with 109 calories for the
same serving of rye crispbread.
Supervision
and provisions
Machine matzo produced from shmura wheat in Israel
Many Haredi or ultra-orthodox Jews are extremely scrupulous about
the supervision of their Matzah, as eating leavened products during
Passover is liable to the biblical punishment of Kareth, thus many
have the custom of baking their own Matzo, or at least participating
in some stage of the baking process. Ultra-Orthodox Shmurah Matzah
is typically expensive, generally between $15–$30 per pound, but
sometimes costing up to $50 per pound for special varieties with
particular stringencies.
Among many Hasidic Jews, only hand made shmurah matzah may be
used, in accord with the opinion of Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz,
who ruled that machine-made matzoth were chametz. According to that
opinion, hand-made non-shmurah matzoth may be used on the eighth day
of Passover outside of the Holy Land. However, today such matzoth
are generally not made.
However the non-Hasidic Haredi community of Jerusalem follows the
custom that machine-made matzoth may be used, with preference to the
use of shmurah flour, in accordance with the ruling of Rabbi Yosef
Chaim Zonnenfeld, who actually ruled that machine-made matzoth may
be preferable to hand made in some cases.
Matzah cookery
Matzot are used not only by themselves but in several roles in
Passover cuisine where they can substitute for flour or pasta. In
English-speaking countries, where Ashkenazic culture dominates,
matzo balls and matzo farfel are widely used in soups and as pasta,
as well as matzo meal being used in baked goods such as cakes.
Matzah brei is another popular dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origins made
from matzo fried with eggs.
In Sephardic settings, matzo (soaked in water or stock) is used as
a substitute for phyllo or lasagna noodles to make pies known as
mina (or, in Italian, scacchi).
A sort of pancake, called a matzo meal pancake, made from matzo
meal (powder ground matzah) egg and milk and fried is also eaten as
a substitute to normal pancakes.
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Egg Matzah
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