[Avodah] RMF Mattir Neder Gebrochts

[Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah]

On Apr 22, 2016 5:50 AM, "Micha Berger" <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:
> The minhag is as old as the Raavan (12th cent), although he thinks they
> were in error, he does advocate a more limited form ...
> Gebrochts in its full form doesn't come to pass until a generation after
> the Besh"t...                                           The SA haRav...

> I cannot picture RMF simply rejecting an SA haRav as not even a shitah.

> Interestingly, a contemporary of the SAhR, the Shaarei Teshuvah, says that
> gebrochts only made sense back before our more recent thin cracker matzos...

> But it is possible RMF agreed with the ST, and that the SAhR's world
> used thicker (although still cracker-like) matzos than we do. In which
> case, he could have held the minhag -- while once real -- is no longer
> applicable.

I don't see how any of these considerations suggest that Gebrochts is a
Minhag that requires Hatarah. In fact I think it more than likely they
reflect otherwise.

The earliest source pretty much rejected it and stories about the Besht are
hardly substantial.

And if there is any substance to the reason being related to the change in
the way Matza is made, well then being so late, it can hardly be considered
a binding Minhag. And one opinion is not adequate to propel activity to the
point of being a binding Minhag, especially when it is so poorly justified.

BTW it is astonishing that Matza of 10mm thickness be considered edible
when baked to the point of being hard. You would need a hammer and cold
chisel to break it. It makes no sense. Such Matza would only be edible if
it was baked soft.

Re the ShTeshuvah, he limits the problem to soft Matza, which is GRATED on
a RibAysen (and explains that the problem no longer exists due to changes
to the Matza used for making meal being baked hard and describe CRUSHING
it) so it must have been soft.

Soft Matza that is whole can be easily evaluated to determine if it is
fully baked. Once it is grated however, that becomes impossible.

The problem is compounded when you remember that probably the most
important quality sought by the balabusta is that it be as white as
possible so the risk of being under baked is all the greater.

There was not ever a concern that flour remained in the Matza and that
might become Chamets. But even if it did it can not become Chamets since it
has been heated.