What about egg matzah? Pesakhim 36

Matzah, unleavened bread, consisting only of flour and water is called lekhem oni (לֶחֶם עוֹנִי) or bread of affliction. Everybody agrees that only this kind of matzah fulfills the mitzvah of eating matzah on the first night of Passover. Are we allowed to eat matzah (מַצָּה עֲשִׁירָה-matzah ashira) that has been kneaded with fruit juices and other liquids during the rest of the holiday? BTW, did you know that egg matzah uses apple juice?

Yesterday we learned on Tb Pesakhim 35a-b that kneading dough with fruit juices does not leavened and we would be permitted to eat what we call egg matzah. “Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Reish Lakish said: With regard to dough that was kneaded with wine, oil, or honey, one is not liable to receive karet for eating it in its leavened state, since these liquids will not cause the dough to be leavened…At this point Rav Idi bar Avin woke up, due to their discussion, and said to them: Children, this is the reasoning of Reish Lakish: One is not liable to receive karet for eating dough kneaded with oil or honey, because oil and honey are considered fruit juices, and fruit juice does not cause dough to be leavened. Therefore, dough prepared with these liquids is not considered full-fledged leavened bread.” (Sefaria.org translation)

But today’s daf TB Pesakhim 36 contradicts what we learned yesterday. The Rabbis forbid the baking of matzah ashira. “The Gemara asks: And does Rabbi Akiva maintain with regard to dough that was kneaded with wine, oil, or honey, that it may not be used for matza? But wasn’t it taught in a baraita: One may not knead dough on Passover with wine, oil, or honey? And if one kneaded dough in this manner, Rabban Gamliel says: The dough must be burned immediately, as it is leavened faster than other types of dough. And the Rabbis say that although it is leavened quickly, one can still prevent it from being leavened, and if he does so it may be eaten. And Rabbi Akiva said: It was my Shabbat to serve before Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua during Passover (Rav Yehuda ben Rav Binyamin HaRofeh), and I kneaded for them dough with wine, oil, and honey, and they said nothing to me by way of objection.

“The baraita continues: And although one may not knead dough with these ingredients, one may spread these substances on the surface of the dough. The Gemara comments: With regard to this latter statement, we have come back to the opinion of the first tanna, who said that one may not knead bread with wine, oil, or honey. And the Rabbis say: With regard to dough into which one may knead wine, oil, or honey, one may likewise spread them on the dough, whereas concerning dough into which one may not knead these ingredients, one may not spread them on the dough either. And everyone agrees that one may not knead the dough with warm water, as this will cause it to be leavened quickly. In any case, it is evident from here that Rabbi Akiva himself prepared matza with wine, oil, and honey.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rashi and his grandson Rebeinu Tam disagree on the practical halakha. Rashi (ד"ה אין לשין את העיסה) comments the reason why one does not knead oil or honey into the flour because these ingredients make the dough quickly leaven and a person is unable to make sure it doesn’t rise to the level of hametz. And when the Gemara talks about fruit juice not being a leavening agent it is not difficult because there they only talking about the punishment of karet. It doesn’t leavened the dough completely however makes these liquids make the dough hametz nuksha (חָמץ נוּקְשָה) or rigid hametz.  “Rigid chametz is chametz that is made not for the purpose of eating and is not even fit to be eaten except at the time of distress. In this chametz the souring operation began but was not completed. Most arbitrators believe that it is not forbidden by the Torah but sages forbade it to prevent mistakes in actually eating or delaying Chametz.” (https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%A5_%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%94) 

Rebbeinu Tam (ד"ה ומי פרות אין מחמיצין) disagrees that the prohibition of using these liquids is only when water is mixed in with them. However unadulterated fruit juices are completely permitted.

The Shulkhan Arukh poskins that one should not a priori make matzah ashira that uses fruit juices and water as its ingredients, but if these ingredients are used the dough should be baked immediately so that it will not leaven. (Orekh Hayyim, 462:2) May you eat matzah ashira like egg matzah? On the box written in Hebrew (so most Americans will not understand) is the sentence that only the sick and the elderly should eat these matzot. Nevertheless, as long as you don’t use the matzah ashira for the mitzvah on the Seder plate, you have Rebbeinu Tam allowing you to enjoy it during the rest of the holiday.