Breaking the middle matzah |  yachatz  | יַחַץ

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The larger of the pieces, the afikomen, will be our dessert.

Matzah represents our constricted, limited view of what is possible for ourselves and our communities. Afraid, oppressed, desperate, we run away from the forces that seem too powerful to confront. Doubting whether full liberation is possible, we grasp at what crumbs we can get and call it a meal.

Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:

Tonight, let us bless our cracked surfaces and sharp edges, unafraid to see our brittleness and brave enough to see our beauty. Reaching for wholeness, let us piece together the parts of ourselves we have found, and hnor all that is still hidden.