There are two types of Matzah. The round hand-baked Matzah and the square machine-made Matzah. Many wonder about the difference between them and why it’s highly recommended you specifically get hold of round hand-baked Shmurah Matzah.
Both Matzahs are made of the same ingredients: flour and water. However, having the right ingredients is not nearly enough to have a legitimate Matzah for Passover. From the time the flour meets the water the leaven fermentation process starts happening and if the dough is not handled and baked properly, it can become “Chametz” which is Hebrew for “leaven” and strictly prohibited throughout Passover.
This brings us to an important nugget of consumer information: not all Matzah sold in the supermarket is kosher for Passover! That’s right. The companies won’t lie to you. If the Matzah is prepared for Passover, it will say so on the box. If not, it will state that as well. And if there are other ingredients in the Matzah, while it may be kosher for Passover, it cannot be used at the Seder. Check the boxes well! While regular Matzah is closely regulated from the time the flour meets the water in the baker’s bowl, “Shmurah Matzah” means the regulation begins from the harvest. The wheat is harvested during the summer in dry conditions to ensure no moisture could render the kernels unusable. Every step of the process is closely watched until the Matzah comes out of the oven. We Jews have been baking Matzah for 3,336 years and for most of that time, the only option was for it to be done by hand. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, a machine was invented to bake Matzah. While it made Matzah production cheaper and easier, and the product may be consumed on Passover because it is not Chametz, many wondered if the machine Matzah could be used to fulfill the obligation to eat Matzah during the Seder. Here’s why: Matzah is not just unleavened bread - it’s a Mitzvah food. Mitzvah needs intention and machines can’t think. The people involved in the baking process must focus on the fact that these Matzahs will be used to fulfill G-d’s commandment for us to commemorate the exodus from Egypt. If you dig a little deeper, the spiritual element of Matzah lends itself to personal human involvement and not a cookie-cutter machine process. According to tradition - when eaten on Passover - Shmurah Matzah represents “food of faith” and “food of healing.” These two crucial areas of life require constant nurturing and monitoring and despite universal dogmas, everyone’s individuality is expressed in them as well. While there are specific textbooks for faith, these beliefs manifest differently in our unique consciousness. While medicine is a textbook-based discipline, every person’s body is different and nothing can replace in-person doctor checkups. That’s why it’s recommended you have at least some hand-baked Shmura Matzah for the Seder. Allow the experience of true liberty to permeate your body and soul from a rugged human perspective that appreciates and values your spiritual and physical individuality. Please reach out to learn how you can get Shmura Matzah for your Seder. In these unprecedented times, the messages and spiritual properties of Shmurah Matzah are especially pertinent, and may they serve as a conduit for G-d's blessings of good health, spiritual growth, and material prosperity for us all. Best wishes for a Kosher and happy Passover.