Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had 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. We'll talk more about matzah later in the Seder.

But for now, we will pass around the matzah so everyone can break off a piece to eat. Remembering when the Jews had to make due with whatever they could. Remembering the sacrifices that are made when we are pursuing freedom and justice.


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: adapted from The Wandering is Over Haggadah