The Kabbalah of Matzah

 We have a golden opportunity coming up and I hope we all take advantage of it.  One of the most profoundly impactful Mitzvot, and yet one of the easiest to observe, is to eat matzah on the first two nights of Pesach.  Allow me to explain. Please come along with me for a short Kabbalistic journey. I promise it will not be too esoteric and I will try to write it in somewhat simple terms.  

Everything in this world has a spiritual source above.  There are spiritual worlds above that are made up of ten components, just as our physical world is made up of those components, called sefirot.  While the physical sefirot and the spiritual ones obviously don’t look the same, they are, nevertheless, related.  In fact, as the spiritual energy flows through the worlds, it is transformed from a spiritual sefira to physical sefira.  

The first of all the sefirot is called Chochma.  Chochma means wisdom, and in the physical realm this means intellectual vision, like, for example, the ability to come up with ideas.  This level of the mind is not yet deep understanding.  Rather, it is on an inspirational level, and more connected with the soul than the practical.  In the spiritual realms, Chochma is the very first revelation of Divine energy in all the worlds.  Similar to that first flash of inspiration in a person, the first spiritual Chochma is more connected to its source in G-d’s infinite light than in the practicality of the worlds.  So, if we can connect to Chochma, our connection to the infinite Divine source becomes stronger.

Now, getting back to everything in this world having a spiritual source: believe it or not, grain’s spiritual source is the supernal Chochma.  This is why, according to the Talmud, a child starts saying his or her first words after he or she tastes grain, because the ability to put words together is sourced in the Chochma part of the brain.

Now let’s pull it all together.  Matzah is made of grain.  So is bread, but bread is puffed up, representing the ego getting in the way of the Chochma connection.  Matzah, on the other hand, is flat, with nothing but pure pristine flour and water.  When we ingest Matzah, which is sourced in the supernal Chochma, we are connecting to the infinite Divine source of all the worlds.  While we may not consciously feel it, the Matzah is permeating our being and bringing us closer to Hashem.  This is why the Zohar calls Matzah “the food of faith.”

There are a few caveats:  First of all, for this to work, the Matzah needs to be produced intentionally for the Mitzvah, and therefore must be hand-baked.  Also, this spiritual connection only happens on the Seder night, when it is an actual Mitzvah to eat the Matzah.  Nowadays this presents a bit of a challenge with daylight saving time, since the time for eating Matzah begins after 8:30 PM, but I think it’s worth the wait.

So here is the opportunity I mentioned in the beginning.  First, please get yourself some hand-baked Shmurah Matzah for the Seder.  In addition, there are many fellow Jews that we all know who may not have this awareness, but with a small piece of Matzah could receive a spiritual awakening.  It’s so easy to do and so meaningful!  So please give your Jewish acquaintances some Matzah and encourage them to eat it at the right time on the correct night.  We have gift boxes of Matzah in our office, and we will be happy to give you Matzot to share.  

Why am I writing this all this week?  Because in addition to the regular Parsha, Tazria, we use a second Torah and read “Parshat Hachodesh” which teaches us about the Jewish lunar calendar, the ritual of the Pesach sacrifice, and the Mitzvah to eat Matzah.  And, because the Pesach season is upon us and we have two weeks to get the Matzah to our friends and acquaintances.  Oh, and if you haven’t done so yet, please register for the Seder at Chabad, it will be a great experience.  Chabadpaloalto.com/Passover.

In the words of the traditional blessing, I wish you a kosher and Happy Pesach.