HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: Dean and Susan Wheelock
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: How to do a Passover Seder
Dean and
Susan Wheelock have a ministry called Hebrew
roots. They produce a quarterly magazine called Hebrew roots. If you
would like to receive the magazine, please send an e-mail to Dean and
Susan at: (dewheelock@aol.com) or write them at
the following
address:
Hebrew
Roots
P.O.
Box 98
Lakewood,
WI 54138
1-715-757-2775
Introduction
to the Passover Seder
From
the website:
http://www.geocities.com/hebrew_roots/html/hr-se-02.html
If you have decided to host a Passover
Seder your questions
may seem endless. At first glance it looks much more intimidating
than a formal meal, but take heart, it is not nearly as difficult as
it might appear. This article has been written to help you in your
planning so that everything will move along smoothly and, as host
and/or hostess, you will be able to enjoy the fullness of the Seder
experience along with your invited guests.
Before we get into the details of the
Seder meal itself we
need to take a look at some of the preparations that
traditionally take place in the home, prior to Passover night.
~
Eliminating Leaven ~
For those who wish to follow the biblical
injunctions
concerning the celebration of the Festivals of the LORD, the
first instruction is to eliminate all leaven from one's house.
"`For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since
whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off
from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a
native
of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your
habitations you shall eat unleavened bread."' (Ex. 12:19-20)
In traditional Judaism the process of
eliminating leaven
begins to take place anywhere from several days to a few weeks prior
to Passover. First, all food products in the home that contain leaven
are identified so that a systematic consumption of those products can
be undertaken before the Passover season. Purchases of leavened
products are then scrutinized carefully to be sure they can be eaten
prior to the Days of Unleavened Bread (another name for the Passover
season), so that food does not go to waste due to poor
planning.
However, another important ritual is also
carried out during
these crucial days just before Passover. During this time the entire
home is cleaned thoroughly, so that all traces of leavening can be
located and eliminated. These include the toast crusts the children
have left in the sofa, and the cookie crumbs hiding in the pockets of
suits hanging in the closet. Leavened products have a way of hiding
in all sorts of nooks and crannies, thereby teaching us a very
important spiritual lesson.
~
Spiritual Leaven ~
"And when His disciples had come to the other side, they had
forgotten to
take bread. Then Jesus said to them, `Take heed and beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.' "And
they
reasoned among themselves, saying, `It is because we have taken
no bread.'... "But when Jesus perceived it, He said to them,
`O
you of little faith, ... How is it you do not understand that I
did not speak to you concerning bread? - but you should beware
of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saducees.' "Then they
understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
(Matt. 16:5-8, 11-12)
During Passover week, leaven becomes
symbolic of sin. This
does not mean that leaven is itself sin, it is merely used to
represent sin. It is wonderfully symbolic because of its unusual
property which enables just a small amount of it to permeate an
entire batch of bread dough.
It is written:
"... Do you not know that a little leaven
leavens the whole
lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven,
that you may be a
new lump, since you truly are unleavened.
For indeed Christ,
our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
"Therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven, nor with
the leaven of
malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened
bread of
sincerity and truth." (I Cor. 5:6-8)
So, there is a great spiritual lesson
that is to be learned
from the physical exercise of eliminating leaven from one's home. The
lesson is that we, as Believers, need to be ever ready to eliminate
sin from our daily lives. However, another lesson also becomes
apparent during the Passover cleaning process; it is impossible to
eliminate all leaven from our homes (and likewise all sin from our
lives) through our own efforts. (For a more complete exposition of
this topic please request our taped message Sin and the
Days of Unleavened Bread.)
