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Lesson 5 of 8·The Haggadah: A Political Classic

The Meaning of Matzah—Positive Freedom and Negative Freedom

Nowhere in the Torah is the holiday we know as Pesach given that name. Rather, it is called the “Festival of Matzah.” How does matzah, the iconic unleavened bread of the Seder, bind Jews together across past, present, and future, while reminding us of our loyalty to God even in our darkest moments?

Taught By

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik
Meir Soloveichik is the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel and the director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. His website, containing all of his media appearances, podcasts, and writing, can be found at meirsoloveichik.com.

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1 of 8 The DNA of the Haggadah—Politics and Theology

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2 of 8 Children and Continuity

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3 of 8 The Politics of Time

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4 of 8 Law and Liberty

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5 of 8 The Meaning of Matzah—Positive Freedom and Negative Freedom

The Politics of the Paschal Lamb

6 of 8 The Politics of the Paschal Lamb

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7 of 8 Rabbi Akiva’s Blessing—Destruction, Freedom, and Endurance

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8 of 8 Elijah’s Cup—Reflections on Athens and Jerusalem