A Mitzvah to Eat Matzah Every Day of Passover?

A person has an obligation to eat matzah on the first two nights of Passover (or just the first night in Israel). But what about the rest of Passover? Aside from Shabbat and holiday meals, when one must make the Hamotzi blessing,1 do we have any obligation to eat matzah?

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The Torah tells us, “For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread . . .”2 which seems to indicate that it is an obligation to eat matzah every day of Passover. However, another verse explicitly states, “On that evening, you shall eat unleavened bread,”3 referring only to the first night(s) of Passover. The Talmud reconciles these two verses based on a third verse, “You shall eat unleavened bread for six days and on the seventh day there shall be a convocation,”4 explaining that it is obligatory to eat matzah on the first night(s), whereas for the rest of Passover, it’s optional. So why does the first verse say that “you shall eat unleavened bread” for all seven days of Passover? Because if one would want bread-like food, he would need to eat matzah, given that chametz is prohibited.5

Now, there are some authorities who are of the opinion that when the Talmud says matzah is “optional,” it’s only relative to the first nights of Passover. There is still a biblical mitzvah to eat matzah the rest of Passover, it’s just not as obligatory as the first night.6

Most authorities,7 however, including Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in his Code of Jewish Law,8 are of the opinion that there is no obligation to eat matzah on the other days of Passover.

Still a Mitzvah to Eat

However, the Chassidic masters write that there is still “a bit” of a mitzvah to specifically eat matzah every day of Passover.9 The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that this is especially true on the last day(s) of Passover.

According to the Kabbalists, eating matzah on the first days of Passover strengthens one’s faith. However, eating the matzah then is obligatory; eating on the last day(s), when it is optional, strengthens one’s faith even more. Since we learn specifically from the verse regarding the seventh day that it is optional to eat matzah on the last days (“You shall eat unleavened bread for six days and on the seventh day there shall be a convocation”), the seventh (and eighth) day is especially tied to the concept that the matzah is optional.10

Thus, although there is no obligation to eat matzah the rest of Passover, one should still endeavor to do so.

May we all merit a happy, kosher and healthy Passover!

Footnotes

See Shulchan Aruch Harav 475:32 that although in theory one would have been able to use “rich matzah,” i.e., matzah made with fruit juice for those meals, the custom is not to eat “rich matzah” on Passover; thus, one would need to use regular matzah for hamotzi at those meals.

Exodus 12:15.

Exodus 12:18.

Deuteronomy 16:8.

Talmud, Pesachim 120a.

Gra, Maase Rav 185.

See, for example, Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 639:11.

Shulchan Aruch Harav 475:32.

See Biurei Zohar of the Tzemach Tzedek, p. 96; Sefer HaMaamarim 5668, p. 171.

10.

See Likkutei Sichot, vol. 7, p. 275; vol. 22, p. 33.

By Yehuda Shurpin

A noted scholar and researcher, Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin serves as content editor at Chabad.org, and writes the popular weekly Ask Rabbi Y column. Rabbi Shurpin is the rabbi of the Chabad Shul in St. Louis Park, Minn., where he resides with his wife, Ester, and their children.

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8 Comments

JERRY SEGAL laval June 22, 2022

I believe that you are commanded in the torah to eat matza all 8 days. The only difference is that on the first day you are not permitted to eat matza from new wheat, only old wheat (yashan) matza can be eaten. The remaining days you are still obligated to eat matza, however maza may be made from new (chadash) or from old(YSHAN)'
I am told that according to Halacha, you are obligated to eat matza on the first day only, I eat matza on all days and I say the brocha on all days.
J.S. Reply

Manny April 24, 2024

in response to JERRY SEGAL:

All meals? Or at least 1 ,,Meal per day?

Also do u say hamotzei with 2 pieces like Shabbos Reply

John April 4, 2021

We in our house hold that it is indeed obligatory to eat matzah every day of the Week of Matzah. Why else would it be called that? And the text says to. That anyone would think otherwise comes as a surprise.
מצות can be read mitzvot as well. We should consume Torah every day. We do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of G-d (Devarim). Eating Matzah every day during the week reminds us of this (and even of the miracle of manna - a symbol of our complete dependence of G-d). And it reminds us to be diligent every day to let no chametz enter our borders (eyes, ears, minds, hearts), and to not have any chametz in our souls (evidenced by speech, emotions, thoughts, behaviors) - so our prayers and deeds will be pure like the offerings in the Temple. Finally, eating matzah every day during this week teaches us that if we can do a mitzvah once, we can do it again, and again, and again... Reply

Mike London April 3, 2021

Did not Hillel,Akiva,Bar Cochba and many Leadersof Israel not eat Matza for 7 days, even Yehudah a rabbi ate Matza for 7 days! Reply

Tzvi Brodman Southfield April 1, 2021

If it's such an important miyzva to eat matza, why does one get constipated after eating to much? Reply

Elisheba Central Florida April 22, 2022

in response to Tzvi Brodman:

There is only constipation if the rest of one’s diet lacks foods with fiber. This means vegetables, salad, nuts, fruit, and plenty of water. Reply

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Still a Mitzvah to Eat

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