Motzi is reciting the blessing called “Hamotzi” over the Matzah. This is the blessing typically used to thank God for the food we are about to eat. It is to recognize He is the Source of all our sustenance. The “Hamotzi” prayer in English is:
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth.
This is the blessing over the bread for a meal.
WHY SO MUCH TALK ABOUT BREAD?
Why do we always seem to be so obscessed over the bread anyway?
Good question.
In her writings in an article called “She Speaks Truth,” Melanie Rainer reminds us of how many times in the bible God has used Bread as a silver thread that ties all of His people together. She says; “How many times throughout Scripture has God made Himself known through the breaking of bread? Think of the Israelites, wandering through the desert with more manna than they could eat. Remember the widowed Ruth’s overflowing baskets of wheat. Consider Elisha’s miracle. Ponder the story of A poor boy and his five loaves, multiplied to feed thousands.”
We know even after all of those examples; there was the Passover that Jesus shared with the disciples before the crucifixion where He told them; “THIS IS MY BODY BROKEN FOR YOU.”
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE BREAD
In understanding about bread we come to a deeper understanding of our God and our Messiah.
In the times of the Temple, and even before that in the wilderness Tabernacle; the offerings of Bread were offerings of Thanksgiving.
This blessing is simply giving thanks to God for His provision of our daily food.
The people also brought thanksgiving sacrifices/offerings whenever something very good had happened to them and they just wanted to show God their gratitude.
BEING THANKFUL
Maybe it was answered prayer for healing. Or maybe it was a sudden financial change that helped someone over a rough period of having no money. Perhaps it was being thankful for a new pregnancy or for the wonderful grandchildren God had granted.
Whenever your heart was overflowing with thanks; it was a good time to bring the offering of the bread to the altar of God and express your thanks.
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE
In the case of Passover; the thanksgiving is for deliverance. God’s people saw deliverance from Pharaoh’s harsh ruling, and deliverance from drowning in the Sea. There was deliverance in crossing-over to the other side to safety, and deliverance from bondage and slavery. They were thankful for deliverance from a life of no freedom at all.
Most of all, both then and now; we are thankful for deliverance from our own sins and no more fear of the Angel of Death passing over the land.
When we read Leviticus 7:12 we can see the requirements for these offerings. A person was to bring a LOT of unleavened bread mixed with oils; to be more exact; 40 loaves in all!
Now that is a lot of unleavened bread!
NO LEAVEN ALLOWED AT PASSOVER
If you were going to express your regular, ordinary, every-day thanks; sometimes it was okay to bring the bread that you had baked yourself. I’m speaking of the weekly bread called Challah which you let rise with leaven. This is the bread which is allowed to get full and fluffy in the way that the world would relate to as delicious bread.
This bread looks good. It seems finished or complete. This bread is appealing to the eye. The taste is also sweet and light at the same time. This is the bread to use for giving thanks on ordinary days; but not at Passover.
At Passover, the bread has to be unleavened. Here is a past article from the blog which speaks of the seven days of Unleavened Bread and how the bread was sanctified: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seven-days-set-apart/
BREAD OF THE POOR AND INCOMPLETE
Giving thanks for deliverance requires the bringing of unleavened bread. This bread is symbolic of humility. It was used when the people left Egypt and their dough was not allowed to rise. The unleavened bread is symbolic of incompleteness. They brought with them the bread of the poor. The unleavened bread even had imperfections. It often looked as if it was lacking all of the needed ingredients.
The humility and the incompleteness and the sense of something lacking is so symbolic of us without a Messiah. Our preparations for meeting with God are not quite complete. Something is missing and that “something” must be found.
A SAVIOR IS FOUND
The unleavened matzah is so symbolic of our pure and perfect Savior.
He had no sin; yet He came for us sinners who were so lacking and incomplete without Him. He died for us, blemishes and flaws and all. The matzah expresses the humility and dependency we all feel as we walk through life on earth.
When we read Leviticus 7:12 we can see the requirements for these offerings. A person was to bring a LOT of unleavened bread mixed with oils; to be more exact; 40 loaves in all! Now that is a lot of unleavened bread!
This large amount of bread had to be eaten the very night it was offered. That was a rule of the Thanksgiving offering.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
No man could eat that many loaves of bread; so they needed to invite others to help. Passover is an international holy day holiday; so this meant that EVERYONE who showed up would have bread. It would be shared in a feast of the whole nation.
Could there be a better picture of The Body of Christ?
So this is yet another reason that Christians have for calling the act of communion with God The Great Thanksgiving.