טז וּבַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם: כָּל-מְלָאכָה, לֹא-יֵעָשֶׂה בָהֶם--אַךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵאָכֵל לְכָל-נֶפֶשׁ, הוּא לְבַדּוֹ יֵעָשֶׂה לָכֶם.
יז וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-הַמַּצּוֹת, כִּי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת-צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם--חֻקַּת עוֹלָם.
יח בָּרִאשֹׁן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ, בָּעֶרֶב, תֹּאכְלוּ, מַצֹּת: עַד יוֹם הָאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים, לַחֹדֶשׁ--בָּעָרֶב.
יט שִׁבְעַת יָמִים--שְׂאֹר, לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם: כִּי כָּל-אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת, וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--בַּגֵּר, וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ.
כ כָּל-מַחְמֶצֶת, לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ; בְּכֹל, מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם, תֹּאכְלוּ, מַצּוֹת.
16 You shall celebrate a sacred occasion on the first day, and a sacred occasion on
the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them; only what every person
is to eat, that alone may be prepared for you. 17 You shall observe the [Feast of]
Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your ranks out of the land
of Egypt; you shall observe this day throughout the ages as an institution for
all time. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening,
you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at
evening. 19 No leaven shall be found in your houses for seven days. For whoever
eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the community of Israel,
whether he is a stranger or a citizen of the country. 20 You shall eat nothing
leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread.
[translation by Hazon]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Why do we eat matzah according to this text?
2. What is the relationship between food choices and community? Are there contemporary instances in which choosing to eat or not eat something causes you to be cut off from the community?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)