Tuesday, April 04, 2006

The good old days - Soft and Fresh Matzos.

Rabbi Kafieh, who was the greatest Yemenite Gaon of our times, wrote a lot documenting the customs of the community he came from especially the city Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. He wrote a sefer Halichot Teiman, which is a worthwhile read if one is interested in the customs of different communities. As we know the community in Yemen dates back to the second temple and, having lived in almost total isolation until the great Aliyah after the founding of the State of Israel, has retained ancient Minhagim.As time went on there was an infiltration of outside influence, Rambam was one of their heroes, and Kabbalah took some strong roots, although not without controversy. However old customs survived, many unchanged from early days.

R. Kafieh reports that on Pessach, Yemmenite Jews baked their Matzos fresh daily. They were soft and easy to eat and very tasty – they were even salted. He adds a very interesting comment, paraphrasing the thoughts of a Yemmenite Jew: “HKBH knew that later generations as time goes on, will place more and more Chumros until they will forbid to bake on Pessach (we are machmir because on Pessach Chametz is bemashehu), that is why the Torah says only by Pessach among all the Yomim Tovim: Ach asher ye’ochel lechol nefesh hu levado Ye’osseh lochem”. That is the verse the Rabbis learned from that one is permitted to cook on Yom Tov. The choice of Pessach to indicate that, is to remind us not to apply the Chumros to the point of not baking fresh matzos.

R. Kafieh points out that in Yemen there never was a problem eating a Keza'ys matzoh. The Matzoh was fresh and tasty.

He also notes that the Afikoman was not stolen. They found other ways of keeping the children’s interest. Stealing was not considered a good idea when educating young children. It would seem that communities that adhered to old Jewish customs were machmir in bein odom lacheveiro and Meikil in bein odom lamokom.

14 comments:

  1. Tell me about it. Every year I lament the fact that we can't eat flat bread like the jews used to on Pesach.

    By the way it's obvious that the Matza was like that in the beis hamikdash. The proof is that Hillel ate his matza with the marror wrapped up together like they ate the the korbon Pessach. you can't wrap the matza that we eat. My understanding is that the korbon pessach was eaten like a shwarma - lamb and hot sauce (marror) wrapped in soft flat bread

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  2. BS How appettizing! So I see yuo are for the return of Korbanos.

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  3. I'm a kohen, of course I want them :)

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  4. http://www.softmatza.com/

    A chaver of mine asked R. Hershel Schachter if an Ashkenazi may eat this on Pesach (specifically from this source). Teshuva: yes.

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  5. Are you sure? Ankle deep in blood? You like the schnorrer life so much?

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  6. >Are you sure? Ankle deep in blood? You like the schnorrer life so much?

    mmm, free meats :-)

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  7. S,

    are you getting your matza from there?

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  8. S. interesting because they also mixed Kitnyos as a flavor.

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  9. >are you getting your matza from there?

    Not this year.

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  10. The proof is that Hillel ate his matza with the marror wrapped up together like they ate the the korbon Pessach.

    No, the proof is the mishna in Beitza where Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel have a machloket regarding how thik a matza can be and still be baked on yom tov. (because you are not supposed to kook extra food that will last for after yom tov). The machloket is whether it should be more or less than a tefach (!).

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  11. chardal
    can you provide me the mareh makom in betza?
    toda merosh.

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  12. I was wrong, it is not in mishnayos in beitza but the Gemara brings it down in Beitza 22b

    it also apears in pesachim 36b-37a

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  13. >you are not supposed to kook

    Now THAT is a Freudian slip! LOL

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  14. Now THAT is a Freudian slip! LOL

    LOL

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