A Guide to Passover And the Feast of Unleavened Bread

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1 A Guide to Passover And the Feast of Unleavened Bread A Messianic Home What is Passover? In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is YHWH s Passover. Leviticus 23:5 Passover is the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) also originally referred to the lambs that were sacrificed in Egypt, and their blood smeared on the Israelite doorposts for the 10 th plague. YHWH said that when He would see the blood on the doorposts, He would Pass Over the first born in those homes, and they would be spared from the judgement on the death of the first born. Over time, Passover has become synonymous with the entire Feast of Unleavened Bread. What is the Feast of Unleavened Bread? And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto YHWH; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. Leviticus 23:6 The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven day feast in which we abstain from eating leaven (chametz), and eat only unleavened bread (matzah). Leaven is anything that causes bread or baked products to rise, such as yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it [the Passover lamb]; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for in haste didst thou come forth out of the land of Egypt; that thou mayest remember the 1 Derek Echad Talmidah day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. And there shall be no leaven seen with thee in all they borders seven days Deuteronomy 16:3-4a The reason that we eat only unleavened bread is to remember that the Children of Israel did not have time to let their bread rise because they left Egypt in haste. It is also important to get all the leaven out of our homes before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; howbeit the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Exodus 12:15 Unleavened Bread is sometimes referred to as the bread of affliction. It is bread that is not puffed up, bread that is flat. We can relate this to the affliction of the children of Israel in Egypt. They were beaten down, they were humiliated, they were dehumanized. We can relate this to the affliction that we were in when we were slaves to HaSatan and our own carnal mind.

2 Another picture of the meaning of unleavened bread is sanctification. Passover represents Justification. By faith, the children of Israel put the blood on the doorposts of their homes. They were justified, the judgement over Egypt (death) passed over their first born. In the same way when we apply the blood of Y shua to the doorposts of our hearts, we are justified! Justified means to be declared righteous. This doesn t mean that we ARE righteous in and of ourselves. However, it means that YHWH treats us as being righteous. The Feast of Unleavened Bread represents what comes after justification. That is sanctification. So, we get this washing at Passover, and then we must live a life of sanctification to YHWH. We must decrease, he must increase. We must overcome our ego and beat down our flesh. The ego, flesh, carnal mind, sin are all represented by leaven. We must get rid of those things and walk out a life without leaven. We must be matzah! On a final note, it is important that we don t separate Passover from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Just as justification and sanctification are inseparable concepts, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are connected. If there isn t a Passover, there can t be Unleavened Bread. If we aren t justified, then how can we be sanctified? Y shua the Passover Lamb Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our Passover also hath been sacrificed, even Moshiach: wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I Corinthians 5:7-8 In context, Y shua is our Passover Lamb. It is because of the work that he did on Calvary that we are justified. Now that we are justified, we must live our lives unleavened (without sin) just as Y shua lived his life. We are to be matzah he that saith he abideth in Him [Y shua] ought himself also to walk even as He walked. I John 2:6 How to Celebrate Unleavened Bread? I will start with commandments and end with traditions for celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread. First, it is commanded to remove the leaven from our homes before the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We go through our homes and get rid of yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. We get rid of our bread, cakes, crackers, cookies anything that we find that contains leaven. Temporarily, leaven (chametz) is not food! We shake out our toasters, and do a spring cleaning to get rid of the leaven from our homes. Spiritually, we ought to be doing the same. We should be inspecting ourselves, finding the hidden leaven that is in us. Praying and asking YHWH to remove it from our hearts and minds. The first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread are High Days. High Days are days that are like Sabbaths, except cooking for the feast is permitted. So, we don t go to work on these days, but we can cook and prepare the feast. On Passover (first night of Unleavened Bread), we recount the events of the first Passover, eat matzah, and eat bitter herbs. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of YHWH s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. Exodus 12:26-27 And they shall eat the flesh [Passover lamb] in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exodus 12:8 2 Derek Echad Talmidah

3 We also remember what Y shua HaMoshiach did for us: and when He [Y shua] had given thanks, He brake it [matzah], and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup [wine], after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come. I Corinthians 11:24-26 Passover is the special time that we remember Y shua s death until he returns. It is the time when we take the bread and the wine to remember the justifying work that He did for us on Calvary. It is the time for communion. It is also important to understand that in context, the Last Supper was really a Passover meal. Every Passover, it is traditional to fulfill the commandment to remember the Passover events and to also do communion within a special meal that we call a Seder. What is a Passover Seder? The Hebrew word Seder means Order. A Passover seder is the order of the Passover service. It is the telling of the Passover story through the use of food on what we call a seder plate. It is normally lead out by a father, who goes through a haggadah. Haggadah means the telling, and is a pamphlet that has the telling of the Passover story written out, and explains how the foods on the seder plate tie into the Passover story. 3 Derek Echad Talmidah There are several haggadahs to choose from. We use The Messianic Passover Haggadah in our family seder because it is short and simple. Traditional Jewish seders last deep into the night. Our seder lasts for about 45 minutes. =) A Passover Seder isn t required in the Torah. However, we do see that the Torah says to eat the Passover lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread (matzah) on Passover. We don t have a physical Passover Lamb anymore because the Holy Temple is not around and we are in exile. Y shua is our lamb, however a lamb shank bone is normally placed on the Seder Plate to stand for the Passover Lamb. Although the seder meal is tradition, we do see Y shua participating in a seder meal at the Last Supper. It was then that he connected the matzah and the wine with Himself. He says the traitor would dip his matzah in His dish. They were reclining, which is traditional at a seder. At the end of the Last Supper, He and His disciples sung hymns, which would connect to the singing of Psalms of praise (the Hallel) at the end of a seder. Many congregations and families have a simple service for Passover rather than a seder. They have foot washings to remember that Y shua washed His disciples feet. They take the bread and the wine. They have meaningful services as they remember the first Passover and the connection to Y shua.

