“This matzah that we eat – what is its reason?מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים עַל שׁוּם מָה
Because at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, the dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.”1עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיקבְּצֶקֶת שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּגְאָלָם,
This passage from the Haggadah raises an obvious question: Why does the Haggadah state that we are eating matzos “because the dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise…”? Our ancestors in Egypt were already commanded to eat matzah on Pesach night together with the Paschal sacrifice and bitter herbs.
In resolution, the maamarim of the Rebbeim2 explainוּמְבֹאָר בִּדְרוּשֵׁי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ נְשִׂיאֵינוּ,
that the reason the Haggadah gives “because the dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise…” as the rationale for the mitzvah of eating matzah on Pesachדְּזֶה שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁהַטַּעַם עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה בְּפֶסַח הוּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק לְהַחֲמִיץ,
even though the Jews had already been commanded to eat matzah before then as stated,3 “In the evening, you shall eat matzos,”אַף שֶׁהַצִּוּוּי עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה הָיָ' לִפְנֵי זֶה,
is because the two sources are referring to matzah that was eaten at different times and conveyed different spiritual messages.כִּי
The commandment obligating the Jews to eat matzah states:בְּהַצִּוּוּי עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה כְּתִיב
“In the evening, you shall eat matzos,”בָּעֶרֶב תֹּאכְלוּ מַצֹּת,
using a short form of the word matzos, without the letter vav.מַצֹּת חָסֵר וָא"ו,
By contrast, the verse,4 “They baked cakes of matzah from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt,” which describes the matzah that “did not have the opportunity to rise…”וּבַפָּסוּק וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת גו'
uses a long form of the word matzos, including a vav.כְּתִיב מַצּוֹת מָלֵא וָא"ו.
To highlight the difference between the two sources:
The commandment to eat matzos was to be fulfilled before midnight on the night of the first Pesach.דְּהַצִּוּוּי עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה הוּא קֹדֶם חֲצוֹת,
That matzah was eaten in connection with the Paschal sacrifice, as it is written,5 “They shall eat it with matzos and bitter herbs.” And the Paschal sacrifice may only be eaten until midnight.6
Since before midnight, the Jews were still inEgypt –וּמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקֹּדֶם חֲצוֹת הָיוּ עֲדַיִן בְּמִצְרַיִם,
The Hebrew term for Egypt, Mitzraim, alludes to meitzarim, “boundaries” and “limitations.”
before “the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them” –לִפְנֵי שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא,
therefore, with regard to this matzah, the verse uses a short form, writing the word matzos without a vav.לָכֵן בְּמַצָּה זוֹ כְּתִיב מַצֹּת חָסֵר וָא"ו,
This refers to a lower level of matzah. According to Chassidus,7 the letter vav is associated with drawing G‑dliness down to lower levels and revealing it on that plane. Before midnight, the Jews had not received a revelation of G‑dliness of this degree. On the contrary, they were still in Egypt, i.e., subject to the boundaries and limitations of material existence to the extent that they were still under Pharaoh’s rule.
Also, when matzah is written without a vav, it relates to the term matzusa, meaning “strife,” as in the expression “strife and controversy.”8
The two concepts are interrelated: A Jew in Egypt struggles against the constraining influences of material existence. He has constant internal and external challenges that hold back his spiritual expression and he must strive to overcome them.
By contrast, the verse, “They baked cakes of matzah from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt,”מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בַּפָּסוּק וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת גו'
refers to the matzah that they baked (and ate) after they left Egypt, i.e., after they rose above the constraints of material existence,מְדַבֵּר בְּהַמַּצָּה שֶׁאָפוּ (וְאָכְלוּ) לְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם
(as explicitly stated, “the dough that they had brought out of Egypt”).(אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם)
This was after midnight, i.e.,שֶׁזֶּה הָיָ' לְאַחֲרֵי חֲצוֹת,
after “the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.”לְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּגְאָלָם,
Therefore, with regard to this matzah, the long form of the term is used, and the word matzos is written with a vav. For this matzah is suffused with the revelation of G‑dliness that is symbolized by the letter vav.לָכֵן בְּמַצָּה זוֹ כְּתִיב מַצּוֹת מָלֵא וָא"ו.
The contrast between these two levels of matzah is also borne out by the fact thatוְזֶהוּ גַּם מַה
with regard to the matzah eaten before midnight, it is written:9שֶּׁבְּהַמַּצָּה שֶׁקֹּדֶם חֲצוֹת כְּתִיב
“You shall guard the matzos.” For this lower level of matzahוּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת,
requires protection lest it become chametz.שֶׁצְּרִיכָה שִׁמּוּר שֶׁלֹּא תָבוֹא לִידֵי חִמּוּץ,
Matzah and chametz contain the same basic ingredients: flour and water. What is the difference between them? Chametz rises; its puffiness symbolizing pride and inflated self-concern. Matzah lies flat, reflecting unpretentious humility. For this reason, our Sages10 identify chametz with wickedness and describe the evil inclination as “the yeast in the dough.”11 For a person who is filled with self-concern can easily slip into sin. Conversely, the selflessness of matzah enables a person to maintain spiritual focus.
