Challah Cover - Matzo Covers

Matzo Covers

At the Passover seder, the matzos are also covered. Matzo covers differ from challah covers in that they can contain three "pockets" into which the three matzos (set out at the beginning of the Seder) are inserted.

According to the Gemara, matzo is called lechem oni (poor man's bread); the Hebrew word oni (עוני) can also be construed as "answers," yielding, "bread upon which answers are spoken." Thus, the matzos are uncovered during the telling of the story of the Jews' servitude in Egypt. However, when the wine cups are raised to express praise to God for the redemption, the matzos are covered so that they will not be "shamed", as one is giving preference to the wine.