~
Some Comments About Days ~
Before proceeding we would like to
comment briefly about our
understanding concerning these days and how they fall on the Hebrew
calendar. First of all, the Hebrew calendar is based primarily on the
new moon being the indicator as to when each month begins. Since a
new moon occurs approximately every twenty-nine and one-half days, a
lunar month will have only twenty-nine or thirty days. Because of
this shortened month, the dates for Passover and the Days of
Unleavened Bread fluctuate each year, however they always fall
within the Roman months of March or April. The festivals do not get
out of sync with the seasons because of the addition of a thirteenth
month every few years.
On the Hebrew calendar, Passover falls on
the 14th day of the
first month, which is called Aviv or Nisan. (Many Hebrew months have
dual names.)
"`These are the feasts of the LORD, holy
convocations which
you shall proclaim at their
appointed times. On the
fourteenth day of the first month
at twilight is the LORD's
Passover."' (Lev. 23:4-5)
Aviv 14 is the day on which the Passover
lambs were commanded
to be sacrificed at the Temple. This was done at about three o'clock
in the afternoon and was followed immediately by the Days of
Unleavened Bread, which began at sundown after the sacrifice. The
Days of Unleavened Bread are celebrated for seven days, 15 Aviv
through 21 Aviv.
"`And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the
Feast of
Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you
must eat
unleavened bread."' (Lev. 23:6)
According to tradition, all leaven must
be removed from the
home and burned by noon of 14 Aviv. `This is to insure that no leaven
will remain in the house when the Passover Seder is eaten, after
sundown, at the beginning of 15 Aviv.
"`In the first month, on the fourteenth
day of the month at
evening, you shall eat unleavened
bread, until the
twenty-first day of the month at
evening. For seven days no
leaven shall be found in your
houses..." (Ex. 12:18-19a)
Thus, according to Scripture, we are not
to eat leavened
products from the close of 14 Aviv (at evening on the beginning of
the 15th) until the close of 21 Aviv (after sundown at the end of the
21st day). The fact that the days begin and end at sundown is fully
confirmed for us in the following passage concerning the Day of
Atonement:
"`Also the tenth day of this seventh month
shall be the Day
of Atonement. It shall be a holy
convocation for you; you
shall afflict your souls, "`It
shall be to you a sabbath of
solemn rest, and you shall afflict
your souls; on the ninth
day of the month at evening, from
evening to evening, you
shall celebrate your
sabbath."' (Lev. 23:27,32)
~
The Search for Leaven ~
In traditional Jewish practice, a ritual
is observed in each
home when the evening portion of 14 Aviv arrives. (This would be at
the beginning of 14 Aviv, or the night before the Seder.) This
special ritual is called Bedikat Hametz (Beh-dee-khat Hah-mehtz), the
Search for Leaven. In this ritual, the woman of the house takes ten
pieces of leavened bread and hides them throughout the house. After
sunset the father and the children take a candle, a wooden spoon, a
feather, and a linen bag. They go throughout the house to find the
ten pieces of leaven that have been hidden. This `hidden' leaven
represents the `hidden sin' that each of us have stored away
somewhere in our minds and hearts.
As each piece of leaven is found, it is
brushed from its
resting place onto the wooden spoon with the feather. It is then
transferred into the linen bag. When all ten pieces have been
collected in this way, the utensils are bound together and set aside
for the night.
The next morning begins a busy day of
preparation. In
traditional Judaism, leaven can be eaten in the morning
until the third hour (about nine a.m.); however, all leaven must be
removed from the home by the sixth hour (noon). It is noteworthy that
the sect of the Pharisees put a fence around this tradition by saying
that all leaven must be removed by the fifth hour (eleven a.m.).
While the mother is finishing the house
cleaning the father
takes the linen bag containing the ten pieces of leaven,
the feather, and the wooden spoon to the local synagogue where a
bonfire has been started. After a brief prayer the linen bag with its
contents (representing sin) is thrown into the fire to be consumed. In
ancient times, the lulav from Succoth or the willows from Hoshana
Rabbah (see Hebrew Roots issue 96-3) were saved to be used to light
this fire. This ritual is called Bi-ur Hametz (Bee-oor Hah-mehtz), the
Burning of the Leaven.
