1)

How did they bake the dough that they took out with them?

1.

Ramban and Targum Yonasan: They placed it on their shoulders (or on their heads - Targum Yonasan), where it was miraculously baked by the sun. 1


1

Targum Yonasan: They cut the dough into pieces before placing it on their heads. (This implies that they then placed them on their heads in order for the sun to bake them.) This was a double miracle, bearing in mind that the Ananei Kavod blocked out the sun (Na'ar Yonasan). Targum Yonasan adds that the Matzos that they baked lasted until the fifteenth of Iyar, when the Manna began to fall.

2)

Why does the Torah refer to the Matzos that they baked as "Ugos"?

1.

Rashbam: Because it was not baked in an oven, and only bread that is baked in an oven is called 'Lechem.'

3)

Why did the dough not become Chametz?

1.

Seforno: Because, after being hastily driven out of Egypt, there was not sufficient time between their departure from Ra'meses and their arrival in Sukos, 1 where the Ananei ha'Kavod 2 joined them, for the dough to rise.


1

Refer to 12:37:1:1.

2

As we say in the Hagadah - "... before Hashem, G-d of their fathers - appeared to them, and redeemed them."

4)

Why did they not place the dough that they took out of Egypt on their animals to carry?

1.

They had to keep a close eye on it, to ensure that it would not turn into Chametz; see Ramban (and refer to 12:34:2.1:1).

5)

Why could they not delay?

1.

Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: Because the Egyptians would not allow them to remain in Egypt a minute longer, as the Pasuk just told us.

2.

Oznayim la'Torah: Because had they remained in Egypt a moment longer, they would have reached the lowest levels of Tum'ah, and would have become unworthy of redemption. 1

3.

Gur Aryeh, Maharal: Refer to 12:34:2.2.


1

Oznayim la'Torah: This teaches us the difference between Yisrael without Torah, and Yisrael with Torah. They had only been in Egypt two hundred and ten years, yet, despite their having retained their names, their language and their manner of dress, they had adopted the Egyptian way of life. Contrast this to Yisrael after Matan Torah - We have been in exile for almost two thousand years, yet we have retained our identity as the nation of Torah!

6)

What is the significance of the fact that they did not prepare provisions for the way?

1.

Rashi: The Torah is praising Yisrael in that they followed Hashem with blind faith into the desert, and did not ask how they could possibly travel in the desert without provisions. 1


1

See Yirmiyahu (2:2-3), where the Navi describes Hashem's reaction to that, concluding that "Yisrael is holy to Hashem."

7)

Since they did not take provisions with them when they entered the desert, what did they eat until the fifteenth of Iyar, when the Manna fell?

1.

Rashi (to 16:1); Targum Yonasan: The Matzah and the dough that they took with them (miraculously) lasted a full thirty days, until the fifteenth of Iyar.

8)

The Torah writes that they baked Matzos, only "because they were expelled." But Bnei Yisrael had already been commanded not to consume Chametz on Pesach; and some commentaries say (see 12:34:2:2 and its note) that Chametz was forbidden on the day they left, even that first year of the Exodus?

1.

Ramban, Hadar Zekenim #1 and Moshav Zekenim: "They were expelled" explains why they did not bake Matzos 1 before leaving Egypt. 2 The Bnei Yisrael planned for baking Matzos, for so they had been commanded. In the end, they had to transport it as dough, for the Egyptians would not allow them to stay and bake the Matzos. Consequently, they baked the dough into Matzos either as they traveled from Ra'meses to Sukos (in the sun), or after they arrived in Sukos.

2.

Hadar Zekenim #2 and Riva: Invert the Pasuk to read, "They were expelled and could not delay" 3 [to seek provisions before they left].

3.

Rosh: They baked the Matzos [that they had taken], outside of Egypt, because they were had been expelled from Egypt.

4.

Mizrachi (to 12:34): Had they not been driven out in haste, they would have baked Chametz before leaving, to eat it the following day. Refer to 12:34:2.1:2.


1

Moshav Zekenim: If the expulsion began at midnight, they had already finished eating their Korban Pesach, and they did not leave until morning, why didn't they have time to bake? Nonetheless, we see they were expelled before they had the chance to prepare provisions for the journey.

2

Da'as Zekenim: If so, the 'Vav' in "v'Lo Yachlu l'Hismah'me'ah" and the word "v'Gam [Tzeidah Lo Asu]" are difficult (since these are not added matters, rather, the result of the first part of the Pasuk, "because they were expelled")! However, we do sometimes find words with superfluous 'Vavim' -e.g. Tehilim 76:7.

3

Riva: If "could not delay" explained why they could not make the dough Chametz, it should have said 'Lehismah'me'hu' (since dough (Batzek) is masculine)!

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