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Chapter 2, Mishna 6

We’ve been discussing what’s prohibited at Passover, now we look at what’s obligated. We must eat matza, unleavened bread, but which grains qualify to be used for matza? The Sages disagree about rice, but the majority conclude that it is NOT a full-fledged “bread” grain and therefore we may eat cooked rice at Passover and we may not make matza out of it. So how did rice and other grain-like legumes come to be prohibited during Passover for most northern European Jews?