Matzah Breakfast on "Second Chance Passover," Pesach Sheni, פסח שני

For years I've been missing the boat, forgetting to celebrate "Second Chance Passover," Pesach Sheni, פסח שני.

Passover, Pesach is one of the holidays we are commanded to celebrate, as written in the Torah, Bible, the first five Books. These texts are thousands of years old, and we Jews still read and follow the Mitzvot/Commandments. When you think about it, it's quite amazing. For thousands of years we Jews have followed the calendar, the same holidays according to ancient texts.

When we were a small people all living in the Holy Land, making it to the Beit Hamikdash for holidays was doable. And since Passover was so important Gd gave us a second chance, because sometimes people found it impossible for very legitimate reasons.

The Torah mentions two official excuses for “missing” Pesach Rishon (on 14 Nissan) and being commanded to bring the KP on 14 Iyar – TAMEI, ritually defiled because of contact with a dead body or other source of TUM’A and DERECH R’CHOKA, “far” away from the Mikdash.

So today, even though I celebrated a large family seder with my family a month ago, I ate matzah. Did you?

Baking Matzah by Hand

Last night, OK with daylight savings time it was more like late afternoon, while taking a walk around the neighborhood, I noticed some activity going on. Apparently this van brought all the supplies and equipment needed to bake matzah.

So I got a bit closer and took a couple of pictures. Since matzah-baking is strictly timed,  I didn't want to disturb anyone. That's why I didn't get too close.

You can see that they brought gas canisters, an oven and everything else one would need to produce handmade matzah.

Just a few days ago, I had admitted to someone that I had never seen nor participated in matzah-baking.

Should I add matzah-baking to my "Bucket List?"

Last Chance to Use Up Last Year's Matzah!

There's a custom not to eat matzah or matzah products/foods for a month before Passover, and since Purim is a month before Passover, and Purim is in a few days...

I checked the matzah box, which lives from year to year, and it's changed from year to year, on a shelf between the kitchen and dining area. There were only six pieces left, so I made my husband two matzah breis. One was for Seudat Shlishit, the third Shabbat meal, and the other he'll take to work for lunch tomorrow.

Over the year, I gradually try to use up the matzah by making matzah brei, and I must admit that this almost empty giant box shows that we've done a good job this year. Israeli matzah comes in 2 1/2 kilo, that's over five 5 pounds boxes. They are boxes, and I say that because there used to be paper wrapping which got holey very quickly.

Matzah Brei Recipe (serves 1 or 2, depending on whom)

• 2 pieces of Israeli matzah, which is a bit 1/3 smaller than American I think
• 2 eggs (3 if you're using the larger American matzah)
• medium size bowl
• 1/2 cup of water, though I've never really measured
• oil for frying
• covered frying pan

Directions

• break the matzah into the bowl
• add water
• add eggs
• mix and let sit for at least 10 minutes
• heat oil in frying pan
• add matzah mush, spread out on hot oil
• cover, then lower flame
• when it looks solid, flip over to cook the other side
• turn off heat after 3-5 minutes
• wait another 5 minutes before serving
• "travels well" if wrapped in foil and cooled in fridge. 

Most people like it served with something sweet, like jam or honey or spreading cheese or cut fruit.

Finish That Matzah!

Matzah is one of those products that lasts forever; yes, in two ways.

1. It never spoils.  Properly sealed, it stays edible for years.
2. If you overbuy the amount of matzah you really need for Passover, something we frequently do, it's easy to forget to eat/cook/serve it. So you end up suddenly discovering that very expensive simple food when preparing  (cleaning) for the next Pesach.

I've discovered that I can give my husband perfectly good matzah brei during the year as his "lunch sandwich."  He generally gets two peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, plus a couple of fruit and yogurt for breakfast when he goes to work.  With this eating regime, he has lost, and kept off, even more weight than I've banished.

Last night, since I realized that we were out of bread, making him matzah brei was the perfect solution.

I wrap it in foil and keep a piece of matzah dry for him to use to make the bracha blessing on bread.

The recipe is very simple.
Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of matzah
• 2 eggs
• water (milk or both) to moisten the matzah
• oil for frying
• honey or jam optional to sweeten it

Instructions:

• break matzah in pieces and put in bowl
• add water or milk or combination, about 1/4 cup
• add the eggs
• mix and then leave for at least 10 minutes
• heat the oil in the frying pan
• add the mixture and cover
• start on high and quickly turn to low flame
• when you can see that the matzah brei is solid, turn over and cook another couple of minutes
• leave covered on flame for a bit
• then serve or pack, with optional honey or jam

This is very easy and wonderful for traveling.

Cleaning my mind

Not only our homes must be cleaned, but our minds, too, and don't forget the out of doors. But all that mostly has nothing to do with Passover. To be prepared for Passover, the only thing we must get rid of, destroy, is "chametz." Now, what actually is חמץ chametz? And how does it differ from מצה matzah, which is permitted?

Linguistically, both words have the letters mem מ and tzaddi צ.

And time-wise the difference between the two is just seconds. Judaism is very concerned with time. Shabbat and holidays begin and end at specific times. The three daily prayers are also strictly within exact time frames. Days begin and end at pre-determined times. It's not "approximate." What amazes me is that these rules and regulations were determined without modern time-pieces, without advanced clocks and computers.

Matzah has to be prepared within 18 minutes. How were these 18 minutes determined a thousand years ago, or even a hundred or fifty when accurate watches and clocks were rare? I have no idea, honestly.

And back to those letters, mem מ and tzaddi צ. What other words have them? Mitz, מיץ, juice and l'tzamtzem, לצמצם, to reduce to minimum, the essence, like juice.

From the same linguistic root as chametz, we have chamutz, sour, chometz, vinegar and other negative words.

Does that mean that chametz and matzah are the essence of Judaism? That "fine line" between permitted and forbidden, holy and profane can be found in the production of matzah.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach