Machine Matzah Today: Better or Worse?

By Rabbis Yaakov Hoffman & Yehuda Shain

 One might assume that the halachic quality of machine-made matzah has only improved since its advent in the mid-19^th century.¹ After all, today’s matzah-making machinery has benefited from an additional century and a half of scientific progress. Several recent publications, however, have suggested that technological innovation has actually negatively impacted the kashrus of machine matzah.

It must be emphasized from the outset that much further analysis is required by true experts in the science, history, and halacha of matzah baking. The purpose of this essay is not to make unequivocal halachic assertions, but merely to raise awareness of the findings of the aforementioned studies and to stimulate discussion.

 Before discussing the details, we should mention that several 19^th-century poskim actually foresaw a decline in the halachic standards of machine-made matzah. While many rabbis of the time enthusiastically embraced the original matzah-making machines,² others opposed them regardless of their technical halachic acceptability.³ The latter group considered it intrinsically improper to tamper with the traditional manner of executing such a sensitive halachic procedure as baking matzah. Furthermore, they were concerned that if the idea became entrenched that “machine matzah is permitted,” people would continue to believe it was permitted even if future machinery were to change for the worse.

                            Misnagdim, with their more rationalistic religious outlook, tend to downplay this

“slippery slope” argument against machine matzos. On the contrary, they consider it misguided to reject the potential of science to improve observance of the Torah. It is therefore understandable that it is the mystically-inclined Hasidic community that maintains a staunch insistence on handmade matzah, whereas most Jews of German and Lithuanian extraction prefer machine matzah specifically.⁴ But if the arguments against the contemporary production method are salient, we may justly regard the early objections to machine matzah as prophetic.

 In order to understand the potentially problematic developments, we must bear in mind that the 19^th-century process for producing matzah by machine was a far cry from today’s automated systems. The “machine” back then was simply a contraption for rolling the dough by

                                                          

I would like to thank R. Avi Heinberg for taking the time to comment on this essay and discuss it with me extensively.

¹  This is the attitude of, e.g., R. Dovid Ribiat, Halachos of Pesach ch. 7, b-1, as against Responsa Divrei Yoel 1:35. 

²  See Kuntres Bittul Moda‘ah (available online here).

³  See Moda‘ah leVeis Yisrael (available online here). Some of the objectors, of course, did raise specific halachic concerns.

⁴  There are some prominent exceptions: The Chazon Ish forbade machine matzah due to specific technical concerns (Orchos Rabbeinu, new ed., pp. 49-51), and the Brisker Rav ate only hand matzah because he felt that matzah production required a clear mesorah (Uvdos veHanhagos leVeis Brisk vol. 2, p. 71).

means of a manually operated crank. The kneading was done by hand as was the insertion into and removal from the oven, and the oven was precisely the same type as was and is used for hand matzah.

Today, however, electric machinery completes almost the entire process.^[1] To render the dough compatible with such equipment, it is made extremely dry. The reduced quantity of water, plus the larger quantity of dough mixed by the powerful machines, produces more friction, and thus more heat, than the procedure for hand matzos.^[2][3] If the machinery is not designed with an eye to cooling the dough, such excess heat is ideal since warm dough can become chametz in even less than 18 minutes.^[4]

** (See last page re: Cracker Oven) We encounter an even more significant problem, though, when we assess the baking process itself. In contemporary matzah factories, the oven is of a completely different sort from that formerly used for all matzos and still used in hand bakeries. It is similar to industrial ovens used for baking crackers. Instead of undergoing a stationary baking process, machine matzos travel on a conveyor belt through a long chamber heated at intervals by gas burners. In many bakeries, the finished product emerges after approximately 2 minutes in the oven.^[5]

 The amount of time the matzah spends in the oven should give us serious pause. Hand matzah dough is of a similar thickness, yet it usually bakes in well under 30 seconds.^[6] If one were to leave dough in a hand matzah oven for much longer, it would burn to a crisp. Why does a machine-made matzah emerge after 2 minutes just baked—and sometimes barely so?

