Become a premium member today to unlock the full library with unlimited and uninterrupted access
Subscribe NowMARCH 28, 2023 - Tzav: What Does God Have Against Chametz? (Part 1 of 47)
Season One of Into the Verse, Exclusive Content for our Premium Subscribers
Passover is a week away, and as we stock up on matzah and kiss goodbye to bagels, you’ve got to wonder: What’s the big deal about leavened bread, anyway? Why don't we eat it on Passover? Easy question, right? Because of the matzah we ate when God took us out of Egypt. But if you think about it, this prohibition is pretty strange.
The commandment could just have been to eat matzah in commemoration of the Exodus. Why are we also commanded to remove any trace of leavening, of chametz?
This week, Imu Shalev and Rivky Stern look at what Parshat Tzav says about chametz in its description of the daily offerings in the Tabernacle. All year round, the flour in the meal-offering has to be baked as matzah; it can never be chametz. The question is, why? Imu and Rivky dive into the Torah’s other clues to the deeper symbolic meaning of chametz, and those clues bring them to a new understanding of why Parshat Tzav forbids chametz with the offerings… and why we abstain from it on Passover.
Check out our amazing library of Passover videos!
AB Staff
Staff and Scholars
Share
Gift
Download Transcript
Popular on Aleph Beta
Trending Now
What is Aleph Beta?
Aleph Beta is a unique kind of Torah library. Led by our founder, Rabbi David Fohrman, we are dedicated to high-level, textual Torah learning for adults that is intellectually and spiritually sophisticated, that enlivens your Jewish practice and helps you forge a deeper connection to God. Whether you’ve been learning in yeshiva for years or you’re just beginning your Torah journey, you’re sure to find something meaningful and surprising waiting for you here.
Browse our library of over 1,000 beautifully produced animated videos, podcasts, deep dive courses, and printable guides. Topics include the weekly parsha, Jewish holidays & fast days, laws & mitzvot, prayers, relationships, big philosophical ideas and more. Have something to say at the Shabbos table that will amaze your family and guests and bring deep meaning into their lives.
