[Avodah] Halacha - Matza Should be Soft and Spongy

Rabbi Meir G. Rabi meirabi at gmail.com
Tue Mar 27 04:18:32 PDT 2018


= = = = Definition of Chametz and the Leavening Process
It is not clear why the Chazon Ish writes [Kovetz Igros, vol 1, letter
185:9] that it is preferable to make Matza dough with as little water as
possible.

Flour and water will become Chamets if combined and left unworked [Shulchan
Aruch, OC 459:2] at ambient temperature for the time required by an average
person to walk a Mil. [generally 18 minutes, Biur Halacha 259:2 also
discusses times of 22.5 and 24 minutes. Halacha recognises that if the
dough is cool it will not become Chametz even if left for a very long time]

Any factors that may warm the mixture, such as sunlight or the warmth of
the workers hands or friction from aggressive [machine] kneading, will
accelerate the process of becoming Chamets, prompting the Ramo (ibid) to
warn ?? that all delays must be minimised.

= = = = Authentic Matzah
It is important to note that the Halacha nowhere indicates that Matza must
be hard and crisp. It does however, reflect upon Matza being soft spongy.
ShA, addressing people who baked their own bread, probably almost daily,
and Matza for and during Pesach, understandably, does not bother to
describe the baking process.

There are however, communities who continue their very ancient tradition of
baking their own soft spongy Matza and who provide a window to observe
ancient Matza baking before commercialisation. These Matzos, baked by the
women of the Yemenite communities, are soft and about the thickness of an
adult's finger. The entire process is completed within 5 to 6 minutes.

= = = = Korech = Making a Wrap
Probably the most beloved and impressive proof that Matzah is a soft
product comes from the Seder itself. Korech [famously mis-translated as
“sandwich”] actually means “rolled” or “make a wrap”

= = = = Air Pockets
Kezayis is a volume not a mass and it is measured WITH the small bubbles
within the Matza that is described by the MAvraham, ShA HaRav, ArHaShulchan
and MBerruah as being Rachos VeAsuYos KeSeFof - soft and spongy. ONly large
air pockets need to be squashed down for measurement of Kezayis.
BTW this also puts paid to the well accepted practice of treating a
NafuAch, a bubble in the Matza, as though it is Chametz.

= = = = Matza is Indistinguishable from Chametz
The Gemara (Pesachim 7a) asserts that Matza and Chamets are
indistinguishable i.e. both look and taste like Pita or Laffa. Indeed,
Yemenites Matzot and pita look and taste quite similar. The Mishnah Berurah
(446:12) explains the obvious, that in the Gemara’s time, Matza was baked
as a thick Pita.

= = = = Mouldy Matza
The Gemara also discusses mouldy Matza, which only occurs with high
moisture content products i.e. soft spongy Matza. Hard, dry Matza almost
never becomes mouldy.

= = = = Stringy Dough
The Gemara (Pesachim 37a, and the Halacha) defines the minimal completion
of baking i.e. when the product is no longer at risk of becoming Chamets -
as when no doughy threads form when the Matza is torn apart. This test is
certainly not applicable to hard crispy Matza.

= = = = Sticky Dough
An alternative test - noting if dough has stuck to a skewer or toothpick
inserted into and removed from the product [Mishnah Berurah (461:13) speaks
of poking a finger into the Matza] also cannot apply to hard cracker Matza.

As with the Halacha that identifies Matza as a soft spongy product, here
too, the Mishnah Berurah’s unqualified acceptance about these tests,
strongly suggests he accepts them, even if we prefer to believe the
ChChayim ate hard cracker Matza.

The Chazon Ish, aware of this, points out [Ch Ish OC, Moed [5733] 120:17,
page 190a] that the stringy dough test cannot apply to our hard cracker
Matza, not even when it is still a dough.

