Take the middle matzah and break it into two, one piece larger than the other.

The larger piece is set aside to serve as Afikoman. This is traditionally hidden, by the leader of the Seder for the children to “steal” or “find” and then ransom for a something at the end of the Seder.

The smaller piece is put back, between the two matzot. This smaller piece, along with the top matzah is what will be used for the “Motzi-Matzah” and “Korech”

בַּעַל הַבַּיִת יִבְצַע אֶת הַמַּצָּה הָאֶמְצָעִית לִשְׁתַּיִם וּמַצְפִּין אֶת הַחֵצִי הַגָדוֹל לַאֲפִיקוֹמָן

There is no prayer or ritual performed before we break or after we break the middle matzah on the Seder plate.

The middle of the three matzot, that is on the table, is broken up into two pieces and the smaller part is returned to the pile while the larger one is set aside as the afikoman. Overall, this “ritual” is more a reflective, silent act than a religious act.

At this part of the Seder, you break one of the matzah. With the bigger piece you hide it as the afikomen. The smaller piece is then placed between the two other matzot.

In Yachatz, the breaking of the matzot, three pieces are put in the middle of the table. When in the middle, one of the pieces are broken into two and one is wrapped for later purposes and the other is set around the area. When hidden, kids have to find this piece, called the afikomen, and usually get a reward, for fun.

In modern day culture, divorces are done through the fighting of a married couple. Eventually, as parents are divorced, they split apart and never return back to each other. But, as life continues, they might cross paths again. This is like the breaking of the matzot because these parents might cross paths from the use of their children.

Why are there three Matzot?

The top matzah is referred to as  Kohen,  for the  Kohen  takes precedence in all matters.

The middle matzah  Levi  is broken into two at the beginning of the Seder. The smaller piece is left on the plate and is later eaten along with the  Kohen matzah in fulfillment of the mitzvah of matzah; the larger piece is put away for use as the  afikoman.

The bottom matzah,  Yisrael  is used for  korech,  so that every one of the matzot is used for the performance of a mitzvah.

Just as we remember all of the times throughout history when the nations of the world shut their doors on Jews fleeing violence and persecution in their homelands, so, too, do we remember with gratitude the bravery of those who took us in during our times of need — the Ottoman Sultan who welcomed Spanish Jews escaping the Inquisition, Algerian Muslims who protected Jews during pogroms in the French Pied -Noir, and the righteous gentiles hiding Jews in their homes during World War II. In the midst of the current global refugee crisis, we aspire to stand on the right side of history as we ask our own government to take a leadership role in protecting the world’s most vulnerable refugees. May we find the bravery to open up our nation and our hearts to those who are in need. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who delivers those in search of safety.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַּפֶּסַח, לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: פֶּסַח, מַצָה, וּמָרוֹר.

יִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹא לְהַגְבִּיהַ אֶת הַזְּרוֹעַ.

פֶּסַח שֶׁהָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אוֹכְלִים בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָּם, עַל שׁוּם מָה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁפָּסַח הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל בָּתֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח פֶּסַח הוּא לַיי, אֲשֶׁר פָּסַח עַל בָּתֵּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם בְּנָגְפּוֹ אֶת מִצְרַיִם, וְאֶת בָּתֵּינוּ הִצִּיל, וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם וַיִּשְּׁתַּחֲווּ.

מַרְאֶה אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת לַמְסֻבִּים וְאוֹמֵר:

מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מָה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּגְאָלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת, כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ, כִּי גֹרְשׁוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ, וְגַּם צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂו לָהֶם.

מַרְאֶה אֶת הַמָּרוֹר לַמְסֻבִּים וְאוֹמֵר:

מָרוֹר זֶה שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מָה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁמֵּרְרוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת חַיֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָה, בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכָל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה אֶת כָּל עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ.

בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְיָ לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם. לֹא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָׁם, לְמַעַן הָבִיא

The passover offering, which our ancestors ate during the time of the HolyTemple - for what reason did they do so? Because G‑d passed over their homes in Egypt, as it is written: "You shall say: It is a Passover-offering to the L‑rd, because He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians with a plague, and He saved our houses... "

This matzah that we eat - for what reason? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them. As it is written: "They baked matzah-cakes from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had also not prepared any provisions."

This maror (bitter herb) that we eat - for what reason? Because the Egyptians embittered our fathers' lives in Egypt, as it is written: "They made their lives bitter with hard work, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of work in the field; all their work which they made them serve with crushing labor."

Today, discussions are a major facet of society. From politics to religion, people converse to share ideas and to get points across.. What Gamliel wanted us to do is to make sure that we keep that tradition alive and to make it personal so that we feel as though we ourselves left Egpyt.

What perplexed me when reading this is how Passover is the feels like one of the only holidays that we punish ourselves: we pour out wine and reminisce about the labor we did with eating of the Maror. This made me think that the reason we do this is to make sure that we truly appreciate the sweetness that came out of the ordeal. If we were to only look at the good things  that happened and ignore the bad, we wouldnt be able to understand what had to happen for us to get to this point.