~
The Fast of the Firstborn ~
Meanwhile, another ritual is also being
observed in
traditional Jewish homes, where the firstborn son in each
family is required to fast during the daylight hours of 14 Aviv, or
Passover Day. This practice is to remind the family that God spared
the firstborn children of Israel on Passover night in Egypt. This fast
is called Ta-anit Bekhorim (Tah-ah-neet Behkh-ohr-eem) The Fast of the
Firstborn. Sometimes the father of the family also fasts, just in case
his son does not.
~
The Nullification ~
Once the house has been emptied of leaven
the family gathers
for Bittul Hametz (Beet-tool Hah-mehtz); the
Nullification. This is a prayer that is said to declare that to the
best of their knowledge all leaven has been removed from their home,
and if any unknown leaven still resides there, they request that God
make it as though it did not exist.
The rest of the day is spent in
preparation for the Passover
Seder meal which is to be eaten after sundown.
~
Family Traditions ~
Of course, it is up to each family to
decide whether they
wish to observe any, all, or none of the above traditional
rituals. Certainly, each have great symbolic meaning to us as
Believers and we are instructed to involve our children in our
services, as it is written:
"`And it shall be, when your children say
to you, "What do
you mean by this service?"
that you shall say, "It is the
Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who
passed over the houses
of the children of Israel in Egypt
when He struck the
Egyptians and delivered our
households."' (Ex.12:26-27)
It must be remembered that rituals are
designed to help
people to understand spiritual truths via physical means. By making
the festivals rich in meaning, our children are attracted to
them, and will hopefully wish to continue them when they reach
adulthood and have families of their own; thus teaching their children
about the things which God has done and is doing for them personally.
~
Planning the Seder ~
The first thing to do when making plans
for the Passover
Seder, is to sit down and study the Passover Haggadah (Hah-gah-dah =
the telling) that you are going to use. Many of your questions will
be answered as you come to understand the ceremony and how it is
conducted. As you study the Haggadah you will want to make a list of
the items that will be needed, and also a list of questions
concerning those things which you do not fully
understand.
The second thing you will want to do is
to recruit helpers,
especially if there are going to be a fairly large number
of people attending. For example, you might want to put one person in
charge of the place settings, and another in charge of menu planning.
If you are going to include a footwashing ceremony you may want
someone to be in charge of it, so that it will be conducted smoothly.
(More on that later.) An appropriate person needs to be responsible
for the music that will be shared on this very special evening. Also,
you will want to make plans up front concerning cleanup; so that you
are not left with all the dirty dishes on the First Day of Unleavened
Bread.
Above all, do not try to do everything
yourself If you do,
chances are that neither you, nor your guests, will be
entirely happy with the results.
~
The Room ~
The Egyptian Passover was celebrated
within households, or if
the family was very small, with a small group of families.
"`And if the household is too small for
the lamb, let him and
his neighbor next to his house take
it according to the
number of the persons; according to
each man's need you
shall make your count for the
lamb."' (Ex. 12:4)
In Yeshua's day it is said that a minimum
of ten people had
to be present to partake of the Passover Lamb, and that the group was
not to be larger than twenty. However, today we often see community
Seder's that include tens, if not hundreds, of people.
~
The Tables ~
If you are doing a small family Seder,
hopefully all can sit
at the same table. This is the ideal setting so that all can
share equally in the festivities and the conversation. If it is not
possible for everyone to sit at one table, then try and arrange the
seating so that no one feels left out. Children need to sit with the
adults so they can feel involved with the ceremonies. Also, since this
is a very family centered event, it is preferable to keep families
together if at all possible.
If you are in charge of planning a large
Seder in some sort
of community or church hall, then use your best judgment as to what
would be the best arrangement for the tables. Remember that one table
functions as the head table, and the Seder leaders (usually husband
and wife) will sit at that table. However, if there are multiple
tables, leaders may be chosen for each table, in order to assist in
some of the ceremonies at their table.
