Motzei Matzah: Difference between revisions

# One should take the Matzahs, the whole one on bottom, the broken one in middle, and another whole one on top, and make the Bracha of [[HaMotzei]]. Then one should drop the bottom [[matzah]] which is whole and make the Bracha of Al Achilat [[Matzah]]. <Ref>S”A 475:1, Mishna Brurah 475:2. Mishna Brurah (475:2) explains that the reason we take three matzot for hamotzei is because we are trying to satisfy two different approaches. The two whole matzot serve as lechem mishneh, the requirement of having two whole loaves of bread on Shabbat or Yom Tov. The third matzah, or the broken piece of matzah, represents the poor man who does not have a complete piece of matzah. In developing this further, the Shulchan Arukh HaRav (475:4-5) explains that for al akhilat matzah one should place the bottom matzah down since al akhilat matzah applies to the top matzah or the middle broken piece.</ref>

# Then one should break off a piece from the top and middle Matzahs to have a [[Kezayit]] from each. <ref>S”A 475:1. Mishna Brurah (475:9) explains that one needs to eat a k'zayit from both the whole matzah as well as the broken one because some argue that the berakhah of al akhilat matzah applies to each of these matzot. Accordingly, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichot Shlomoh ch. 9, n. 40) writes that if the three matzot that the head of the household is using does not suffice for everyone to have two kezaytim, each person should just have a piece from the top matzah and then supplement it by eating other available matzah up to the necessary k'zayit. He explained that according to Mishna Brurah, if one isn’t eating from the head of the household’s matzot, there exists no doubt as to which matzah the berakhah of al akhilat matzah applies. Alternatively, Rav Hershel Schachter (Eretz HaTzvi p. 40-1) explains that the reason to require two kezaytim of matzah is to satisfy a) the mitzvah of matzah, b) the mitzvah of seudat yom tov. </ref> The best way to do that is to eat both pieces simultaneously. If one is not able to eat both together, one should eat the piece from the top [[Matza]] first <ref>S”A HaRav 475:6-7 </ref>

# The [[matzah]] should be eaten while leaning. <Ref>S”A 475:1 </ref>

# The Sephardic minhag is to dip the [[matzah]] in salt and the Ashkenazic minhag is not to dip the [[matzah]] in salt. <Ref>S”A and Rama 475:1, Mishna Brurah 475:4 explains that Ashkenazim don’t dip the [[matzah]] in salt so that the [[matzah]] can be seen as poor man’s bread.</ref>

# Most permit measuring the required amounts for the Mitzvah of eating [[Matzah]]. <Ref>Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 29:40 (also in Halichot Shlomo 9:7), Petach Dvir 306:7 </ref>Some are strict to require one to measure before [[Shabbat]]. <ref>Natai Gavriel (vol 2, 90:30) quoting S”A HaRav </ref>