Bob Schwartz

On the first morning of Passover, I came across a book on using the letters of the Hebrew Bible as an oracle.

To be clear, oracles—the I Ching is a well-known example—don’t foretell particular outcomes in a detailed way, though that is one perspective. Instead, they open your mind to deeper visions of the questions you ask and the situations you are confronting.

The first morning of Passover is also a time to think about matzah, as in: What am I going to have for breakfast that includes matzah rather than bread?

That is the origin of the matzah oracle. The steps:

1. Put a sheet of matzah in a one-galloon storage bag.

2. Place the storage bag with the matzah on a hard surface, a table or the floor.

3. Ask your question or seek some insight.

4. Drop a heavy object on the storage bag. For my first oracle, I used a book, a 700-page commentary on the Torah. But it doesn’t have to be a book and it doesn’t have to relevant. Just something that will break the matzah into pieces but won’t obliterate it to total crumbs.

5. Remove the pieces to a plate so you can count them. The difference between a small piece and a crumb can be hard to determine. Don’t worry. Remember that this is an oracle to deepen your thinking, not a predictor, so it won’t matter.

6. Count the pieces. My first matzah oracle contained ten pieces, which corresponds to the letter Yud.

7. Find the Hebrew letter or combination of letters corresponding to that number. Here is a list:

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א (Aleph)
1

ב (Bet)
2

ג (Gimel)
3

ד (Dalet)
4

ה (Heh)
5

ו (Vav)

6

ז (Zayin)
7

ח (Cheth)
8

ט (Teth)
9

י (Yud)
10

כ (Kaf)
20

ל (Lamed)
30

מ (Mem)
40

נ (Nun)
50

ס (Samech)
60

ע (Ayin)
70

פ (Peh)
80

צ (Tzaddi)
90

ק (Qof)
100

ר (Resh)
200

ש (Shin)

300

ת (Tav)
400

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A number greater than ten requires a combination of letters, e.g., 12=Yud (10)+Bet (2).

This oracle is a work in progress, and I have a few ideas about how to deal with letter combinations. The simplest suggestion is to consider both letters. In the example above, consider both Yud and Bet.

Also, it is unlikely that the matzah oracle will generate all the letters. A piece of matzah that breaks into 400 pieces is likely a pile of crumbs. Maybe there are those committed enough to count all the crumbs.

8. Once you have a letter or letters, there are a number of books and countless websites devoted to the meaning of Hebrew letters—some more valuable than others.

Here are two books that offer thoughtful insights:

A New Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters by Richard Seidman

The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet by Michael Munk

Once you are done with the oracle, the matzah is available for eating. My suggestion, since the matzah is already in pieces, is to soak them in water, combine them with a beaten egg, and fry them into matzah brei, the best of all Passover breakfast dishes.

© 2025 by Bob Schwartz