Page 21 - RMBA Upper School Haggadah 2018
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produc on. Also, it depends on how evenly the Matzah is cooked. Those were just some of the
concepts that differen ate Matzah from Chametz.
There are many lessons that we can learn from the differences of Matzah and Chametz. The
Radbaz teaches us that Chametz represents our yetzer hara. In Judaism, we believe that pride is
among our worst quali es. So when we make a bracha on bread, we praise God for giving us
bread even though Hashem only gives us wheat. We don’t men on our individual effort in
making the bread; rather we make it seem as though we are partnering with Hashem to make
the bread, losing our sense of self, or pride.
Another important lesson that we learn in connec on to the previous lesson taught to us by the
Radbaz has to do with the rising of dough or the lack thereof. When dough rises in the oven, it
becomes beau ful and hard on the outside, but on the inside it is porus and so , while Matzah
remains the same on the inside and outside. Just as Chametz is different on the inside and on
the outside, a person of bad characteris cs does not represent who he/she really is through
their ac ons. For example, a bad person may do mitzvot for selfish reasons. Contrastly, Just as
Matzah is the same on the inside and outside, a good person does mitzvot for good reasons.
This Pesach I hope that you will take the words of the Radbaz to heart and truly understand the
meaning of separa ng Chametz from Matzah as you rid your home of all Chametz.
ְו ִאלּוּ ל ֹא הוֹ ִציא ַה ָקּדוֹשׁ ָבּרוּ. ַויּוֹ ִצי ֵאנוּ ה' ֱא קינוּ ִמ ָשּׁם ְבּ ָיד ֲח ָז ָקה וּ ִב ְזרוֹ ַﬠ ְנטוּ ָיה,ע ָב ִדים ָה ִיינוּ ְל ַפ ְר ֹעה ְבּ ִמ ְצ ָר ִים
, ַו ֲא ִפילוּ ֻכּ ָלנוּ ֲח ָכ ִמים. ֲה ֵרי ָאנוּ וּ ָב ֵנינוּ וּ ְב ֵני ָב ֵנינוּ ְמ ֻשׁ ְﬠ ָבּ ִדים ָה ִיינוּ ְל ַפ ְר ֹעה ְבּ ִמ ְצ ָר ִים,הוּא ֶאת ֲאבוֹ ֵתינוּ ִמ ִמּ ְצ ָר ִים
ְו ָכל ַה ַמ ְר ֶבּה ְל ַס ֵפּר. ִמ ְצ ָוה ָﬠ ֵלינוּ ְל ַס ֵפּר ִבּי ִצי ַאת ִמ ְצ ַר ִים, ֻכּ ָלנוּ יוֹ ְד ִﬠים ֶאת ַהתּוֹ ָרה, ֻכּ ָלנוּ ְז ֵק ִנים,ֻכּ ָלנוּ ְנבוֹ ִנים
ִבּי ִצי ַאת ִמ ְצ ַר ִים ֲה ֵרי ֶזה ְמ ֻשׁ ָבּח.
We were slaves in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Had not the Holy
one liberated our people from Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would still
be enslaved. And even if we were all wise, all insightful, all older, all well-versed in Torah, it
would still be a Mitzvah for us to recite the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And whoever
increases their telling of the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy.
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