Truth be told, I don’t care much for the taste of matzah. This holds true from the first crunch of it at the seder and continues throughout the holiday. Once I’ve had the requisite amount during the seders, I avoid it like the plagues. I’d much rather spend my holiday eating the leftover brisket or chicken soup than have a board of matzah.
In spite of this rather logical dislike of matzah, I’ve always appreciated the way people make incredible use of our bread of affliction. Whether with cream cheese and jam, turkey and mayo, as lasagna, or covered in chocolate and caramel, the centuries have taught our people to make the most out of this most peculiar cracker.
The multipurpose capabilities of matzah are rooted in its multifaceted symbolism. Matzah is the bread of affliction and also the bread of freedom. Matzah is the bread of poverty that we eat while treating ourselves with decadence. We break the middle matzah so we experience having half of something, not having enough, while keeping the other two boards to ensure we have plenty.
Throughout the remainder of Passover, as we continue to transmute this peculiar bread into sweet or savory matzah brei, into KLP cakes or fluffy balls for soup, let us continue to play with the symbolism of the matzah. May we always find meaning in it, spreading the various meanings of the holiday over it like so many different toppings, and may we always have just the right amount.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Jeremy Fineberg