One-of-a-kind Matzah redler for women. Europe, 18th century
A Striking, Rare Antique!
Description: A high-quality bronze matzah perforator featuring remarkable workmanship. The tool boasts an intricately styled handle, topped by a cast figure of a Jewish woman holding a baking rod with perforated matzah dough on it.
In the past, it was common for women to oversee and complete the matzah-baking process, and this custom dates back at least as far as the Mishnaic era, as discussed in Maseches Pesachim 48a. It is likely that this task was relegated to women who were experts at kneading dough and able to complete the job quickly, with greater alacrity.
Condition: Good. Height: 14 cm.
Provenance: Yechezkel Toporowitch Collection
The Matzah Redler
Historically, an integral part of the matzah baking is “redling” – perforating the dough with holes to ensure that it doesn’t rise.
Kabbalistic and Chassidic sources cite many fascinating segulos that are attributed to the process of matzah baking, and one source notes that the five-stage process alludes to the acronym of רפואה (refuah, healing).
R: Redler (perforation)
F: Finer (kneading)
V: Velger (rolling out)
A: Afiya (baking)
H: Hotza’ah (removing from oven)
This alludes to the Zohar’s statement that matzah is a food that heals.
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