Matzah: Lechem Oni or Free Man's Bread?

This is the bread of destitution that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

This matsa that we are eating, for the sake of what [is it]? For the sake [to commemorate] that our ancestors' dough was not yet able to rise, before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed [Himself] to them and redeemed them, as it is stated (Exodus 12:39); "And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt into matsa cakes, since it did not rise; because they were expelled from Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they made for themselves provisions."

It was stated that amora’im discussed the requirement to recline. Everyone agrees that matza requires reclining, i.e., one must recline when eating matza, and bitter herbs do not require reclining.

(7) Anyone who is required to recline, if he eats or drinks without reclining, he has not fulfilled his obligation and is required to eat and drink again while reclining. (And there are those who say that in our times where it is not customary to recline, one can rely ex post facto on the opinion of the Ravaya, that he has fulfilled his obligation without the reclining. It appears to me if he did not drink the 3rd cup or the 4th cup while reclining, he should not drink again while reclining for there is a concern that such would appear as adding on to the number of cups; however, regarding the first 2 cups he should drink again without reciting a blessing; and similarly regarding the eating of matzoh and ab initio he should recline the entire meal.)

And Rabbi Yosei HaGelili could respond: Do we vocalize the word as ani, as would be appropriate for a phrase meaning a poor man’s bread? In fact, we vocalize it oni, which means oppression, affliction, or mourning. And Rabbi Akiva could retort: The fact that we vocalize the word as oni is in accordance with a statement of Shmuel. As Shmuel said: The expression leḥem oni means bread over which many matters are recited [onin], an allusion to the Passover Seder, at which one recites the Haggadah and eats matza.

It could be from Rosh Chodesh [that one would have to discuss the Exodus. However] we learn [otherwise, since] it is stated, "on that day." If it is [written] "on that day," it could be from while it is still day [before the night of the fifteenth of Nissan. However] we learn [otherwise, since] it is stated, "for the sake of this." I didn't say 'for the sake of this' except when [this] matsa and maror are resting in front of you [meaning, on the night of the fifteenth].

Rabban Gamliel used to say, "Anyone who has not mentioned these three things on Pesach has not discharged his obligation, and these are [the items that he must mention]: the Pesach sacrifice, matsa and bitter herbs.

The Torah commands us to eat matzah on the night preceding the fifteenth day of Nisan, as it is written: "In the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread" (Exodus 12:18), everywhere and throughout time.— — By eating a piece of matzah the size of an olive [on the night of the fifteenth] one fulfills his duty.

With regard to wine, it was stated in the name of Rav Naḥman that wine requires reclining, and it was also stated in the name of Rav Naḥman that wine does not require reclining. The Gemara explains: And these two statements do not disagree with each other: This statement is referring to the first two cups, and that statement is referring to the last two cups. However, it was not clear which two cups require reclining according to Rav Naḥman. Some say the explanation in this manner and some say it in that manner. The Gemara elaborates: Some say it in this manner, that the first two cups require reclining, as it is now that freedom begins. Since reclining is a sign of freedom, while discussing the exodus from Egypt it is appropriate to drink while reclining. By contrast, the last two cups do not require reclining, because what was already was. In other words, by this point one has completed the discussion of the Exodus and has reached the latter stages of the seder. And some say it in that manner and claim that on the contrary, the last two cups require reclining, as it is at that time that there is freedom. However, the first two cups do not require reclining, as one still says: We were slaves. The Gemara concludes: Now that it was stated so, and it was stated so, i.e., there are two conflicting opinions and it cannot be proven which two cups require reclining, both these sets of cups and those require reclining.