Why do we eat matza on Passover ? This question is one of four the Pesach haggadah poses in order to open up discussion at the Passover seder.
The traditional answer given is that matzah represents the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate as slaves in Egypt.
By eating the dry, tasteless matza, we re-experience the physical servitude and hardships our ancestors endured.
On the other hand, matza is also referred to as the bread of redemption.
When the moment came for Moses to take the Jews out of bondage they did not have time to allow the dough to rise into bread.
In their haste to flee they hurriedly took the flat, ready to eat matza as provision for the long journey before them.
By eating matza on Passover night we get to re-experience and internalize the taste of freedom.
Yet, there is another interpretation as to why we eat matza on Passover eve, a kabbalistic one.
And though the response dates back hundreds, if not thousands of years, it's significance appears more modern and relevant today than ever before.
Matza is occasionally referred to as being "the bread of healing.
" What is the connection? The answer is best expressed by the Chassidic master, Rabbi Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchak of Alexander, in his classic work "Yismach Yisrael" (Rejoice O Israel.
) According to the Alexander Rebbe, we eat matza on Passover eve, to rectify and correct any acts of eating which may require "repair.
" In Hebrew this is referred to as "tikun.
" A fundamental belief of the sage is that all of our actions be done with thought and intent.
The highest goal of eating, as well as all physical activities, is to serve our Creator.
If we have eaten without thought, without consciousness as to our higher goals, without awareness as to the ultimate source of our food, such eating is in need of repair.
Thus by eating matza on Passover night, with the proper intent, we have the ability to effect a "tikun" or correction for all the times we have eaten in a careless, thoughtless, animal like way.
Eating in a more spiritual frame of mind would be a first step towards bringing about a "healing.
" A rectification to reconnect us with our Creator and the world around us.
Thus the reference to matza being a "bread of healing.
" But we need to go deeper.
In light of this teaching, I would like to suggest four questions we may ask ourselves this coming year whenever we sit down to eat.
Though probably not the same questions the Alexander Rebbe had in mind, these questions nevertheless, are intended to help us raise our awareness and eat more consciously.
1.
Is the food I am eating nourishing? According to leading nutrition expert, Dr.
Joel Fuhrman, author of "Eat to Live", 51% of our caloric intake comes from refined, processed foods.
These are foods which lack nutritional value.
They are often referred to as "empty calories.
" They include cakes, cookies, crackers, white bread and pasta, soft drinks, ice cream, vegetable oils, etc.
Such foods cause us more harm than good.
Another 40% of our caloric intake comes from animal products.
This includes meat, dairy, poultry, eggs and fish.
Study after study from respected medical institutions clearly show the direct link between an animal based diet and disease.
The sad part is that only about 5% of our caloric intake comes from fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts, foods that are nutritionally rich and life giving.
We must choose our foods wisely and get back to basics.
If not we will kill ourselves with our forks and knives.
2.
Is the food I am eating respectful of my environment? Water conservationists have pointed out that over 50% of all the water used in America goes to raising animals for food.
It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat and 750 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk.
Yet it requires only 25 gallons of water to grow one pound of wheat.
If that same water were used to grow grain to feed people, instead of raising food for livestock, it could go a long way towards eliminating world hunger.
Advances in technology have allowed us to transport food across the world overnight, but is it wise or necessary? Does a resident of the American northeast need to eat kiwis or strawberries in mid winter if the cost in fuel and natural resources is prohibitive and exploitive of our environment? This would be a violation of the Biblical commandment of 'baal tashchit," using items in an inappropriate and wasteful manner.
Other issues worthy of discussion concerning diet and our planet are the dangers of growing and consuming genetically modified foods, use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, the physical abuse and pain inflicted on animals destined for slaughter, the destruction of our rain forests for animal grazing and the resultant global warming.
What's required of us is to simplify our diet and return to eating locally grown, organic foods in season.
3.
Am I eating because I am hungry or because I am bored? Too often we simply sit down to eat because we lack something better to do.
We have forgotten, or never knew, what real hunger is.
America today faces an obesity epidemic.
We are overfed yet undernourished.
Based on present statistics more than half of all Americans will die of heart disease or stroke.
One third will die of cancer.
This does not include those who suffer with diabetes or dementia.
The tragedy is that all the above are diet related diseases and need not occur.
The good news is that by moving over to a plant based diet we can heal ourselves and restore our health.
4.
Am I expressing gratitude for the food I eat? Many families have a tradition of reciting a blessing both prior to and after a meal.
Such action allows us to pause and focus our thanks on the source of our food.
Equally important is expressing appreciation to the individual who cooked and prepared our meal.
No matter what we may eat, food that is prepared with love and eaten in a warm and caring environment always nourishes us.
Have we given thanks to the farmers, gardeners, growers and marketers who raise our food and are responsible for helping bring it to our table? Too often children are raised to think that food comes from the supermarket and are not aware it grows from the earth and requires someone's physical efforts to work the soil and bring it to fruition.
And last but not least, have we taken steps to ensure that the poor and needy of our own communities are not going hungry.
If we strive to follow in the path of the Alexander Rebbe by eating more consciously, then hopefully when we sit down at our seder table this holiday season and ask why do we eat matza on Passover, the matza will fulfill it's ultimate promise of truly becoming a "bread of healing.
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