Page 307 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳א רדסה ליל תוכלה · 305

According to the Shulchan Aruch, lechatchila one needs to guard the wheat from the time of harvesting, and
if that is not possible, it should be guarded at least from the time of grinding. Bedieved, guarding from the
time of kneading is also acceptable. Today, all matzot that are kosher for Pesach are shemura at least from
the time of grinding, while those that are marketed as being “shemura matza” are guarded from the time of
harvesting, as per the ideal of the Shulchan Aruch.
The Shulchan Aruch’s ruling here applies only to matza eaten on the first two nights (in the Diaspora), the
“matzat mitzva,” but during the rest of Pesach, there is no requirement to consume shemura matza. However,
there are Rishonim that hold that one needs to eat shemura matza all seven days. The Biur Halacha cites this
opinion in the name of the Rambam, and this was also the custom of the Vilna Gaon.

a Biur Halacha 460:1 א:סת | הכלה רואיב . 56
See the Rambam, Hilchot Chametz Umatza 5:9, and it is clear ’ט ןיד הצמו ץמח ’המ ה”פ ם”במרב ןייעו
from there that his opinion is that all matza that one eats on חספב לכואש הצמ לכאד ותעדד םש חכומו
Pesach must be guarded. .רומיש ךירצ

The practical halacha is that on the first two nights, one must use shemura matza (ideally from the time
of harvesting, but at least from the time of grinding). However, on the remaining days it is not necessary,
though one who does so is praiseworthy.

p Peninei Halacha, Hilchot Pesach p. 171 171 ׳מע חספ ׳לה | הכלה ינינפ . 57

Some are careful to eat only shemura matza all of Pesach. There .תורומש תוצמ חספה לכב לכאל םיקדקדמ שי
are two reasons for this: One is that some authorities hold םנמאש םירבוס שיש ,דחאה :ךכל םימעט ינשו
that although there is no obligation to eat matza all of Pesach, םוקמ לכמ ,חספה לכב תוצמ לוכאל הבוח ןיא
nevertheless one who does eat has fulfilled a mitzva… …הוצמ םייקמ לכואה
And the second reason is that some authorities hold that one םימעטהמ דחאש םירבוס שיש ינשה םעטהו
of the reasons for eating shemura matza is due to the concern ,ץומיחה ששח ינפמ אוה הרומש הצמ תליכאל
that it will leaven, and out of all our foods on Pesach, matza is איה הצמה חספב ונלש םילכאמה לכמ ןכש
the most likely to leaven. Therefore, if the wheat is not guarded
from the time of harvesting, there is a concern that it may have ורמשי אל םא ןכלו ,ץימחהל רתויב הלולעה
become chametz. אמש ששח ונשי הריצק תעשמ םיטיחה תא
.וצימחה

Machine Matza

Ever since the beginning of the production of machine-made matza, it has been the subject of much
controversy. Some Acharonim prohibited using it due to a concern of becoming chametz during the
production as well as because perhaps machine matza is not considered to have been prepared for the sake
of the mitzva (which might require a human element). Others, though, permitted it.

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