Haggadah:Yachatz/2

Yachatz

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

The custom of Yachatz has been understood in varying ways. According to one possibility cited by the Or HaChayyim, the practice is directly linked to the opening of Maggid and the recitation of "הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא". Immediately before speaking of "poor man's bread" we break our matzah into pieces, transforming it into a symbol of poverty. Others view the splitting of the matzah as more utilitarian in nature. Ramban, thus, maintains that the practice is a necessary preparation for Motzi-Matzah which requires both a whole and broken piece of Matzah. The Or Zarua, in contrast, focuses on the concealment rather than splitting of the matzah, and asserts that the custom developed to ensure that sufficient matzah is saved for the Afikoman.  A final approach suggests that there is nothing intrinsically significant about Yachatz, and the custom was only implemented so as to arouse the curiosity of the children.

Preparation for Recitation

The matzah is broken in anticipation of Maggid since proper recitation of Maggid necessitates having "poor man's bread" (i.e. a broken loaf) in front of the Seder participants.

Sources:R. Yitzchak ibn Giatcited by Sefer HaIttur Hilkhot Matzah UMaror,¹ teachers of RitvaHaggadah Shel PesachAbout R. Yom Tov b. Ashbel, Orchot ChayyimSeder Leil HaPesach 12 #1, Shulchan Arukh HaRavOrach Chayyim 472:1Orach Chayyim 473:35-36Orach Chayyim 475:4-5

This position

Action or result oriented? According to this position the act of breaking the matzah has no intrinsic significance and it is merely a means to an end: having a broken piece of matzah on the table.

Which piece of matzah is the focus? This approach views the matzah that is returned to the pile, and not the one which is saved for the Afikoman, as the focus of the custom.  It is the former which must be present as one begins to recite Maggid.  Nonetheless, once the matzah was broken

Ha Lachma Anya vs. all of Maggid – This position divides regarding whether the broken matzah is needed for all of Maggid or just for the opening lines of "הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא".

• "הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" – Most of these sources state that it is required specifically for "הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא," since the passage explicitly refers to "poor man's bread".  Thus, while reciting "this is the bread of the poor," there is an example placed in front of the Seder participants.
• "מַגִּיד" – In contrast, Shulchan Arukh HaRav explains that all of Maggid must be recited in the presence of a broken matzah.  He points to the two explanations of "לחם עוני" given in Bavli Pesachim 115b-116a, that it is both "bread over which one answers matters" (i.e. over which one recites the Haggadah) and that it is "poor man's bread" (i.e. a broken piece).  As such, a piece of poor man's bread must be present throughout the recitation of the Haggadah.

Focus of the custom – According to this approach, the act of breaking the matzah is the primary goal of Yachatz. In fact, Shulchan Arukh HaRav implies that the broken piece of matzah need not have had any role to play later in the Seder.  Only because the matzah is already broken, do we save it so that it can be used for a different mitzvah, the Afikoman.

Which matzah is broken and why? Shulchan Arukh HaRav states that one breaks the middle matzah, and returns the piece there, since the whole matzah will be blessed first and "אין מעבירים על המצוות" (one does not pass over a mitzvah). According to him, the blessing of HaMotzi must be made only on a full matzah, while the mitzvah of Matzah is fulfilled on the broken piece. Since Motzi precedes Matzah, the matzot are stacked accordingly.

Why conceal the slice? According to Shulchan Arukh HaRav, the piece of matzah is placed beneath the tablecloth in imitation of the Exodus, when the Israelites left Egypt with their dough wrapped in cloth ("מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם צְרֻרֹת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָם עַל שִׁכְמָם").²  In this part of Yachatz, then, the matzah no longer commemorates the enslavement but rather the redemption.

"Stealing" and hiding the Afikoman – These sources do not mention the custom at all; the only "hiding" of the matzah is its placement under the tablecloth.  Nonetheless, it is possible that this initial hiding eventually morphed into the contemporary custom that either the parent or child hides the matzah for the other to find.

"חוטפין מצות" – According to this approach, the practice of "grabbing matzot" to keep the children awake is unrelated to the institution of Yachatz. Shulkhan Arukh haRav appears to follow RashiPesachim 50aPesachim 109aAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki in understanding that it refers to hastening to begin the Seder so that the children do not fall asleep.³

Preparation for Eating Matzah

Splitting the matzah is done in preparation for eating one of its parts later in the Seder. This position divides regarding whether the piece is being saved for Motzi-Matzah or for the Afikoman.

Motzi–Matzah

Since Motzi-Matzah requires at least one whole matzah and a broken piece, the Seder leader breaks a matzah at Yachatz in preparation.

Sources:RambanCited in Maharam Chalawa Pesachim 115b, RitvaHaggadah Shel PesachAbout R. Yom Tov b. Ashbel, RanCommentary on Rif Pesachim 25b

Whole vs. broken loaves – Even though on Shabbat or Yom Tov one would normally make the blessing of HaMotzi only on whole loaves, since "it is the way of the poor" (Bavli Pesachim 115b-116a) to eat only part of a loaf, an exception is made at the Seder where it is customary to use a broken piece of matzah alongside the whole one/s.⁴

Why not break the matzah before Motzi-Matzah? According to the above reasoning, one would have assumed that Yachatz should take place right before Motzi-Matzah, as this is the best way to demonstrate that the broken piece is symbolic of poverty.⁵ The Ritva and Ran, however, point to R. Hai Gaon who maintains that the lenient ruling regarding blessing over broken pieces applies only if the matzah is already broken.  It would therefore be disrespectful to take a whole loaf and break it in two right before blessing,⁶ and thus, the matzah is broken earlier.

Why before Maggid specifically? Since it would not be logical to stop Maggid in the middle so as to break the matzah, it is done beforehand.  Moreover, as Maggid opens with "הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" which speaks of "poor man's bread", it is an appropriate place to do so.

Focus of the custom – According to this approach, like above, it is the act of breaking the matzah which is significant;⁷ while the saving of a piece for the Afikoman is secondary.  Had it been technically possible to break the matzah later in the Seder, the whole aspect of preserving a piece for the Afikoman might not have even existed.

Which matzah is broken and why? None of these sources mention which matzah is split, or where it is placed afterwards.

Why hide the slice? The Ritva, like Shulchan Arukh HaRav above, explains that the placement under the tablecloth is meant to re-enact the Exodus: "מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם צְרֻרֹת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָם".

"חוטפין מצות" – According to this approach, "חוטפין מצות" is not connected to Yachatz. 

• Ramban suggests that being "חוטף מצה", instead, refers to the fact that after removing the Seder plate, the leader would act as if the meal was over, and if any child attempted to take more matzah, he would snatch his hand away. Such unexpected behavior would lead the child to question.
• The RanRan's Commentary on Rif Pesachim 23b, following RashbamPesachim 109aAbout R. Shemuel b. Meir, also suggests that the practice refers to taking away matzah from the children, but posits that this is meant to keep them from falling asleep on a full stomach.

Afikoman

The matzah is broken in order to save part for the end of the meal and ensure that there will be sufficient matzah for the Afikoman.

Sources:Or ZaruaPart II Hilkhot Pesachim 256, perhaps the RoshPesachim PesachAbout R. Asher b. Yechiel, Orchot ChayyimSeder Leil HaPesach 12 #3

Why hide the slice? Or Zarua and Orchot Chayyim write that one hides the piece of matzah reserved for the Afikoman so that it will not be eaten by mistake.⁸  As people did not necessarily have large amounts of matzah, there was a real concern that there would not be sufficient matzah left over to fulfill the mitzvah of Afikoman.

Why before Maggid? Since the whole point of the practice is to ensure that the matzah is not eaten before its proper time, it must be put away before the meal begins, towards the beginning of the Seder.

Hiding and stealing the Afikoman – It is possible that the custom evolved out of this understanding of Yachatz.  If the pourpose of Yachatz is only to preserve the matzah, then having a child grab the matzah, to return it only at Tzafun when the Afikoman is eaten, would seem to accomplish the same goal.  The Rosh's wording that one "gives it to another to guard" already introduces the practice of involving others in the "hiding".⁹

Focus of the custom – According to this understanding, the breaking of the matzah is totally utilitarian in nature, and contains no symbolic meaning or import of its own.  It is simply the means to an end, ensuring that there is enough matzah for the Afikoman.  Thus, the hiding of the broken piece is the primary aspect of the custom.

Which matzah is broken and why? The Orchot Chayyim implies that any of the matzot may be broken, but that it should be replaced between the two unbroken matzot, while the Or Zarua states that the middle matzah should be broken, but does not specify to where it is returned.  It is possible that the two do not really disagree and both stipulate that the middle matzah be the broken one so that, later, the full matzah will be on top when it is needed for HaMotzi.¹⁰

Ploy to Involve the Children

Yachatz is intended to provoke questions from the children participating at the Seder.

Sources:Orchot ChayyimSeder Leil HaPesach 12 #2

Why hide the slice? Orchot Chayyim suggests that it is the hiding of the matzah before having partaken of it which provokes questions from the children. Upon seeing the matzah broken, they assume it will be eaten, only to find it being put away!

"חוטפין מצות" – This approach could suggest that this is what R. Eliezer in the Tosefta meant by "חוטפין מצות בלילי פסחים בשביל תינוקות שלא ישנו".  Rather than distributing matzah among the Seder participants, it is "snatched away" and hidden. The surprising actions keep the children awake and wondering.

Stealing the Afikoman – The custom of "stealing the Afikoman" at this point in the Seder might have evolved from a different understanding of R. Eliezer's comment, that it is the children rather than adults who "snatch" the Afikoman.  The point is the same, to keep the youngsters involved and questioning.

Why before Maggid? This position might suggest that there is no real significance to the placement of the custom before Maggid.  It is but one of many actions done throughout the Seder to raise the curiosity of its participants, and could really have taken place at any point. Alternatively, the custom precedes Maggid since telling the story is supposed to be accomplished via questions and answers, and this provokes questioning.

¹ This is what emerges from the end of his comments.  It is also possible, though, that he maintains that the primary reason for splitting the matzah is the need to have a broken piece later in the Seder (see the approach below), and he is merely explaining why the breaking is done now rather than later.

² He points out that some have the further custom of wrapping it in a handkerchief and putting it on their shoulders.

³ When bringing the ruling that one must hasten to finish preparations so as to begin the Seder earlier, Shulkhan Arukh haRav does not explicitly mention the prooftext of "חוטפין מצות" but in light of his explanation  "so that the children do not fall asleep" and the similarity to Rashi, it would seem that he is understanding it in this manner.

⁴ There is a debate regarding the number of whole matzot needed.  This is related both to whether or not Yom Tov, like Shabbat, requires לחם משנה, and, if so, whether the broken piece suffices as the second loaf. For a full discussion of the issue and the various customs, see Y. Tabory, "פסח דורות," (Tel Aviv, 1996): 269-306.

⁵ This is, in fact, the practice followed by the RambamHilkhot Chametz uMatzah 7:3Hilkhot Chametz UMatzah 8:6About R. Moshe b. Maimon (and Yemenites today).

⁶ According to R. Hai Gaon, R. Papa's statement in Bavli Berakhot 39bBerakhot 39bAbout the Bavli regarding blessing over a a broken piece of matzah does not mandate such a custom, but only permits it. As such, it is still preferable to use two while loaves, and the allowance to use a broken piece is conditional.

⁷ As opposed to the above approach, however, this position views Yachatz as technical in nature, an action necessary to ensure proper observance of a different aspect of the seder.

⁸ The Rosh writes similarly, "that he should not forget it".

⁹ In fact illustrations in the Second Nuremberg Haggadah (1450-1500) portray the father handing a child the afikoman at Yachatz and their giving it back from its hiding place at Tzafun, where the caption reads: אחר יאכלו ישאל האפיקומן/ אשר הנער טמן.

¹⁰ Cf. the discussion above.