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Why does eating chametz on Pesach (פסח) carry the severe punishment of karet, equivalent to denying fundamental Torah (תורה) principles? Yitziat Mitzrayim wasn't liberation but transfer of ownership from Pharaoh to Hashem (ה׳) - we left 'b'chipazon' as dragged property, not celebrated freedom. Matzah represents this continued servitude under a caring Master, establishing that we have no inherent rights and everything is Hashem's gift.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes a passage from the Moreh Nevuchim discussing why certain forbidden foods carry the severe punishment of karet (spiritual excision). The Rambam (רמב"ם) explains that foods subject to karet either have connections to idolatry or are designated by God for holy purposes like korbanot. This leads to examining why eating chametz on Pesach (פסח) and eating on Yom Kippur carry such severe consequences. The core question emerges: why is eating chametz on Pesach considered tantamount to denying the fundamental principles of Torah (תורה) and the exodus from Egypt? What makes matzah so central to our faith that violating it constitutes rejection of the entire foundation of Judaism?
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Moreh Nevuchim
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