Thursday, February 5, 2015

Pesach and Chag HaMatzot

Did you ever wonder about the relation between Pesach and the Matzot we eat all week? It is clear now: Pesach proper is an E Chag, while Chag HaMatzot is a J Chag. According to J, the Chag lasts a week, a specific week, a week of celebration of the Divine sustenance, in general, and specifically in the Desert. The Matzot resemble the Manna, according to J. According to E, the Chag is one day, when we reenact the Pesach sacrifice. It seems that E also intended the eating of Matzot, as "they could not be leavened" (Shemot 12:34,39), as we cite on Seder Night. There is no explicit date for this day, in E, but it makes sense to have it in the beginning of Chag HaMatzot, either on the first day, or the day before, the zeroth day. Anyway, this is how we end up with "Pesach" lasting one week, with a Chag to HaShem on the last day, and a Chag on the first day. The importance of the last day of Pesach is not clear to many, as the first day takes all the attention. However, know that the "Halacha" is according to J.