How to eat Korech: Is the “Sandwich” of Korech a Modern Invention? Clarifying How Korech Was Traditionally Performed

Question:
I heard a rabbi say in a shiur that the whole idea of eating korech as a “sandwich,” meaning putting the maror between two pieces of matzah, is a made‑up Israeli invention and that ideally it should not be done that way at all. He claimed that all one really needs to do is eat the matzah and maror together, even by just placing one on top of the other. Is there any truth to this?

Answer:

In my opinion, the above statement lacks accuracy and is a belittlement of a Minhag Yisrael which is Torah. The custom of eating korech as a sandwich is not a modern Israeli invention. It is a universally accepted Jewish custom, followed by all communities of which I am aware, and is based on the original meaning of the word korech, which means a wrap. The “sandwich” is the closest way we can fulfill this concept today with hard matzah.

Explanation:
In my opinion, the statement quoted is incorrect and reflects a misunderstanding of both the Hebrew language and halachic tradition. So lets clarify the facts: Indeed, we do not find an explicit statement in the Talmud or Poskim that instructs us in so many words to take two pieces of matzah and place the maror in between them. However, this does not mean that the idea of korech as a wrap or sandwich is unfounded.

The mitzvah of Korech is explicitly referred to as korech, a term that appears repeatedly throughout the halachas discussing Korech and whose meaning is very clear. In Hebrew, kericha means wrapping. It does not mean simply placing one item on top of another. We find this same word used in many areas of halacha, such as in Hilchos Tefillin, where the straps are wrapped around the arm, and in Hilchos Shabbos with regard to wrapping a bandage around a wound. In all these cases, kericha means enclosing or encircling something, not merely resting one item upon another. Based on the simple and consistent meaning of the Hebrew word, it is clear that korech refers to a wrap. This means that the way Hillel performed the mitzvah was by wrapping the matzah around the maror in a manner similar to a wrap, much like a tortilla wrap or a laffa wrap, such as the shawarma wraps commonly sold today. So is likewise explicitly described in the Rashbam on Pesachim 115a who states regarding Hillels Korech that “He would wrap the Pesach Matzah and Maror in one wrap, such as one who wraps something with a rubberband.”

This also explains how the so‑called “sandwich” developed. In earlier generations, matzah was soft and pliable, similar to laffa, and it was therefore possible to literally wrap it around the maror. However, for roughly the last few hundred years, the Jewish world has used hard matzah, which cannot be wrapped. As a result, the only practical way to approximate the original act of kericha, in which the maror is fully surrounded by matzah, is by placing it between two pieces of matzah. This is why the sandwich method developed. It is not an invention, but an adaptation meant to preserve the essence of the original mitzvah. To note that this is likewise the meaning of the word Kerciha used today in modern day Hebrew, in which we describe the cover of a book as a Kericha, as it binds the book and covers it from both sides [i.e. sandwich]

Thus, in my opinion, to claim that this practice is an Israeli or Zionist innovation is a belittlement of a minhag that dates back as far as we know and is followed universally by Ashkenazim and Sephardim alike. The practice is based on doing the mitzvah in the closest possible way to how it was originally performed, given the physical limitations of modern matzah. Simply placing a piece of lettuce on top of matzah and eating them together does not fulfill the concept of kericha and does not reflect the intent of the wording.

To explain this from another angle: If the intent of korech were merely to eat the matzah and maror together, then Hillel in the Talmud, and the Poskim who record his opinion could have conveyed this in far simpler terms, and there would be many equally valid ways to accomplish it. One could, for example, hold the matzah in one hand and the maror in the other and place both into the mouth at the same time, or even place a piece of maror on top of the matzah and eat them together simultaneously. Yet we find that the Talmud and the Poskim consistently and deliberately use the term kericha, meaning a wrap. This repeated and specific choice of language indicates that something more is intended than mere simultaneous consumption. It suggests that the goal was not only that the two foods be eaten together, but that they be physically joined and unified through wrapping, forming a single combined entity at the time of eating. Were the act of wrapping incidental or irrelevant, the repeated emphasis on kericha would be unnecessary. We are therefore compelled to conclude that according to Hillel, the wrapping itself is a defining element of the mitzvah, expressing a unity between the matzah and maror that is not achieved by simply eating one on top of the other. The foods are meant to be bound together, so to speak, and eaten as one integrated act, a concept that is fulfilled through wrapping but not through mere simultaneous eating. So is likewise explicitly stated in the Sefer Hapardes that the Sages of the Talmud instituted for the Matzah and Maror to be eaten bound with each other.

It is however worth noting that there is an interesting discussion among the Rishonim and Poskim regarding what is wrapped around what. Many Rishonim explicitly describe that the maror wraps around the maror, and so is the ruling according to Kabbalah of the Arizal. Indeed, so is the widespread custom amongst some Sephardic communities, including the tradition of Yemenite and Tunisian Jewry.

Other Rishonim however describe that the matzah should wrap the maror. According to these views, the maror encloses the matzah rather than the other way around and so this is the widespread Ashkenazi custom. Some have suggested that the reason this practice developed among Ashkenazim is because they commonly used horseradish for maror rather than lettuce, making it impractical to wrap the maror around the matzah. However, from the wording of the above Rishonim it is apparent that regardless of what material is used for the maror, the proper form of korech is for the matzah to be wrapped around the maror. Practically speaking, this method is not limited to Ashkenazim alone, but is in fact the accepted custom among a broad range of communities, including many Sephardim today to wrap the maror with matzah, resulting in the familiar sandwich. Regardless, all opinions agree on one fundamental point: korech means a wrap, not merely eating items together.

For this reason, rabbis, and especially those teaching publicly, must be extremely careful when discussing Jewish customs. Before dismissing or denying a widely accepted minhag, proper research must be done. Minhag Yisrael is not based on ideology or modern movements, but on language, halacha, and centuries of faithful practice.

Nonetheless, despite all of the above explanations regarding the meaning of the word kericha, one can argue based on the discussions found among the Poskim that the central idea of korech according to Hillel is that the matzah and maror be eaten together. Therefore, even if one does not form a full sandwich in the classic sense, but instead eats them together in a simpler manner—such as placing the maror on top of the matzah and eating them simultaneously, or even holding the matzah in one hand and the maror in the other and placing both into the mouth at the same time—although this departs from the original form and intent of the practice, one can nevertheless argue that the mitzvah according to Hillel has technically been fulfilled. While this method lacks the ideal expression of kericha as a unified wrap, it still satisfies the fundamental requirement of consuming the two items together, which appears to be the core element emphasized in Hillel’s approach.

On the other hand, one could argue in the opposite direction, namely, that simply eating the matzah and maror together does not fulfill the mitzvah of korech at all, and that the act of wrapping is not merely an ideal enhancement but an essential component of the mitzvah itself. According to this approach, the repeated and deliberate use of the term kericha by the Talmud and the Poskim is decisive, indicating that the mitzvah was defined not only by simultaneous consumption, but by the specific manner in which that consumption takes place. From this perspective, the foods must be physically wrapped together so that they are eaten as a single, unified entity, and without this act of enclosure the core definition of korech is lacking. Consequently, one who merely places one food on top of the other, without forming a wrap or sandwich, would not have fulfilled the mitzvah of korech at all, as the defining element of wrapping was omitted.

Summary of Arguments:

• Meaning of the word korech / kericha: Throughout Tanach, Chazal, and halacha, kericha consistently means wrapping, enclosing, or binding, never mere placement or simultaneous eating.
• Consistent halachic usage: The term kericha is used in many areas of halacha (e.g., tefillin straps, bandages on Shabbat), where it always refers to physical enclosure, not proximity.
• Explicit description of Hillel’s practice: The Rashbam on Pesachim 115a describes Hillel’s korech as a single wrap, comparable to binding something with a rubber band, clearly indicating enclosure.
• Historical reality of soft matzah: In the time of Chazal, matzah was soft and pliable, making literal wrapping around the maror both possible and natural.
• Origin of the modern sandwich: The sandwich form developed only because hard matzah cannot be wrapped; placing maror between two matzahs is the closest functional equivalent to the original wrap.
• Redundancy proves necessity: If the mitzvah were merely to eat matzah and maror together, Chazal could have stated this simply; the repeated use of kericha would be unnecessary.
• Alternative methods expose the flaw: If simultaneous eating were sufficient, one could eat both foods together using two hands or by stacking them, yet no source describes korech this way.
• Conceptual unity: Wrapping physically unites the matzah and maror into a single entity, whereas placing one on top of the other does not achieve this unity.
• Universal agreement despite dispute: Although Rishonim debate whether matzah wraps maror or vice versa, all agree that korech requires wrapping, not mere eating together.
• Minhag Yisrael: The sandwich form is a long‑standing, cross‑communal practice among Ashkenazim and many Sephardim, reflecting the traditional understanding of korech.

Sources:

Hagadah Ish Matzliach Erech Koreich p. 62 that Minhag Ashkenaz is to make a sandwich; Shoel Umeishiv 8:80; 9:

See regarding the general concept of Koreich: Admur 475:15-21; 26-27; Siddur Admur; Michaber 475:1; Tur 475; Pesachim 115a; Kaf Hachaim 475:28-30; Piskeiy Teshuvos 475:6

See regarding the use of the term Korech and Kericha and its meaning: Admur 25:15 and 24; 27:12; 32:69; 328:53; 331:9; 475:15-21; 26-27; Siddur Admur regarding Korech “Wrap them together and say and eat them together”; Michaber ibid; Tur 475; Rambam Chametz Umatzah 8:6; Pesachim ibid “Hillel would wrap them together and eat them”; Rashbam Pesachim ibid “He would wrap the Pesach Matzah and Maror in one wrap, such as one who wraps something with a rubberband”; Sefer Hapardes Shaar Hamaaseh;

Sources who describe Korech as the Maror wrapped around the Matzah: Rabbenu Chananel Pesachim ibid; Sefer Hamanhig Hilchos Pesach 84; Iggur Hiulchos Leil Pesach 813; Sefer Hachinuch Mitzvah 21; Seder Hayom; Maggid Mishneh on Rambam ibid in name of Maharitz Geios p. 102; Peri Eitz Chaim Shaar Chag Hamatzos; Hagadah Ish Matzliach Erech Koreich p. 62 that so is their custom; Maharitz in Tachliel Etz Chaim 2 in name of Rashbam and Rebbe Yitzchak Bne Geios and Michaber in Maggid Meisharim; Bayit Neman Vol. 57; Chazon Ovadia Pesach p. 100; Kitzur Yalkut Yosef 2:75; Arichas Hashulchan 6:95; Shulchan Aruch Hamekutzar Ratzabi 3:91; Toras Hamoadim Yosef 25:1

Sources who describe Korech as a sandwich with the Maror in between two pieces of Matzah: Maharach Or Zarua 21; Rif Geios Pesachim 334; Yalkut Yosef Moadim 473:11 that so is the Sephardic custom; Hagadah Ish Matzliach Erech Koreich p. 62 that Minhag Ashkenaz is to make a sandwich; Bayit Neman Vol. 57; Halichos Hamoed [Malka] Koreich p. 343