Chag HaPesach
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Mechaber writes in the Shulchan Aruch that on Leil HaSeder one should set his table with the finest utensils according to his ability. The Mishnah Berurah adds that even though the whole year round we always limit our extravagance as a reminder of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the seder night is different in this regard. One of the requirements and obligations of the evening is to express ourselves as free men. Using our finest vessels without restriction at the seder is one of the ways in which we express our freedom.
If this is so, why is one of the mitzvos of the evening to eat Matza? Moreover, the mitzvah of telling the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim is done over the Matza. And Matza is known as Lechem Ani, poor man's bread. As the Gemara in Pesachim 115B teaches, Mah Ani Shedarko B'Perusah, af Kan B'Perusah. Just as the poor man's way is to eat broken pieces of bread, so too you should the Matza as a broken piece. We just stated above that an essential theme of the seder is to express our freedom by pulling out all the stops, and then we sit down at the seder and eat poor man's bread?
The Maharal explains that the term Lechm Ani, poor man's bread, is used in contradistinction to the term Matza Ashirah, "wealthy Matza". This is a term for Matza which has additives, usually a reference to egg Matza. The Matza we eat at the seder is Lechem Ani in the sense of its simplicity; it is only comprised of flour and water and is totally consistent with the notion of freedom. We live in a world of physical matter which is composed of different parts and components. On Pesach we express our freedom in a spiritual way as well by freeing ourselves of the "additional parts" that we have acquired over the years; we free ourselves from all physical wants and desires. This is why eating Matza at the seder is indeed an illustration of the notion of freedom.
There is even a deeper level of understanding the significance of eating Lechem Ani at the seder. The Maharal also mentions the idea that Pesach is a festival of strengthening one's Emunah in Hashem. Perhaps Lechem Ani is an expression of this as well. The basic ingredients of flour and water express our desire to get down to our bear essence of who we really are. We need to strip away our façade of how we present ourselves to the world and remove all our non-essential parts; our money, our status, our pedigree, etc., in order to see who we really are and whether we have a true and meaningful relationship with Hashem.
This idea is similar to a beautiful idea taught by the Ohr Gedalyahu on parshat Lech Lecha. He asks why is it that when Hashem tests Avraham and tells him to leave his homeland, He tells him Lech Lecha, go to yourself. Why doesn't He just tell him Lech? He answers that when a person is tested we see his true essence; we see what his "Lecha" is. And the Chidushei HaRim adds that Chazal teach Hakol Bidei Shamayim Chutz M'Yiras Shamayim, everything is in the hands of Gd except for fear of Gd. Everything we achieve and gain in this world, all the different components we add to ourselves, is all in Hashem's hands. The only thing that truly expresses who we are is our fear of Hashem. This is exclusively in our hands and is that which enables us to succeed in life's various challenges. Hence Avraham was told Lech Lecha, go to your true essential self in order to succeed in this test and survive the challenge of following Gd's will even under a trying situation.
This is why we eat Matza on Pesach which is also a festival of Emunah. Faith is about getting down to the basics, just as Matza is about the basics of flour and water. Pesach is about realizing our essential selves and looking past all the additives. And when we succeed in doing this, we manage to achieve the exquisite combination of faith and freedom at the same time, connecting to Hashem with the simplicity of the Matza.
Chag Kasher V'Sameach and Good Shabbos
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