In Memory of our beloved David Schwartz, who fell in battle sanctifying God’s name, on 27 Tevet, 5784 (8 January 2024).
“Le’David Barchi Nafshi” is a compilation of essays written on the weekly Torah reading by David Schwartz, of blessed memory, Hy"d. First published on the occasion of his marriage to Meital, David’s unique Torah thoughts that delve into the depths of the Torah are shared now to elevate his memory and sanctify his soul.
Translation from Hebrew: Akiva Herzfeld
Matzah expresses the arrival of the holiday of Pesach more than anything else. Soldiers in the Israeli army know this well. When the army switches its food rations two weeks before Pesach and gives soldiers matzah in different forms of meals, it is a notice to the public that the holiday of Aviv (Spring/ Summer) has arrived. Matzah also manifests the essential meaning of the holiday of Pesach. With the help of God, I will make an effort to explain this idea. The words below are based on teachings of Rav Daniel Alter, but I will also add my own thoughts.
Every small child probably knows the special feeling that comes with bedikat chametz, the search for chametz on the eve of Passover. We wrap pieces of bread in aluminum foil to prepare for the search, and then we hide ten pieces of chametz. We may know exactly where their hiding spot is, but then we go and search and find the pieces of chametz during the search, or bedika.
It is true that there is an important concept of doing interesting activities connected to Pesach and some of them are specifically designed in order to arouse children to ask questions, but this in itself cannot explain this bewildering activity that we are doing in searching for the chametz. Our sages have thoroughly discussed and questioned the meaning of searching for chametz. What is the purpose of it if we are finding chametz that we just hid a few minutes ago? How exactly can we call this a “search for chametz”?! In fact, the whole process of searching for chametz could look like a game for many people, if it’s not understood correctly.
Therefore, let us delve into the meaning of this.
In Tractate Pesahim (7b) the sages discuss the practice of searching the house for chametz before Pesach. They explain that by looking at different verses in the Torah where these specific words appear in connection to the Passover story and other contexts, we can understand the law’s purpose. Rav Ḥisda said: “The term finding (metzia) in one context is derived from finding (metzia) in another context, and finding is derived from the word searching (chipus), and this searching (chipus) is derived from searching elsewhere, and searching there is derived from the word lamps, and lamps is derived from lamp.”
Rashi (1040-1105) explains what these words mean. In the Torah we see that the word “finding” (metzia) is used in the story of the chametz (Ex. 12:19) and we also see that same word “finding” is used in the story of the goblet that is found in the sack of Binyamin (Gen. 44:12). The idea of finding is connected to the idea of searching, because just as the goblet was found in the sack of Binyamin after a search, so too our finding of the chametz should occur after we have searched for it. We can say as well that the Talmud is telling us that just as they found the goblet of Binyamin after they hid it, so too we should hide the chametz and do a search for chametz.
On a deeper level, however, the matter is puzzling. We would expect to look for chametz that we didn't know existed previously, and which would be discovered through searching for it. This is the essential meaning of what a search entails. A bedika, or search, should find something concealed and hidden. Not something that was intentionally hidden from the beginning.
In order to explain this on a deeper level, let us look at the writings of Rav Pinchas Menahem Alter, the seventh Rebbe of of Ger Hassidim (1992-1996), known as the Pnei Menahem. He explains that we can look at another discussion, in Tractate Berahot 17a, to understand this discussion. There it states: “After Rabbi Alexander prayed, he would say the following: Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You that our will is to perform Your will, and what prevents us? On the one hand, the yeast in the dough, the evil inclination that is within every person; and the subjugation to the kingdoms on the other. May it be Your will that You will deliver us from their hands, of both the evil inclination and the foreign kingdoms, so that we may return to perform the edicts of Your will with a perfect heart.”
In tractate Berahot, Rashi explains that the words the “yeast in the dough” means that the evil inclination lingers in our hearts. The yeast has a symbolic meaning. The yeast symbolizes a delay in performing the will of God, as this is due to the evil inclination in our hearts. Just as yeast causes the dough to expand over time, so too the yeast in our context can symbolize the evil inclination as becoming, in a manner of speaking, chametz in our lives. It seems to me that this is the proper way to understand these ideas, because it is hard to say that the war to destroy chametz should only be understood simply, without a hidden meaning.
A bedika/search cannot completely guarantee that our home is totally clean and pure from chametz. Therefore, we must say that the leaven, or chametz, symbolizes something greater, which is the evil instinct that is at the center of this internal conflict. This is what we want to burn and destroy. In any case, the Pnei Menahem explains that this specifically is the intention in the bedika for chametz, and therefore we are specifically worried to hide chametz before the search.
The intent of searching for chametz is not to identify chametz that we are not aware of, and the intention is not to suddenly discover a yetzer hara. Rather we are aware that there is leaven, or chametz, that was put within us intentionally. We need to expose this and destroy it. That evil inclination in our hearts that may be fermenting (worsening in the manner of leavening dough), but we are well aware of its existence just as we are aware of the hidden chametz. By the action of hiding chametz, we show awareness of both chametz and also of the yetzer hara, that evil inclination, which we are trying to destroy. This action of hiding the chametz expresses well the constant war against the yetzer hara that lingers within us. This is the main message of hiding and finding the chametz.
The commentary of the Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, is instructive. He notes on the verse, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God that took you from the burdens of Egypt” (Ex. 6:7) that a person should realize that he is prepared to be in Galut. If a person would realize that everything is from God then nothing would be hidden from him. And regarding the verse that “you should remember that God took you out of the land of Egypt through all the days of your life.” The Sefat Emet adds that we must remember well in those days that were it not for God’s mercy we would still be in Egypt. It may seem natural to us that we are free. However, the verse of “And you shall remember that I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt” (6:7) serves as a constant reminder to us that we are not entirely free. We are essentially still bound to servitude in Egypt, and must constantly fight and overcome internal struggles.
Our sages explained that the haughty one is alike to one who worships idols, but the purpose of matzah is to nullify our pride. As the verse states, “you shall make no molten gods for yourselves. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread” (Ex. 34:17-18). We can nullify idolatry through observing the holiday of matzah, or “the feast of unleavened bread.” The word to “keep” (Hebrew, Shomer) is a reminder that this could be chametz. Take something that you understand can become chametz, and concern yourselves with an effort not to allow this to pass over or linger (or leaven), such that you miss out on your opportunity. That is the essential meaning of matzah. It provides us with a key to remember that everything we have is from God and we must grasp this.
I believe that the importance of this teaching is especially relevant in our days. As we see the Corona plague does not pass over any homes, or city, or land, that cursed disease reminds us to what extent our personal strength is limited and critically dependent on God in this world.
With God’s help, may we merit to attain great faith to overcome challenges from within us and beyond. May we merit the clarity of understanding of the revealed and hidden meanings of these ideas. Then there will be no reason for the great hidden concepts held within the mitzvah of matzah, and we may merit salvation, healing, and redemption, swiftly in our days.
"בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין ליגאל" (ראש השנה י, עב)
“In Nissan we were redeemed and in the month of Nissan we will be redeemed in the future.”