Why do we eat matzah?
Legend has it that when Moses and his followers fled Egypt, they moved so quickly that the bread they baked did not have time to rise.

However, scholars have noted that long before the Jews celebrated Passover, Middle Eastern farmers celebrated a spring festival of unleavened bread. This was a festival where unleavened bread was made from the fresh barley grain newly harvested at this time of the year.

The old fermented dough was thrown out so that last year's grain would not be mixed with this year's.
Therefore, the new season began with the eating of unleavened bread - matzah. Later on, the Jewish people incorporated this agricultural festival into the celebration of freedom and renewal we now call Passover.

Let us now say a blessing for the matzah:

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz

[Eat the matzah]


haggadah Section: Motzi-Matzah