In ancient practice, the guests would sit
in a reclining
position on pillows on the floor; this being the position in
which `freemen' would eat their meals. Since a major part of the
Passover experience is a remembrance of God moving His people from
slavery to freedom, this practice had great meaning to the guests. The
table was very low to the floor so that food could be served easily.
Today, the reclining position is usually simulated by having the
guests lean to the left when drinking the various cups of wine and
eating certain foods.
~
The Table Setting ~
Each guest, including children, should
have a normal table
setting for a nice meal. In addition, there are some special items
that pertain to the Seder ceremony. These include:
Candles: The head table should have two long burning
candles
in appropriate candle sticks. A book of matches should also
be included. In traditional practice it is the woman of the
house who lights the festival and sabbath candles and
recites a brachah (blessing). It is also customary that
everyone, male and female, cover their head when reciting a
brachah.
Wine Glasses: In addition to
whatever glasses or cups are
deemed necessary for the meal, each place setting should
also have a glass or cup for wine. In a traditional Jewish
Seder, four cups of wine are consumed as a part of the
ritual portion of the Seder. However, if you are using A
Believer's Passover Haggadah published by Hebrew Roots, you
may want a second drinking glass available for use during
the meal, since one of the ritual cups is poured before the
meal but not consumed until after the dinner.
Haggadot: Every guest should have
their own copy of the
Haggadah that is being used for the Seder.
Elijah's Place: It is traditional
to reserve an extra seat
and place setting at the head table for Elijah the Prophet.
Tradition holds that Elijah will appear at Passover to
herald the coming of the Messiah.
Bowls for Handwashing: Since the
Seder is a ritual meal that
is `consecrated to God,' it is customary to do a ritual
handwashing prior to the meal, such as was done by the
priests prior to their service in the Temple. This can be
done in one of two ways. One method is to provide each place
setting with a small `finger bowl' and a special napkin. The
second, and more traditional way, is for the table hostess
and helper(s) to take a pitcher of water, a large bowl and a
hand towel around the table to each guest. The guest holds
his/her hands over the bowl and the hostess pours the water,
twice over the right hand and then twice over the left.
~
The Seder Plate ~
A Seder plate is placed at the head
table. The foods on the
Seder plate are not eaten during the meal but are
there for display purposes only. The important thing is to understand
the meaning behind the various foods that are found on the Seder
plate. Illustrated below is a typical Seder plate:
Dishes containing the ceremonial foods
may be placed on each
table for easy passing. Following is an explanation of the Seder
plate items:
Zeroah (zeh-row-ah): A roasted
unbroken/uncut shank bone of
a lamb, which represents the actual Passover lamb sacrifice
korban pesach). Check with your local butcher, he may be
able to provide you with one. Trim off any remaining meat
and roast it in the oven until it is dry. If you are unable
to obtain a lamb bone, an unbroken/uncut leg bone of a
chicken may be substituted.
Maror (mab-roar): The bitter herbs.
Two commonly used herbs
are romaine lettuce and horseradish. While we do not
normally think of lettuce as being a `bitter herb,' those
with gardening experience know that if lettuce is left in
the ground too long, it becomes very bitter.
Hazeret (hah-zeh-reht): This is the
other `bitter herb,'
horseradish, which is peeled and then grated or sliced and
served unadulterated.
Beitzah (bait-zah): A roasted egg,
which is a symbol of the
festival sacrifice known as the korban chagigah (kohr-bahn
hah-gee-gah), which was offered by each Jew at Passover.
This was an offering in addition to the actual Passover
Lamb. It was used to provide sufficient meat for all of the
guests, as only one passover lamb was sacrificed per
household. Many people hard boil an egg in tea water to give
it a roasted appearance.
Karpas (car-pahs): This is a green
vegetable, usually
parsley. It is dipped in saltwater during the Seder
ceremony.