When a person is on the lower level of matzah, his humility is not an inherent trait, but only comes as a result of his efforts. He is continuously struggling to rise above his preoccupation with self-concern. By contrast,
with regard to the matzah eaten after midnight, it is written,וּבְהַמַּצָּה שֶׁאַחֲרֵי חֲצוֹת כְּתִיב
“They baked cakes of matzah from the dough… because it had not risen,”וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק גו' מַצּוֹת כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ,
i.e., in and of itself, it did not leaven.שֶׁמֵּעַצְמָהּ לֹא בָאָה לִידֵי חִמּוּץ,
It is a natural phenomenon that dough rises after a given amount of time. Hence, our Sages teach that if one leaves dough for eighteen minutes without being kneaded, it becomes chametz as a result of the natural leavening process. Now, when the Jews journeyed from Ramses, the dough certainly rested more than the time necessary for it to become chametz. True, their journey was hastened by miraculous spiritual influences.12 Nevertheless, when adding the time it took to light fires in order to bake the dough, it certainly took well more than eighteen minutes. Why then did the matzah not rise?
Here, we see the integration of the spiritual and the material planes. As a response to the revelation of G‑dliness from Above, the dough of this matzah did not rise.13
For the matzah eaten after midnight was the higher level of matzah, as indicated by the fact that the word matzos is written with a vav, alluding toכִּי הַמַּצָּה שֶׁאַחֲרֵי חֲצוֹת הִיא בְּחִינַת מַצּוֹת מָלֵא וָא"ו,
the revelation of “the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.”הַגִּלּוּי דְנִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא,
Therefore, i.e., because of this revelation,וְלָכֵן
this matzah did not have to be guarded lest it leaven, for the situation on the material plane reflected the spiritual reality. The spiritual revelation was so powerful that the dough would not leaven.אֵין צְרִיכָה שִׁמּוּר מֵחִימוּץ.
To explain the parallel to the higher level of matzah in terms of our Divine service: When G‑dliness is powerfully revealed, a person does not have to struggle to reach humility. It comes naturally, as an instinctive, effortless response to the spiritual truth to which he is exposed. In the presence of revealed G‑dliness, it is impossible to maintain a posture of pride and self-consciousness.
This difference between the matzah eaten before midnight and that eaten after midnight was relevant only on the first Pesach, celebrated in Egypt,וְהִנֵּה חִלּוּק זֶה שֶׁבֵּין קֹדֶם חֲצוֹת וּלְאַחֲרֵי חֲצוֹת הָיָ' רַק בַּפֶּסַח הָרִאשׁוֹן,
before the Giving of the Torah.לִפְנֵי מַתַּן תּוֹרָה.
By contrast, after the Giving of the Torah,מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן לְאַחֲרֵי מַתַּן תּוֹרָה,
even the matzah that we eat on Pesach night before midnight,14אַף שֶׁהַמַּצָּה שֶׁאוֹכְלִים בְּלֵיל הַפֶּסַח הִיא לִפְנֵי חֲצוֹת,
is on the level of the matzah that contains a vav, since it conveys this powerful revelation of G‑dliness.15הִיא בְּחִינַת מַצּוֹת מָלֵא וָא"ו,
In it, there is (also) revealed the lofty dimension of the revelation of “the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.”שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ (גַּם) הָעִלּוּי דְנִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
The implication of the parenthetical term “also” is that our matzah is multi-dimensional. It contains the spiritual import of both the matzah our forefathers ate before midnight and that eaten after midnight,16 i.e., the spiritual service that accompanies our eating matzah includes both man’s efforts to reach humility and the spontaneous humility that comes about because of the revelation of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.17
This is the implication of the Haggadah’s statement: “This matzah we eat – what is its reason?וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּהַגָּדָה מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים עַל שׁוּם מָה
I.e., the matzah we are eating resembles the matzah our forefathers ate of which it is said:
Because the dough… did not have the opportunity to riseעַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק כו' לְהַחֲמִיץ
(i.e., as a result of the revelation from Above, it did not leaven in and of itself)(שֶׁמֵּעַצְמָהּ לֹא בָאָה לִידֵי חִמּוּץ)
before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.”18עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּגְאָלָם.

Summary

The Haggadah states that we eat matzos at the Seder “because the dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.” That statement is problematic. This phrase describes the matzah our ancestors ate after the Exodus. Nevertheless, our ancestors in Egypt were already commanded to eat matzah on Pesach night together with the Paschal sacrifice.
In resolution, Chassidus explains that the matzah that was eaten at these different times conveyed different spiritual messages. Before midnight, the Jews were in Egypt, constrained spiritually by their natural boundaries and limitations. Therefore, with regard to the matzah eaten at this time, the Torah writes the word matzos without a vav. That word relates to the term matzusa, meaning “strife.” A Jew in Egypt struggles against the constraining influences of material existence. Similarly, such matzah must be watched lest it leaven, for when G‑dliness is not revealed, humility does not come naturally. One must continuously struggle to rise over his preoccupation with self-concern.
After the Exodus, however, when “the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them,” strife and struggle of this nature is not necessary. In the presence of revealed G‑dliness, it is impossible to maintain a posture of pride and self-consciousness. At the time of the Exodus, this was reflected in actual fact. Despite being untended for a lengthy time, the dough the Jews carried out of Egypt did not rise. It lay flat as a response to the revelation of G‑dliness from Above.
This difference between the matzah eaten before the Exodus and that eaten afterwards was relevant only on the first Pesach, before the Giving of the Torah. By contrast, after the Giving of the Torah, even the matzah that we eat before midnight on Pesach night communicates this powerful revelation of G‑dliness.
This is the implication of the Haggadah’s statement: “This matzah we eat – what is its reason?” The matzah we are eating resembles the matzah our forefathers ate, of which it is said: “The dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them,” because it communicates this powerful revelation of G‑dliness.