(3) You shall not eat anything that is chametz with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread [Matzah], bread of distress—for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live. (4) For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh of what you slaughter on the evening of the first day shall be left until morning.
How many mitzvot about Chametz and Matza are in these pasukim?
Who must observe the rules?
What happens if one does not observe them?
What is the reason for the rules?
What is missing for you to be able to follow fully these instructions?
זה הכלל. כל שהוא ממין דגן הרי זה עובר בפסח.
This is the general rule: whatever is [made] from a type of grain [and is leavened], behold [with] this, [one] transgresses on Pesach;
(ה) אלו דברים שאדם יוצא בהן ידי חובתו בפסח בחיטים. בשעורים. בכוסמין ובשיפון. ובשבולת שועל.
(5) These are the [grains] with which a person may discharge his [obligation to eat matsa] on Pesach: with wheat, with barley, with spelt, and with rye, and with oats.
Why do we learn the forbidden grains from the positive command of what we use to fulfill the mitzvah of eating Matzah?
The following source is a commentary on the previous source by Rabbi Ovadia Bartenura:
(ה) בחטים ובשעורים וכו׳ אבל אורז ודוחן ושאר מינים לא, דכתיב (דברים טז) לא תאכל עליו חמץ שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות, דברים הבאים לידי חמוץ אדם יוצא בהן ידי חובת מצה, יצאו אורז ודוחן ושאר מינים שאין באין לידי חמוץ אלא לידי סרחון:
"With wheat, barley, etc."--however rice, millet, and other species [cannot be used to fulfill the obligation of Matzah]. As it is written (Deuteronomy 16:3, cited earlier in source 1) "do not eat chametz with it for seven days; eat Matzah with it." Only those things that can become chametz can be used to fulfill the obligation of Matzah. This excludes rice, millet, and other species, which cannot become chametz, but rather merely decay.
Question:
1. Based on the above sources, which types of grains can become Chametz (if fermented)? How do we know?
(ב) הֶחָמֵץ בַּפֶּסַח אָסוּר בַּהֲנָיָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יג ג) "לֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ" לֹא יְהֵא בּוֹ הֶתֵּר אֲכִילָה.
(2) ...The leavened bread on Passover is forbidden to derive pleasure from as it is stated: "You will not eat hametz" - there should be no permissive scenario of eating.
Question:
2. According to Maimonides (the author of the Mishneh Torah), what additional prohibition do we have regarding Chametz aside from eating?
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְהַשְׁבִּית הֶחָמֵץ קֹדֶם זְמַן אִסּוּר אֲכִילָתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב טו) "בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם". וּמִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁבָּרִאשׁוֹן זֶה הוּא יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר. רְאָיָה לְדָבָר זֶה מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (שמות לד כה) "לֹא תִשְׁחַט עַל חָמֵץ דַּם זִבְחִי" כְּלוֹמַר לֹא תִּשְׁחַט הַפֶּסַח וַעֲדַיִן הֶחָמֵץ קַיָּם. וּשְׁחִיטַת הַפֶּסַח הוּא יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אַחַר חֲצוֹת:
(ב) וּמַה הִיא הַשְׁבָּתָה זוֹ הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה הִיא שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל הֶחָמֵץ בְּלִבּוֹ וְיַחֲשֹׁב אוֹתוֹ כְּעָפָר וְיָשִׂים בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁאֵין בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ חָמֵץ כְּלָל. וְשֶׁכָּל חָמֵץ שֶׁבִּרְשׁוּתוֹ הֲרֵי הוּא כְּעָפָר וּכְדָבָר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ צֹרֶךְ כְּלָל:
(ג) וּמִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים לְחַפֵּשׂ אַחַר הֶחָמֵץ בַּמַּחֲבוֹאוֹת וּבַחוֹרִים וְלִבְדֹּק וּלְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִכָּל גְּבוּלוֹ. וְכֵן מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים שֶׁבּוֹדְקִין וּמַשְׁבִּיתִין הֶחָמֵץ בַּלַּיְלָה מִתְּחִלַּת לֵיל אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְאוֹר הַנֵּר. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבַּלַּיְלָה כָּל הָעָם מְצוּיִין בַּבָּתִּים וְאוֹר הַנֵּר יָפֶה לִבְדִיקָה. וְאֵין קוֹבְעִין מִדְרָשׁ בְּסוֹף יוֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר. וְכֵן הֶחָכָם לֹא יַתְחִיל לִקְרוֹת בְּעֵת זוֹ שֶׁמָּא יִמָּשֵׁךְ וְיִמָּנַע מִבְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ בִּתְחִלַּת זְמַנָּה:
(1) ...There is a positive commandment from the Torah to remove the hametz before the time that it is forbidden for consumption as it says (Shemot 12:15) "On the first day, remove the leavened from your homes." From the oral law, they learned that the first day refers to the 14th of Nissan. A proof to this matter is what is stated in the Torah: (Shemot 34:25) "Do not slaughter the animal with hametz in your possession." This means to say do not slaughter [the korban pesach] while the hametz exists. The day of the slaughtering the korban pesach is the 14th day following midday.
(2) ...And what is this removal that is mentioned in the Torah? It is annulling the hametz in his heart and considering it like dust, and knowing in his heart that it is not in his possession. All the Hametz in his possession is like dust and has no use.
(3) ...From the Hachamim, one should search for hametz in the hidden areas and cracks, to examine and remove from his boundaries. In addition, it is a Rabbinic injuction to search and destroy hametz on the night of the 14th using a candlelight, since people are usually home and the candle is excellent for searching. One should not establish his learning at the end of the 13th day. The Hacham should not begin to study at this time lest he is drawn, thereby preventing him from searching for hametz at the beginning of this time.
Questions:
7. According to Maimonides, by when should one remove chametz from his/her house?
8. What is one way before Passover to avoid owning chametz?
9. What did the rabbinic sages institute regarding chametz in one's home? When should a person do this?
Ayalon Eliach
Bread is arguably the most basic food that humans eat. The difference between matzah and chametz is that matzah is flour and water mixed together and cooked immediately; whereas chametz is flour mixed with water that ferments and expands. Matzah is this basic food in its unleavened, unchanged state; whereas chametz is the same food once it has begun to go through a process of change.
Food is the most prominent thing that we intake completely into our bodies. It thus represents full acceptance. Refraining from chametz reminds us that full acceptance is not conditioned on being transformed, on being "leavened" into better people. Rather, matzah -- especially during Passover and in the Tabernacle/Mishkan -- serves as a physical reminder that we are worthy of full acceptance and love even in our "unleavened" state.
Why do we eat matzah? Because during the Exodus, our ancestors had no time to wait for dough to rise. So they improvised flat cakes without yeast, which could be baked and consumed in haste. The matzah reminds us that when the chance for liberation comes, we must seize it even if we do not feel ready—indeed, if we wait until we feel fully ready, we may never act at all.
D'var acher / another interpretation: To Jewish mystics, matzah represents our most inner and hidden self. On Seder night, we renew our most essential self and rededicate it to living life with an awareness of God all around us. During Pesach we do not eat leavened bread because it represents the "puffiness" of arrogance and pride. (Adapted from Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser)