The Trouble with Chametz

The Talmud (1) poses the question: Why is it prohibited to eat or to possess chametz (leaven), such as bread, on Pesach? What is there in the nature of leaven that makes it forbidden on Pesach? And what is so special about matza that makes it the most desirable food to eat on this holiday?

Rather than give a straight answer, the Talmud responds by asking yet another question. Why do people sin? Understanding that human beings will continue to transgress, the Talmud analyzes one of the paradoxical situations inherent in the human condition. Man desires to do good, yet he constantly struggles with his evil inclination. Realizing that this inclination is extremely difficult to overcome, the Talmud suggests that human beings, especially Jews, make the following declaration whenever they try to obey the laws of the Torah but fail to do so:

 “Lord of the Universe, You know very well that it is our desire to do Your will; so what prevents us from doing so? The yeast in the dough…”

This phrase, “the yeast in the dough,” appears frequently in the Talmud as a description of man’s evil impulse, and we need to understand the comparison. What is so wrong with leaven that designates it as a symbol for the evil urge in man?  A closer look reveals a most fascinating idea.

Bread, chametz, is really an inflated matza. What, after all, is the essential difference between the two? They are made from exactly the same ingredients – flour and water – and baked in the oven. It is only the speed at which they are prepared that makes matza flat and hard, while bread is soft and fluffy. If we bake the dough quickly, we get matza.  If the dough is left for a while, it will rise and become bread.

Practically, then, the only real difference between the two is hot air – an ingredient devoid of substance!

It is this element that makes bread look so powerful and enticing in comparison to matza. It rises, becoming haughty and giving the impression that it consists of much substance, while in reality it is just a cracker full of hot air. Matza, on the other hand, is humble and true to itself; there is no attempt to appear as anything more than it is – plain dough.

Bread, then, is haughty matza, thus symbolizing the evil inclination. For it is the attitude of arrogance—blowing oneself up beyond what one truly is—that, more than any other bad character trait, leads man to go astray. If a human being would just be humble, recognizing his place vis-à-vis God, he would never contemplate transgressing His will. Only arrogance allows man to choose an undesirable path. 

On Pesach, the festival on which we commemorate and re-experience our inception as the Jewish people, we are once more reminded that our mission to become a light unto the nations can only start in the spirit of true humility. Arrogance can never be the foundation of spirituality and moral integrity. Arrogance cannot truly inspire others, nor will it have any lasting effect.

Consequently, the art of spiritual growth is to become more like a matza in a world full of chametz. (2)

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(1)    Berachot 17a.

(2)    Question to ponder on the Seder night: Based on the above, why is chametz not prohibited throughout the whole year? For a possible answer, see Talmud Yoma 69b concerning the reluctance of the sages to imprison the evil inclination.