Matzah: Timeless Redemption*** *Why do we eat this unleavened bread? This can be explained similarly to what we have said above, regarding Ha Lachma Anya. Matzahis a symbol of redemption. Redemption, taking them out of Egypt, was accomplished with a “strong hand,” as is stated in many places regarding the Exodus from Egypt: “For with a strong hand (hozek yad) the Lord took us out of Egypt.” (Ex. 13:16) Any activity that is performed with “a strong hand” is performed quickly with a strength that is beyond time.¹as symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. The Maharal offers a different interpretation. It symbolizes the haste with which God redeemed them from slavery – possibly because they needed to leave Egypt before they became subjugated forever. Because God’s time was condensed (he writes here that God’s time was non-time) there was no time for the people to allow the dough to rise. Matzahis understood here as being timeless bread and in that sense it becomes eternal. It is also stated, “Remember this day that you came out of Egypt… for with a strong hand the Lord took you out from this place; therefore no leavened bread shall be eaten.”(Ex 12:3) This suggests that hametzresults from procrastinating while redemption takes place without time since God redeemed them with a “strong hand.” Similarly, God commanded them to eat the Passover offering b’hipazon, ‘with haste.’ This was done so that they would cling to the virtue from which “a strong arm’ came, bringing them forth quickly with the same power which is above time. We can now understand the passages, “The matzahwhich we eat…because the dough did not have time to become leavened…” If our ancestors' dough did not have time to become leavened it is because God took us out “with a strong arm,” with haste, without time. Therefore, we must eat matzahwhich is made quickly as well. This explanation is very obvious! According to all the commentaries, matzahis a symbol of freedom and maroris certainly a symbol of subjugation. This is another reason why we are supposed to eat the matzahand marortogether with the Passover offering. The Passover offering is a symbol that we are one people who worship the one God above as we have previously seen. From God goes forth matzahand maror, slavery and freedom. That is why matzahand marorare required by the Torah along with the Pesachoffering. When there isn’t a Pesachoffering, then we are only required to have the matzah. At this time the maroris not required since it has no reality of its own; rather it is secondary to the Pesachoffering.

footnotes: ¹ We think of matzah