= = = = The Isaron Measure
The Tur (end of OC 475) quoting his father the Rosh (early 14th century and
again by the Rama, 250 years after the Tur) wrote that the custom in France
and Germany was to make the three Matzos for the Seder from one Isaron (a
tenth of an Ephah) of flour - 43.2 eggs, > 1200 gr according to modest
calculations, thus 400gm Matzos. Our standard hard, thin Matza hardly
provide 2 Kezaysim, whilst a standard soft Yemenite Matzah easily has more
than 10 Kezaysim. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggros Moshe OC 5:16:4) observes
that originally Matzos were much larger, containing many Kezaysim.

Such a large Matza must be quite thick [otherwise it would be unreasonably
large and not fit even on a large table] and if baked hard, would not be
edible but require a hammer and cold chisel to break. Here, the Mishnah
Berurah (475:46) not only leaves this ruling unqualified but actually
observes that this custom was still practiced in many places [in the 19th
century]

The Darkei Moshe (OC 475:6) advises production of even larger i.e. thicker
Matzos, to accommodate all participants at a large Seder, with the required
amount. The Chok Yaakov (d. 1773; 475:26) makes a very similar observation
and the Chasam Sofer used thick soft Matza, giving each participant at his
Seder, Kezaysim from the 3 Matzos [Minhagei Maran BaAl HaChasam Sofer (d.
1839); 5731, 10:17 [page 51].

So, the Chasam Sofer’s warning that we avoid thick Matza [Shu"t OC 121]
must be referring to extremely thick Matza.

= = = = Kol Bo, Levush and RaAvad
The Kol Bo (Siman 48; 14th century) and later the Levush ([d.1612] OC
475:7) quote the Ra'avad as saying that the matzos one eats at the Seder
for the purpose of fulfilling one’s Mitzvah, ought not be too thick and
tasty because they are Lechem Oni, Poor Man’s Bread. This too clearly
asserts that Matza was otherwise a soft thick and spongy product.

= = = = Matzah Ought not be Too Thick
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 460:5) suggests that Matzah should not be too thick,
not more than a Tefach, between 3.5 - 4 inches [Iggerot Moshe OC 1:136. see
Yerushalmi Pesachim 2:4; Pesachim 37a] The Ashkenazi Rishonim tended to
permit thick Matzah, up to a Tefach. [See Yaakov Spiegel, Matzot Avos
BePesach, Yerushasenu, 5774, pages 195-196]

The Ramo (OC 460:4) advises that Matzah be made as Rekikin, i.e. thin
matzot, because they are less likely to become Chametz. The Be'er Heitiv
(460:8) defines this thickness at an Etzbah (finger) thick, 10 - 12 mm,
quoting the Beit Hillel [died 1690] The Pri Megadim (Eishel Avraham 460:4)
defines Etzbah as thumb width. This Chumrah, i.e. not making it one Tefach
thick 50 - 60mm, applied to the matzah produced for manufacturing matzah
meal. This matzah was baked with the intent of keeping it as white as
possible i.e. underbaking it which of course increased the risk of it
becoming Chametz.

= = = = Traditional Matzah Baking
Some, who have visited various soft matzah bakeries, suggest that they
witnessed product that was not-fully baked. They claim to have observed a
Yemenite woman who was familiar with the process from Yemen, she simply
kneaded a soft dough, squashed pieces of it into flattish rounds which were
put into the oven, the entire process being completed in under 5 minutes.
Now soft Matzah baking requires longer baking at lower temperatures in
order to permit the core of the Matzah to bake before the outside burns.
Whether it takes 30 seconds or 10 minutes is not the point, rather when
baking is completed, there are no doughy threads formed when it is torn
apart. The assumption appears to be that whilst it is baking it cannot
become Chametz but if it remains doughy it might become Chametz when it
cools.

The argument for thin hard Matza [which however, has no source, foundation
or documentation in Halachic sources] seems to be that when the dough
enters the oven and becomes warmed, it may possibly become Chametz
instantaneously, therefore it must be baked as quickly as possible i.e. the
thinner the Matza the better, and the hotter the oven the better.


Best,

Meir G. Rabi

0423 207 837
+61 423 207 837
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