Page 295 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳א רדסה ליל תוכלה · 293

Yachatz

On the Seder night one is supposed to eat a broken piece of matza instead of a whole matza, which is the
reason for performing Yachatz, the breaking of the matza, prior to Maggid. This is similar to a poor person
who doesn’t have the means to procure a full loaf of bread, and suffices with a piece instead, as indicated by
the Gemara below.

h Masechet Pesachim 115b :וטק םיחספ תכסמ . 26
Shmuel said that the phrase: “The bread of affliction וילע ןינועש םחל – )ביתכ( ינֹע םחל :לאומש רמא
[lechem oni]” (Devarim 16:3) means bread over which וילע ןינועש םחל – ינע םחל יכה ימנ אינת .םירבד
one answers [onim] matters, i.e., one recites the Haggada המ ,ביתכ ינע – ינע םחל :רחא רבד .הברה םירבד
over matza. That was also taught in a beraita: Lechem .הסורפב ןאכ ףא – הסורפב וכרדש ינע
oni is bread over which one answers many matters.
Alternatively, in the verse, “lechem oni” is actually written
without a vav, which means a poor person. Just as it is the
manner of a poor person to eat a piece of bread, for lack of
a whole loaf, so too, here he should use a piece of matza.

The Shulchan Aruch describes the exact procedure followed for breaking the matza.

a Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 473:6 ו:געת ח״וא | ע״וש . 27
…He takes the middle matza and breaks it into two pieces. ןתיו ,םיתשל הנעצביו תיעצמאה הצמ חקיו…
He gives one half to one of those sitting [at the table] to keep ןמוקיפאל הרמושל ןיבוסמהמ דחאל היצח
for the afikoman, and this is placed under a cover, while he ןיב םישי ינשה היצחו ,הפמה תחת התוא ןינתונו
places the other half between the two whole matzot. …תומילשה יתש

The Pri Megadim adds that one must be careful to break the bread in the manner of a poor person.

a Pri Megadim, Orach Chaim, ,ח״וא | םידגמ ירפ . 28
Aishel Avraham 473:20 כ:געת םהרבא לשא
With his hand and not with a knife, the way a poor person does. :השוע ינעהש ךרדכ ,ןיכסב אלו דיב

Some have the custom to then place the broken matzot on their shoulders as a remembrance of the Exodus,
as described by the Mishna Berura.

a Mishna Berura 473:59 טנ:געת | הרורב הנשמ . 29

There are those that place it [the matza] on their shoulders .םירצמ תאיציל רכז םהיפתכ לע התוא ןינתונש שי
as a remembrance of the Exodus.

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