Yachatz - Breaking the Middle Matzah
There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek. After dinner, the guests will normally have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize. However, tonight we shall not hunt for the afikomen, but allow it to remain lost, as a symbolic gesture of ouras yet incomplete mission.
On Passover,matzah is eaten in memory of the quick flight from Egypt. As slaves, the Jewish peoplehad faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.
Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:
This is the bread of poverty which was the sole sustenance of the Jewish people in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be renowned for our deeds. This year we are idealists; next year we will be heroic figures.
These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover. Imagine eating only matzah, or being one of the countless people around the world who don’t have enough to eat.
What does the symbol of matzah say to us about oppression in the world, both people literally enslaved and the many ways in which each of us is held down by forces beyond our control? How does this resonate with our project?
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Passover Guide
Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
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