Soft Matzah - What Did Our Ancestors Really Eat?

(1) Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God; for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. (2) And thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. (3) Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for in haste didst thou come forth out of the land of Egypt; that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

It has been reported : If they set before them figs and grapes in the middle of a meal, Rab Huna declared that they require a benediction before partaking thereof but not after. Similarly said Rab Nahman : They require a benediction before partaking thereof but not after. But Rab Sheshet said : They require a benediction both before and after, because there is nothing which requires a benediction before partaking thereof which does not require one after it, bread offered as a dessert (pat haba'ah b'kisnin) being alone excepted.

Bread offered as a dessert - After eating and grace after meals, the were accustomed to serve kisnin which are a type of bean which is good for the heart, as is generally known (Eruvin 29b) "These kisnin which are beneficial to the heart and are served with bread which is soaked in spices like our ubliash​. Some make them in the shape of birds or trees and eat only a small taste

Bread offered as dessert, bless over it "who creates types of grains", and afterwards, al hamichya. And if one from it an amount that others would regularly establish a meal over, even though he is not satisfied from it, he should bless over it the blessing over bread and grace after meals. If, ab initio, it was his intention to eat only a little and he blessed over grains, and in the end, he ate an amount that others establish a meal over, he should recite grace after meals, even though he did not originally make the blessing over bread. If he ate an amount that others do not establish a meal over, even though he regularly does, he only blesses over grains and al hamichya, since his intention is supplanted by the normative practice.

Pat Haba'ah B'kisnin - Some explain: Bread made with pockets that are filled with honey or sugar or nuts and almonds or spices . . . Some explain: Dough mixed with honey or oil or milk or various spices which is then baked, and it has the flavor of the mixture of fruit juices or spices clearly recognizable in the dough. Rema: Some explain that this is considered regular bread unless there are a lot of spices or honey like a dessert . . . whereby the honey and spices are practically the main ingredients, and such is the custom. Some explain: This is a bread, whether flavored or not, that is like dry crackers that one breaks apart . . . and the law is like all of these opinions . . . .

(2) If there be any dough in the crevices of a kneading-trough; if there is a kazayit [ a specific unit of volume] in one place, one is obligated to destroy [it]; and if not, it is [considered as] null [due] to its smallness. And so too with respect to impurity. [However] if one is particular about it [and doesn't want it there], it forms a separation, but if he wants its preservation [in the trough], it is [considered] as [a part of] the trough. If there is a 'silent' dough [that has not visibly become leavened]: if there is one similar to it that has become leavened, behold [that 'silent' dough] is forbidden.

(5) If [dough begins to become] leavened, it must be burned; but the one who eats it is exempt [from karet]. If [it] becomes cracked, it must be burned, and the one who eats it is obligated [to undergo] karet. What [dough] is [considered as commencing to become] leavened? [When it shows small cracks standing apart] like the horns [antennae] of locusts. [What is considered] cracked? When the cracks cross each other - these are the words of Rabbi Yehuda. But the Sages say, "Whoever eats either is obligated [to undergo] karet." What [dough] is [considered as commencing to become] leavened? When its surface has become [pale], like [the face of] a person whose hair stands on end [through fright].

Mishna: Deaf Dough - If there is dough similar to it which became leavened, it too is prohibited. Gemara: If there is no dough similar to it, what is the law? Rabbi Abahu said that Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish said that leavening occurs in the time it takes a person to walk from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias, a mil. Then let the teaching say "a mil"! This comes to teach that the distance of a mil is the distance between Migdal Nunaya and Tiberias.

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Rabba bar Rav Huna said that Rav said: Bread that became moldy, once there was more matza then leaven it is permissible. What are the circumstances? If you say that he knows this loaf is leavened bread, what difference would it make if there were more matza?! Rather, this must be a case where we do not know whether it is leavened or matza. However, in that case, why specifically where there was more matza? Even where there was not more matza, let us follow the last item placed in the vessel . . .

12) And does not know etc. - This law was in accord with the custom of their time when they would bake matzot that were a bit thicker such that it was not easily distinguishable in appearance from leavened loaves.

The sages taught: One may not bake thick bread (on the festival) on Passover; this is the statement of Beit Shammai.

But Beit Hillel permit. And how much thickness is required to be considered thick bread? Rav Huna said: A handbreadth, just as we found by the shewbread which was a handbreadth thick. Rav Yosef strongly objects to this: If this was said about diligent priests, will they say the same about those who are less diligent? If they said this with regard to well-kneaded bread, will they say the same about bread that is not well-kneaded? If they said this with regard to dry wood, will they say the same about moist wood? If they said this with regard to a hot oven, will they say the same about a cooler oven? If they said this with regard to a metal oven, will they say the same about a clay oven? Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said: I asked my special Rabbi, and who is this? Rav. Some say Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said: I asked my special Rabbi, and who is this? Our holy Rabbi. What is the meaning of pat ava? A large amount of bread. Then why did they call it pat ava? Since it requires a large amount of kneading. And if you prefer, say instead that in the place where this Tanna lived, a large quantity of bread was simply called pat ava.

And how thick can a bread be? A tefach? - Beit Hillel permitted even this volume but did not permit any more than a tefach.

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One should not make bread (matzah) on Passover that is thicker than a tefach (between 3.5 and 4 inches).

Rema: Some are of the opinion that it is better to make the matzot thin, and not thick like regular breads, for thin [matzot] are not as quick to rise.

Thin. The custom is to make them the thickness of a finger ...

7) The obligation to eat matzah is on only on the first night. Rema: The custom is to make three matzot for the Seder from an isaron (1/10th of an ephah of flour, 1200 grams), in remembrance of the breads of the thanksgiving offering, and to make a sign to know which was made first or second or third, and to place the first on top, etc. and if the order is changed it does not prevent fulfillment of the custom (Tur in the name of the Rosh). They are baked in order (Kol Bo and Abudarham), and if one accidentally breaks, it should be used as the middle matzah, since it would be broken anyway (Agur) . . . .

(46) And the custom etc. - See Beit Meir where he casts doubt on the custom, still practiced in many places, as a custom which is nowadays waning.

Sufganin (sponge-like matzah) and duvshanin (matzah fried in honey) and iskreetan - a person is permitted to fill his belly with them so long as he eats an olive's volume (kezayit) of actual matzah at the end [to fulfill the obligation of afikoman].

Iskreetan - They are made like thin pancakes (tzephichit) which is translated as iskreeton (Exodus 17) as the dough is kneaded until it is extremely thin.

Wrap

All present should take a kazayit from the third whole matsa with a kazayit of marror, wrap them together and eat them while reclining and without saying a blessing. Before he eats it, he should say:

In memory of the Temple according to Hillel. This is what Hillel would do when the Temple existed:

He would wrap the matsa and marror and eat them together, in order to fulfill what is stated, (Exodus 12:15): "You should eat it upon matsot and marrorim."