The Gemara in Brachot states that Rabbi Alexandri would end
his daily prayers with the following supplication:
“Master of the Universe, You know full well that it is our
desire to act according to Your will. But what prevents us? The “Se’or
She’ba’isa, the yeast in the dough.
Rabbi
Alexandri equates Chametz with our yetzer harah, our Evil Inclination. The
Baalei Mussar took note of the physical characteristics of Chametz and related
them to bad character traits. For example, dough will only begin to rise after
a period of time has elapsed. This corresponds to the trait of sloth and
laziness. Similarly, with the help of yeast, dough is able to rise; a
phenomenon that the Mussar Movement related to the attribute of haughtiness.
In Parshat Bo we read about the prohibition of Chametz on
Pesach. The punishment for eating (or even possessing) chaemtz on Pesach is
sever- karet. The question is: If
chametz is so bad, why do we eat it all year? Throughout history (putting
aside, Atkins-type diets), bread has been a staple of nourishment. When the
Pasuk says (Deutoronomy 8:3)
“Not by bread alone does man live, rather by everything that
emanates from G-d’s mouth does man live”.
The Torah is effectively telling us that in terms of
nutrition, human beings can and do subsist on just bread. How are we to make
sense of eating our daily bread the other 51 weeks of the year if it is
associated with such negative connotations?
The answer is that Chametz is not evil. During the course of
our lives, most of the time bread, as a food and as a symbol, is appropriate
and necessary. It is in regards to our commemoration and celebration of Pesach
that chametz has no place. Let’s take another look at chametz and try to
understand why this is so.
Bread
is the result of adding yeast to dough. Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Berlin, the Netziv,
writes,
“Leaven is a human invention used to modify through
ingenuity the world that G-d created.” The Netziv utilizes this construct to
understand why leaven (and honey) are forbidden to be brought on the altar in
the Temple. He explains that an encounter with G-d at the altar is not the time
to demonstrate our ability to innovate. Rather, bringing a Korban is a time to
reflect on G-d as Creator and the Cause of all human ingenuity and achievement.
Chametz represents man’s ability to use his intellect in conquest of the world
around him. Although an important and necessary perspective for our lives,
there is no room for Chametz on Pesach. Pesach commemorates the birth of the
Jewish People. At that moment of Exodus we were passive, as Hashem tells Moshe
at the Splitting of the Sea:
“Hashem yilachem Lachem V’Atem Tacharishun” – “You remain
passive and God will fight for you”
Our celebration of Pesach focuses on what Hashem did for us.
Matzah, the natural product of bread and water without any human ingenuity, is
aptly suited to be the Passover symbol. Acknowledging the role of Hashem within
the realm of human creativity is a theme that Pesach shares with Shabbat, when
we are commanded to rest from work and recognize G-d as creator and cause of
all. This helps us understand why the Torah, in describing the the Mitzvah of
Sefirat Haomer, refers to Pesach as Shabbat:
“Usefartem lachem mimacharat Hashabbat.” We begin counting the
Omer the day after ‘Shabbat”- (we begin counting the day after) Pesach, the
time in which, like Shabbat, we remember our total dependence on G-d. There is
nothing wrong with chametz, just not the message of Pesach.
As we enjoy our challah over Shabbat Parshat Bo, let us remember
the importance of both chametz and matzah: human ingenuity and humility in our
relationship with Hashem.
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