THE BAIS HAVAAD HALACHA JOURNAL: Volume 5776 Issue XXIV Pesach THICK MATZOS: THE BACK STORY- PART 2 The unlikely relation between thick matzah and some well-known Pesach stringencies. By: Rabbi Ariel Ovadia

Introduction In our previous article we cited the opinion of the Bet Yosef that a Matzah may be baked as thick as a Tefah [appx. 3-4 inches]. Some Aharonim, such as the Bet Hillel, peg the limit at an Etzba [appx. ½ inch]. Our thick Matzot do not generally run that thick, and are surely not thicker than the limit of the Bet Yosef. Although the Rama rules the Matzot must be made thin with no specific measure, many understand he is talking only about specific cases, or only about the Matzot Mitzva, eaten at Lel HaSeder. Some even contend that the Rama would consider our present day thick Matzot to be thin as well. Whereas there is an advantage to using thick Matzot as it facilitates the eating of the proper measure of Matzah, nevertheless one should ensure that they are baked with the proper meticulousness and under the proper supervision. We will now discuss some of the historical background and context of the use of thick and thin Matzot.