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The Profundities of Torah-Haggadah-Yachatz Print E-mail
Written by HaRav Yochanan Zweig   

The-Profundities-of-Torah-Rabbi-Zweig-HaggadahYachatz - we break the middle Matzah. This Matzah is put aside and eaten later as the Afikomen, which substitutes for the eating of the Korban Pesach. One may wonder why do we break the Matzah that symbolizes the Korban Pesach?

 

The Korban Pesach itself has a special law prohibiting one from breaking any of the bones. This special law applies when we are offering the sacrifice or while we are eating the Korban Pesach.

In general, every animal has to be both “unblemished and intact” to be slaughtered as Korban (sacrifice).

The answer may lie in understanding another difficulty surrounding the Korban Pesach.

The Torah records how there were individuals that had become spiritually impure in the desert and therefore unable to bring the Korban Pesach along with the rest of the Jewish people. They queried Moshe concerning their situation. At this time Hashem taught Moshe the laws of Pesach Sheni. Hashem instructed Moshe to establish another date, one month later, when these individuals and others who because of unforeseen circumstances could not fulfill their obligation of Korban Pesach on the 14th day of Nissan. These people could bring a Korban Pesach one month later on the 14th day of Iyar.

This was very unusual, generally, if one is unable to fulfill the Mitzvah because of circumstances beyond his control, he is exempt. Why is Korban Pesach the only Mitzvah where one is given a second chance after the time the Mitzvah has passed?

Korban Pesach, more than being just a Mitzvah, was the manner in which one affirmed his Jewish identity. To partake in the Korban Pesach was to identify oneself as a member of Klal Yisroel. Therefore, although they were exempt from the Mitzvah, they still wanted the chance to affirm their Jewish identity. The Korban Pesach served as a unification for the whole of Klal Yisroel and therefore no one who wanted to participate could be left out.

Perhaps we break the Middle Matzah that represents the Korban Pesach before we begin the Seder to symbolize that we are in exile and do not have the Bais HaMikdash, our relationship with Hashem is not fully intact.


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