Ahead of Passover, many people are busy cleaning and getting rid of leaven (chametz).
Cabinets are emptied, shelves are checked, and every bread crumb receives attention.
The definition of chametz is very simple. Flour and water that have come into contact and stayed together long enough to cause the dough to rise, to swell. Sometimes even without adding yeast, time is enough to create a new state for the mixture.
This simplicity underlies one of the main prohibitions of the holiday. On Passover, not only do we not eat chametz, but we also remove it from the house. We burn it, cleanse it, search for it, make sure that there are no crumbs left. This is a thorough, meticulous process that goes into the smallest details. The Torah gives a clear explanation for this.
The Israelites left Egypt in a hurry, and did not have time to linger. The dough they prepared did not have time to rise. So it was baked as flat matzo. In memory of that event, the Israelites were commanded...
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