Shemote (Exodus) 12:39
39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

Shalom friend,

As we explain in The Torah Calendar, Yahweh (Yahweh) instructs us not to eat anything leavened during the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (ULB). However, the commandment is not only to avoid eating anything leavened, it is also to eat some bread each day that is unleavened.

Shemote (Exodus) 12:15
15 “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

In several places Scripture tells us not to add to Yahweh’s words (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:2). However, despite Yahweh’s commandment not to add to His Instructions, the rabbis have created various “fence laws” (man‐made laws that go above and beyond what Yahweh tells us to do in the Torah).

With regards to unleavened bread, the rabbis have added laws that tell us that in order for matzah (unleavened bread) to be “Kosher for Passover,” the flour must be mixed for no more than 18‐22 minutes before the matzah is baked (or else it might somehow become leavened, and rise). The rabbis also tell us that matzah must be carefully inspected before, during, and after the baking process, as well as run over with a special machine that pokes holes in the bread (making sure that it does not rise), which is what gives matzah its familiar pierced appearance.

The rabbis also say that matzah made by machine can only be made from potato flour (i.e., potato starch), since flour from either wheat, barley, or other grains might inadvertently rise. This is ironic, seeing as matzah was not traditionally made from potato starch. Rather, Passover takes place just after the barley has become aviv. The matzah our forefathers ate on their flight from Egypt would not be certified as “Kosher for Passover” today.

Scripture does not tell us that matzah must be made from potato flour. Scripture only tells us to throw out all leavening agents (such as yeast, sourdough starter, baking soda, and baking powder), and not to eat anything leavened during the Passover/Unleavened Bread week. In ancient times this was carried out simply by throwing out the sourdough starter (and all of the sourdough bread).

People sometimes ask me what I do for unleavened bread. Because I tend to be a scriptural literalist, and because I am a ‘basics’ kind of guy, I usually just buy a few boxes of regular unleavened bread made with wheat or barley flour, rather than their “Kosher for Passover” potato‐based cousins. If someone will make it, I really prefer homemade unleavened bread with barley flour.

Some of our brothers and sisters, however, really have fun with their unleavened breads, and they have a number of unleavened recipes. Here are some of the recipes that people have sent in, which contain no yeast, sourdough starter, baking powder, or baking soda. There is everything from pancakes to macaroons. Some of the recipes have nothing to do with unleavened bread, but we included them anyhow, just to share.

May Yahweh bless you and your household during this special time, and may you enjoy this special Festival of Unleavened Bread with your family, as our forefathers did in the days of old.

Pesach Sameach!
(Happy Passover!)