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yesh omrim

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Middle matzah mystery

13 April 2009

It’s a good sign when your son asks you a question at the Seder that you need to go all the way to the Mishnah Berurah to answer.

The question: why do we break the middle matzah?

The answer (MB 473:57): “…because the blessing on the [mitzvah of the] eating of matzah principally applies to it, and the blessing of hamotzi [the generic blessing on eating bread] that is made first applies to the top one that rests on it.”