"יחץ"
“Breaking the matzah.”

QUESTION: What is the reason for breaking the middle matzah?

ANSWER: The matzah is broken before reciting the Haggadah because the recital is to be over lechem oni — bread of poverty — (the poor can afford only a broken piece — Pesachim 115b).

The broken piece is between the two whole matzot because the blessing of Hamotzi is to be recited over a whole matzah, and since there is a rule that “one must not by-pass mitzvot.” The upper [thus first accessible] matzah must therefore be whole, and afterwards the second berachah of “al achilat matzah,” will be made over the middle-broken matzah.

(הגש"פ עם לקוטי טעמים ומנהגים)

* * *

Alternatively, Hashem told Avraham of the Egyptian bondage at the Brit bein Habetarim — the Covenant Between the Portions. At that time He instructed him to take three heifers, three goats and three rams and split them in half (Bereishit 15:9). The three matzot commemorate the three animals, and the breaking of the middle matzah commemorates splitting them in half.

(הגש"פ מוצל מאש - בית אהרן בפי' פאר אהרן)

* * *

At the Seder table, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, once observed someone measuring which piece of the middle matzah is bigger. The Tzemach Tzedek remarked, “A gadol vas men darf em mestin, iz kein gadol nit” — “One whose greatness has to be measured is not really great.” True greatness is readily apparent and immediately recognized.


"יחץ"
“Breaking the middle matzah.”

QUESTION: What is the significance of hiding the larger piece of the broken matzah for later?

ANSWER: The matzah represents redemption, since it commemorates the Jews’ exodus from Egypt when they ate matzah. Though we were redeemed from Egypt, we are still in exile anticipating the ultimate redemption through Mashiach.

Putting the larger piece away for later indicates our belief that Mashiach will come to redeem us and we will then witness even greater miracles than at the time of the redemption from Egypt.

Hiding it, alludes that exactly when this will happen is concealed from us, but nevertheless we are able to endure the exile because we live with the faith that this hidden moment will be revealed speedily in our times.

(שפת אמת)