4 Engage Your Children! to find creative ways to make meals that use matzah, matzah flour, etc to make the feast extra festive! Homemade Matzah As mothers, we must make our faith tangible for our children. I m not saying to merely entertain children, but rather to ENGAGE children. The seder is one way to engage children. Food is always engaging. LOL! But there s also two roles for children in the seder. One is to ask the four questions, and the second is the matzah/afikomen search! Other ideas are crafts involving lambs. You can do crafts around the 10 plagues. You can buy Passover toys, puzzles, books, etc. You can take your children on fun field trips during the week of Unleavened Bread, and if you can, even retreat. Make the week festive for your children and family to enjoy! I will update this guide with links to go with the ideas soon! Please check back! Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread Recipes The cardinal rule for cooking and baking during Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to ABSTAIN from using any leaven! The command is also to actually eat unleavened bread (matzah). So, it s really a wonderful thing for women 2 cups of wheat flour ¼ teaspoon of flax seed 2 TBSP of coconut oil 2 TBSP of almond or vegetable oil ¼ cup of honey 2 tsp salt Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon. You can use your hands to knead the dough as it thicken. On a floured counter, roll out the dough as think as you like. Thinner dough will result in a more cracker like matzah. Thicker dough will result in a more chewy matzah. Cut the dough into pieces and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Use a fork to poke holes into the matzah. Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes or until the matzah is to desired texture. Applesauce Loaf Cake 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/3 cup of almond or vegetable oil ½ teaspoon of sea salt 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut of choice) 2 eggs 2 cups whole wheat flour flour ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 cup thick/chunky applesauce Beat honey, oil, and egg together. Sift flour and spices together. Add to the wet ingredients. Lightly stir in raisins, nuts, and applesauce. Spoon into an oiled 9x5 loaf pain, or cake pans of your choice. I prefer to make the layer of cake shallow because I don t like a wet cake unleavened cake tends to be 4 Derek Echad Talmidah

5 very moist! Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done. Chocolate Covered Matzah 5 boards of matzah (non-wheat matzah works best) 2 sticks butter 1 cup brown sugar Dash salt 1 ½ cups chocolate chips Chopped Nuts (Peanuts, walnuts, almonds) Place matzah on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Over stove make a caramel: Melt butter. Add brown sugar and dash of salt. Wisk until the mixture starts to boil. Wisk for another 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture over the matzah. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Look in the oven consistently to make sure the matzah isn t burning. The caramel will be boiling and golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the matzah with chocolate. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate across the surface. You can then top the chocolate with some more salt (for balance), top with nuts, or whatever else you may want. Let the chocolate covered matzah cool. Then break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator until the chocolate sets (several hours or overnight). Matzah Pizza Matzah Crackers (Store bought or homemade) Pizza Sauce Mozzarella Cheese Toppings Garlic powder, Italian Season to taste Place desired amount of matzah crackers on aluminum lined baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce over the matzah. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. 5 Derek Echad Talmidah Add toppings. Sprinkle garlic powder and Italian seasoning to taste. Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted. Sephardi Charoset For the Passover seder, I like making Sephardi Charoset because it has a depth of flavor that I find to be remarkable. Here is a rough description of how I make it. Grated or chopped apples (gala, granny smith, red delicious I like to buy a variety. I usually grate at least 3 or 4 apples, depending how much charoset I make) ½ cup dates, pitted and cut in half ½ cup dried apricots, cut in half ½ teaspoon of ground allspice ½ teaspoon (or to taste) cinnamon ½ cup raisins ½ cup chopped walnuts Splash of lemon juice ¼ cup of grape juice or wine Mix everything together Unleavened Pancakes 1/2 cup matzo meal 1 tablespoon almond or vegetable oil 1/2 tsp salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) 3 eggs 3/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk) Mix dry ingredients and eggs together. Slowly mix in milk until desired consistency. Fry pancakes on an oiled skillet or griddle. Whole Wheat Short Bread Cookies ¾ cup butter, soft ½ cup sugar

6 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups plus two tablespoons white whole-wheat flour, plus 2 tablespoons more for work surface Place butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in food processor bowl. Process to combine. Gradually and flour, processing until soft dough forms. Divide dough to two parts and flatten each into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll each disc to ¼-inch thickness and cut out 24 circles using a 2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Dough will be difficult to work with - it tends to fall apart - but don't let that scare you. Roll it gently, pat it down with your hands if it falls apart, keep gathering scraps and crumbs and briefly knead them, then pat again and cut more circles. Think of it as playing with play dough - this is a very forgiving dough and although you're not supposed to overwork it, the cookies will turn out delicious even if you end up kneading and working the dough a little more than planned. Make lasagna, but replace the noodles with matzah! Matzah meal meat loaf Make meat loaf, but replace the binding flour with matzah meal. Unleavened Pound Cake, matzah ball soup, and more Unleavened Recipes will be added soon, so please stop back!! This Guide is still a work in progress. Tirtzah Lewis, Derek Echad Talmidah For questions or comments, reach me at: Tirtzah@DerekEchad.com Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Decorate with fork tines if you wish. Chill 15 minutes in fridge, then bake minutes, until golden and edges are just light brown, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets placed on cooling racks, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Serve with fresh fruit. Recipe from: -wheat-shortbread-cookies/ Matzah Lasagna 6 Derek Echad Talmidah