Towards the start of the Passover seder, three cakes loaves completely-formed pieces of matzoh are raised with the incantation,
"Lo, this is the bread of affliction [poor bread, lakhma ani] that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat..."
Traditionally, we consider this bread "afflicted" or "poor" because it was made hastily, without having had time to rise. It was "poorly" made, and "afflicted" by a lack of the airy texture we associate with bread.






