Why We Break Matzah in a Time of Quarantine

Why do we break the matzah in half at the start of the Seder, the ritual known as ‘Yachatz’? The eminent contemporary scholar Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l (1903-1993) offered a unique answer. When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt there were those slaves who found themselves in better conditions than others. Some had the privilege to work for more merciful masters and lived under better conditions; others found themselves in much worse circumstances. Those who were fortunate to have more would break their bread and share it with those who had less.

On the night of the Seder, we emulate the ways of our predecessors and we do the same. We are teaching that this is the way of loving kindness to share with others, even in the most dire of conditions.

We find ourselves in an unprecedented time. These are days of crisis. Often the common response in such scenarios is to behave selfishly. Our natural instincts tell us that we need to take care of ourselves and our own family members. We have all seen footage and reports of people hoarding food and toilet paper etc. in the panic and stress of this situation.

We are challenged during these days to be people of ‘chesed’, loving-kindness and maintain a deep sense of solidarity toward one another even under harsh conditions. Over the past weeks we have witnessed endless examples of heroic kindness one for the other. This has always been our path. This is symbolized by breaking the matzah in half: the fourth step of the Seder, Yachatz.


haggadah Section: Yachatz
Source: Text from Aish.com / Illus. Chabad.org