As anyone you reads this regularly knows, I love learning new words. This year’s new word for Passover is Manchet. The word “manchet” refers to a type of fine, white bread, often in the form of a small loaf or roll. Its etymology is thought to be related to “paindemaine,” a French term for “lord’s bread,” combined with “chet,” a type of lower-quality wheat bread. The combination of “paindemaine” and “chet” likely resulted in the shortened form “manchet”. The word evolved from Middle English and is believed to have originated between 1375 and 1425.
Who knew that different breads spoke to difference classes of the eater?
For many reasons I have been thinking about this on Pesach. Most obviously this is holiday in which we do not eat bread of any variety. This bread reserved for the upper classes or for special occasions stands in juxtaposition to the Lechem Oni– bread of affliction or poor that we eat on Pesach. It seems critical to our celebration of Pesach that we reexperience slavery/poverty so we can reemerge as free people and princes. In many ways Matzah is a palate cleanser for our class status.
Said to Myself 
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