 While it is true that machine matzah ovens are cooler than hand matzah ovens, the issue is even more complex. In a traditional matzah oven, the dough rests directly on the oven surface, resulting in an intense and efficient transfer of heat to the loaf. It begins baking immediately and continues unabated. This is, in fact, how all ovens operated at the time of Chazal.

 In contrast, the new machine matzah ovens operate like contemporary household ovens, via indirect heat. The dough is heated by the air of the oven as it moves on a mesh conveyor belt, rather than by contact with a solid surface that is constantly heated directly and intensely by the fire.^[7] Even if the air in the oven is hot enough to bake,^[8] the heat impacts the dough much more slowly than in a hand matzah oven.^[9] This is analogous to the difference between being in a 200degree sauna versus touching a 200-degree pan on a stove. The heat of the former is obviously much less potent. 

We have no precise formula as to the exact speed at which the dough must reach a certain temperature to effect halachic “baking” and thereby prevent leavening. We know from mesorah that the traditional oven complies with the requirement; using another type risks the possibility of the dough becoming chametz as it warms in the oven before completing the baking process.^[10] Taking such a risk, however slight, is inconsistent with the extreme care and conservatism that the Jewish people exercises when it comes to Pesach.^[11] 

Unease about the modern oven certainly seems warranted when one considers that its express purpose is to ensure that the dough not thoroughly bake immediately.^[12] Cracker manufacturers use this sort of oven because it produces a tastier, “fluffier” product.^[13] Indeed, many people prefer the taste of machine matzos since they are less dense than hand matzos. The stark contrast between the textures of the two types of matzah is an additional cause for halachic concern.^[14]

As noted above, it is not the intention of this article to state that the kashrus of such a widely-used product is deficient.^[15] A definitive halachic assessment of contemporary machine

matzah is solely the purview of gedolei haposkim who are fully conversant with the relevant issues.¹⁹

This much, though, is clear: Today’s machine matzos are not identical to those sanctioned, and preferred, by some of the greatest 19^th-century rabbanim. Every generation must assess matzah-making machinery anew based on the facts on the ground; one cannot simply continue to eat machine-made matzah because it was accepted by one’s ancestors or spiritual mentors.²⁰ As the situation stands today, there is little doubt that properly made hand matzah is preferable to any machine matzah.²¹ Hopefully, the future holds tremendous improvement in store for machine matzah baking.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

correct, there is perhaps room to accept machine matzah for the duration of Passover but not for the mitzvah at the Seder. Cf. Sha‘ar HaTziyun 461:26. 

¹⁹  As far as I am aware, the only publication that explicitly defends contemporary machine matzah is R. Shabtai Levi, “Matzos haMechonah beYameinu Kesherot Hen,” Techumin 27 (5767) pp. 90ff. However, his article is not particularly convincing because his starting assumption is that there cannot possibly be a problem with such a widely-used product. Furthermore, he insufficiently takes into account the role of mesorah in assessing matzah baking.

²⁰  See R. Moshe Yisraelson, Haggadah shel Pesach Maran R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, p. 109 n. 192.

²¹  Purchasing only hand matzah for all of Pesach is financially burdensome for many families. We can hope that some cheaper options for hand matzah, including non-shmurah matzah, will be become available. But one must also remember that one’s expenditures for Yom Tov are not included in each year’s divinely ordained allotment of funds (Beitzah 16b).

 

** Cracker Oven [The cracker oven works in following manner; The oven is made of basically 3 sections;

The first section is referred to as the “Spring-section”. The spring section oven temperature is kept relatively low in order to have the cracker spring/rise due to the warmer temperature, yet it’s kept at a relatively low temperature as not to de-activate the active yeast in the cracker (Note: The yeast spores will die at a temperature of approximately 170F), therefore, a warm not baking temperature gives rise to the dough and a concern of possible חימוץ .  

The next section is referred to as “Color”, which a high baking temperature that gives the baked color to top and bottom of the cracker , the interior is still not baked, even though there is ניקרמו פניהם due to the non-contact direct baking, just circulating heated air.

