Gebrochts facts for kids
Gebrochts (say "GHE-brokhts") is a Yiddish word that means "broken." It refers to matzo that has gotten wet or absorbed liquid. In Hebrew, it's called matzo shriya or shruya, which means "soaked matzo." This idea is important for many Hasidic Jewish people and some other Ashkenazi Jewish groups during the holiday of Passover. It's about how they follow the rules of kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) during this special time.
Contents
Understanding Gebrochts
During the holiday of Passover, Jewish people are not allowed to eat certain foods made from five types of grain (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye) if they have been "leavened." Leavening (called Chametz in Hebrew) happens when flour from these grains mixes with water and sits for more than 18 minutes before being baked. This process makes bread rise.
Once flour has been mixed with water and quickly baked into matzo, it is no longer considered "leavened." This means matzo and things made from it are usually allowed during Passover. Ancient Jewish texts, like the Babylonian Talmud (around 500 CE), show that matzo soaked in water was allowed during Passover. Even a famous Jewish scholar named Rashi (around 1100 CE) agreed that it was fine.
Why Some Avoid Soaked Matzo
However, a custom later started among some Ashkenazi Jews, especially Hasidic Jews. They began to avoid putting matzo (or anything made from matzo, like matzo meal) into water or any other liquid. They did this because they worried that a tiny clump of flour might not have mixed properly with water when the matzo was made. If this unmixed flour then touched liquid, it could become "leavened" (chametz).
According to Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik of Vitebsk, this custom began with Dov Ber of Mezeritch. Because of this, some Jewish communities, especially Hasidic Jews, do not eat things like matzo ball soup during Passover. Instead of using matzo meal, recipes and products for those who avoid gebrochts often use potato starch.
How Gebrochts is Observed
People who avoid gebrochts sometimes also avoid using dishes that have been used for gebrochts. Some hotels and restaurants during Passover might even offer a separate, disposable bowl and spoon if you want to add matzo to your soup.
Some people only avoid gebrochts on the first night of Passover. Others might not eat gebrochts themselves but don't believe it is truly forbidden like chametz. Usually, how someone observes this custom depends on their family and community traditions.
Different Views on Gebrochts
Most Ashkenazi Jews do not see gebrochts as a problem. While no one says you must eat gebrochts during Passover, many people enjoy dishes like matzo ball soup or matzah brei. For them, these foods are an important and happy part of their Passover celebration. This helps them fulfill the mitzvah (a good deed or commandment) of being happy on a Yom Tov (a Jewish holiday).
In fact, in the 1800s, some Lithuanian Jewish communities purposely ate gebrochts. They did this to show that it was perfectly fine to do so. Both the famous Vilna Gaon and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled that there is no reason to avoid eating gebrochts.
Gebrochts and the Eighth Day of Passover
In Israel, Passover is celebrated for seven days, as stated in the Torah. People who avoid gebrochts usually do so for all seven days. However, outside of Israel, an eighth day of Passover is observed because of an old Rabbinic law. On this eighth day, almost all communities consider gebrochts to be allowed. This is true even for those who are careful not to eat gebrochts during the first seven days.
he:מצה#מצה שרויה
