Matza in Mitzraim and for Forty Years
The Problem
In the Hagada of Pesach, Rabban Gamliel says the reason for the matza is that the dough didn’t have time to rise. The Ramban points out that the matza of nighttime was a prior commandment, and it’s forbidden to have chamatz at this time. The dough that didn’t have time to rise was a later matza, when the Mitzrim were rushing them to leave… This point makes Rabban Gamiel’s statement difficult.
The Ron’s Answer
The Gemara tells us that Pesach of Mitzraim was one day only. The Ron says that year, there was no prohibition of owning chamatz! If so, they would have baked chamatz if they had not been rushed out by the Mitzrim.
Which Matza? Night or Day?
The Maharal points out several additional problems. Rabban Gamliel is referring to the matza of the nighttime. They weren’t baking anything at this time! The Mitzrim were hurrying the Yidden the next day! (Again, why does Rabban Gamliel say that the reason for the matza at night was because they were hurried and dough didn’t have time to rise?)
No, answers the Maharal. That very night, after the death of their firstborn, the Mitzrim pressed the Yidden to leave. They had to bake matza at night, because they were to leave immediately in the morning, and there was no time for the dough to rise.
Early Part of the Night, or Later Part of the Night?
Now, we are still discussing two different matzas. Rabban Gamliel is talking about the matza of the early part of the the night, with the moror and Pesach offering. Even if we say that on that very night they were coerced to bake matza for the journey, that’s a still a different matza!
The Maharal says in the name of the Ramban that the mitzva of matza was hinting to the Yidden that they would have to leave Mitzraim so quickly that they would only have matza to eat.
Matza in the Midbar
Miraculously, the matza that they baked in a hurry lasted thirty days — they hadn’t prepared other food. They trusted in Hashem even though they didn’t have enough food!
Eventually, the matza ran out. The people were very upset and complained. Now Hashem sent mon. This amazing food from the sky fell every day, except Shabbos. To make up for Shabbos, double the usual amount fell Erev Shabbos. (The Baalei Tosafos are of the opinion that enough came on Friday to have two loaves at each Shabbos meal!)
It was called bread because they made it into cakes of bread (one explanation of the Ramban).
There were many nisim regarding the mon. One is that it tasted any way a person wanted it to taste.
What did they use for Matza?
Mikraei Kodesh (Pesach 2, simon 12) questions how the people fulfilled the mitzva of matza during the forty years in the midbar. Surely they didn’t have grain!
In Yoma (75a) there’s an opinion that the mon not only had the taste of what one thought, but actually became what one thought. Moshe decreed Birkas Hamazon when the mon fell for them (Brochos 48b). If so, perhaps they used the mon for the mitzva of matza!
See the Mikraei Kodesh at length. However, he writes that it is possible that they purchased grain from non-Jews to prepare matza.