April 17, 2008
This Pretty Much Sums Up Judaism
Q. Did Hillel really make a sandwich in the times of the Beit ha-Mikdash?A. No. Otherwise a ‘sandwich’ would be called a ‘hillel’ since he predated the famed Earl by over a millennium. Seriously, though, Hillel had it right. He wrapped (‘korech’) his matza around some marror and some korban Pesach. Clearly, his matza was soft and flexible. The Mishna’s marror was lettuce. Thus, he basically took a lafa and put on some lettuce and roast lamb, wrapped it up, and chowed down. We commemorate this by eating horseradish on a cracker and saying “This is what Hillel did”, on the very night that we ostensibly preserve and transmit our collective memory.
From AddeRabbi’s Pesach FAQ.
Liked that one, huh?
Posted by: adderabbi at April 18, 2008 1:56 AMThere are some sefardim who eat this soft matzah. I believe there is a place that makes it in California.
Posted by: AF at April 21, 2008 1:15 AMActually, you can get the same effect with our 'once you crunch you can't stop' matzah (probably better called 'once you crunch you can't go' - but I wouldn't say that in mixed company) by moistening the matzah with just the right amount of water and taking care to fold it over like a taco - yet another proof that gebrucks is a myth.
(My main proof vs gebrucks is actually a pasuk - Lucy, go make cakes - look it up - it's in bereishis where the melachim come to Avraham ... The Tur (and many others) say that it was Pesach. vkal lhavin)
