Reply To: Short & Sweet

Pesach: Broken

R’ Shmuel Dovid Walkin was once asked the following question by his grandson: We know that the top Matza represents the Kohen, the middle Matza the Levi, and the bottom Matza the Yisroel. If so, why do we break the middle Matza to represent the pain of slavery? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to break the bottom Matza, since it represents those who actually went through the slavery?

R’ Walkin succinctly answered: “Who says you can only be broken by your own troubles?”

Indeed, this is one of the central themes of Pesach. Moshe was raised in the house oh Pharoh, yet he went out and felt the pain of his brothers – ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלותם. A key element of the Geulah was feeling the pain of another Jew and being broken at the thought of what they are going through.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום