מַצָּה

מַצָּהf. (b. h.; מָצַץ) 1) (dry, pressed bread, unleavened bread, esp. the bread served at the Passover meal. Pes.X, 3. Ib. 5 כל שלא אמר … פסח מ׳וכ׳ whoever does not explain, at the meal, the following three ceremonies, has not done his duty, and these they are: the Passover sacrifice, the eating of matsah and the bitter herbs. Men.V, 1 כל המנחות באות מ׳ all meal offerings are offered in an unleavened condition, opp. חָמֵץ. Pes.35a דברים הבאים … אדם יוצא בהן ידי חובתו במ׳ one performs his duty of eating matsah (on the first Passover night) with such things only as are capable of leavening (the five species of grain); a. fr.Pl. מַצּוֹת. Mekh. Bo, s. 8 שומע אני כל מ׳ במשמע I might think anything unleavened is included (may be used for eating on the first Passover night); a. fr. 2) עו̇ר המ׳, or מ׳ a hide not tanned by a process of fermentation, untanncd hide. Kel. XVII, 15. Gitt.22a; Sabb.79a שלשה עורות הן מ׳וכ׳ there are three kinds of hides, matsah , v. דִּיפְתְּרָא. Ib. מ׳ כמשמעווכ׳ m. is what its name implies, not salted and floured nor tanned with gall-nut.