 

The third section is referred to “Drying section”, which consist of the longest part of the oven consisting of  a relatively lower temperature than for baking, but good for drying the interior of the cracker.

 

As can be seen by cracking the Matzah, the center will  be somewhat glossy, which is an indicator of “dried not baked” (sometimes one may find this glossy center by hand matzahs as well, for the same reason) . Above information was given to Yehuda Shain by T.L. the Professor at the AIB-International American Institute of Baking.-by Yehuda Shain]  

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[1] Some poskim declared the original machine matzah kosher to eat on Passover, but not acceptable for the Seder. In their view, even hand-operated machines could not be said to produce the matzah lishmah (with the proper intent for mitzvah use). Thus, insofar as the Seder is concerned, today’s machine matzah is certainly worse.

[2] See R. Menachem Mendel Eisenberg, “HaChashashot beMatzot Mechonah shel Yameinu,” Techumin 26 (5766) p.

[3] . R. Eisenberg has expanded this article in an unpublished pamphlet Matzot Mechonah haChadishot le’Or haHalakhah (available by e-mail), where he also notes that the dryness of the dough negatively impacts the efficiency of baking.

[4] See Mishnah Berurah 459:41.

[5] In the earlier part of the 20^th century, there were machine matzah bakeries that used an oven with a conveyor belt, but the oven was much shorter and the matzos baked much more quickly, ameliorating the problem. At least one contemporary bakery [ Beit Shemesh Chaburah-YS] has attempted to construct their oven on the same principle.

[6] In ancient times when matzos were much thicker, they obviously spent more time in the oven and at a slightly lower temperature. The mechanics of baking, however, were the same. This was facilitated by a greater quantity of water in the dough (as explained in R. Eisenberg’s unpublished pamphlet).

[7] See Responsa Mahari Steif 108.

[8] There is no early source describing the precise temperature at which matzah must be baked. Iggeros Moshe rules that the minimum temperature for the oven is the heat at which straw burns [500F +-ys] (Orach Chayim 1:153). He refers, however, to matzah baked on a metal plate directly on a gas flame. R. Eisenberg thinks that the required temperature is even higher.

[9] See R. Moshe Sternbuch, Responsa Teshuvos veHanhagos 4:100. R. Sternbuch also discusses the issue in Haggadah Ta‘am vaDa‘as p. 15 and Responsa Teshuvos veHanhagos 6:106.

[10] Although Chazal do reference the possibility of baking unleavened breadstuffs in something other than direct contact with a very hot oven (see, e.g. Tosefta, Pischa 2:19 and Mishnah, Menachos 11:1) we have no knowledge of the precise parameters of this (see note 30 in R. Eisenberg’s revised monograph). Furthermore, our custom is to forbid many types of baking or cooking with flour on Pesach that the strict halacha allows.

[11] Presumably, the kashrus agencies that certify machine matzah feel that this is an unlikely possibility, since the matzah still bakes pretty quickly albeit for much longer than a hand matzah. In fact, some sources indicate that room-temperature dough takes much longer than 18 minutes to become chametz, making it all the more unlikely that warm dough could be machmitz in just 2 minutes (see R. Efraim Vaynman, “Chametz in Eighteen Minutes? An Inquiry into the Correct Text of the Talmud,” Hakirah 18 p. 159). See, however, “HaChashashot beMatzot Mechonah shel Yameinu,” op. cit. pp. 127ff, where R. Eisenberg claims that some machine matzos display physical signs of having become chametz.

[12] In some factories, the temperature fluctuates at different parts of the oven, exacerbating the problem.

[13] See R. BenZion Y. Vosner, “Tahalichim Ba‘yatiyim beMatzot Mechonah,” Techumin 26 (5776) pp. 139f.

[14] See Responsa Mahari Steif, op. cit.

[15] Rabbi Dr. J. David Bleich, in discussions with me about this issue, referred to contemporary machine matzah as matzah “she-horah bah chacham,” referring to the Talmud’s presentation of a pious practice not to consume meat that was only ruled kosher by dint of a novel halachic argument (cf. Chullin 37b and 44b). If this characterization is