Bless This Bread Substitute

מַצָּה

Nothing goes with Manichewitz quite like Matzah. And it's time to give thanks for that mixed blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ

( . . . hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz)

We praise you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה

( . . . al achilat matzah)

We praise you, Adonio our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has made us holy with mitzvot and commands us to eat matzah.


The first day or so, I enjoy the matzah, particularly with charoset and horseradish, but after eight days -- ya basta. It's crazy, we don't eat it all year, then nothing but matzah for eight days. And do not let anyone tell you that matazah brei is better than scrambled eggs, which you can eat anyway, so what's the point.

Les enfants juifs reminded me that traditional hand-rolled matzah was irregularly round. Nineteenth century matzah baking machines produced the novel concept of square matzah.