Charoset (hah-row-set): A mixture
of chopped fruit, nuts,
wine and spices (a recipe has been included at the end of
the article). The bitter herbs are dipped in the charoset in
order to moderate their taste. The charoset represents the
mortar that the slaves had to make for the bricks in Egypt.
Dishes of the ceremonial foods: maror
(romaine lettuce),
hazeret (horseradish), karpas (parsley) and charoset
(sweet apple mixture) should be placed on each table.
~
Matzot ~
Matzot (maht-zoht): Unleavened bread
should be placed on each
table so that all can partake of it, for it is written:
"`You shall eat nothing leavened; in all
your habitations you shall eat
unleavened bread."'
(Ex. 12:20)
~
Ceremonial Matzot ~
Three matzot are designated as
ceremonial. They are placed on
a plate, at the head table, with a linen cloth
between each matzah, as well as above and below the entire packet. We
prefer to use store purchased matzah because of the messianic picture
it portrays by being striped and pierced. While matzah is sold that is
specifically designated as "kosher for Passover," it is our opinion
that the regular matzah is also acceptable. The leader should have one
set of ceremonial matzot. A linen `matzah bag' can be sewn or
purchased which will hold the ceremonial matzot in separate pockets;
otherwise linen napkins can be used in a couple of different ways:
Using a very large linen napkin or
cloth, open it up and lay
it on a table. Place one matzah in the upper left corner of
the cloth and another in the upper right corner. Fold the
bottom half of the cloth over the two matzot. Then place a
third matzah over one of the other covered matzah and fold
the cloth so this matzah is in the middle. When folded
correctly, the three matzot will be separated from each
other and enclosed top and bottom by the linen cloth.
If you do not have a linen cloth
large enough to wrap all
three matzah, four small linen napkins may be used. One on
the bottom, one between each of the matzot and one on the
top.
In addition to the `matzah bag,' place
one more linen napkin
on the table next to the plate. This will be used to
wrap the `afikomen' (the middle matzah), which is broken, wrapped and
hidden during the ceremony.
~
Wine ~
As previously mentioned, a traditional
Jewish Passover Seder
uses four cups of wine. In A Believer's Passover
Haggadah we have reduced this to three cups of wine, although all four
cups are acknowledged. The difference has to do with the second cup,
known as the Cup of Affliction. Since our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach
drank that cup for us when He went to the execution stake, we no
longer need to partake of it. Therefore, during the Seder we pour the
second cup (The Cup of Affliction), but it is left on the table
untouched until later in the Seder when it becomes the third cup, the
Cup of Redemption. It is this cup which Yeshua took and passed around
to His disciples after supper, as it is written:
"Likewise He also took the cup after
supper, saying, `This
cup is the new covenant in My blood,
which is shed for you."'
(Luke 22:20)
While wine is sold that is specifically
designated as "kosher
for Passover," it is our opinion that any good wine of
deep red color is acceptable. For those who do not drink alcoholic
beverages, a good quality grape juice may be substituted. (The dark
color is preferred since it is meant to represent the blood of Yeshua,
our passover lamb.)
~
Other Items and Practices ~
Salt Water: Each table should
contain one or more small
dishes of salt water placed so that all guests can easily
reach one of them. One of the Seder steps is to dip the
parsley into the salt water and eat it. The salt water is a
symbol of the tears of slavery.
Reclining: To eat in a reclining
position was considered a
symbol of freedom in the ancient world. It is customary to
recline or lean to the left when partaking of the wine, the
matzah, and the korech (koh-rehch = the `Bundle' or `Hillel
Sandwich' made of matzah, horseradish and charoset).
Eljah's Cup: Often times a very
ornate cup is set at the
place reserved for Elijah the Prophet. This is known as
`Elijah's Cup' and is filled towards the end of the ceremony
just prior to sending a child to the door to see if Elijah
has come.
Kittel: In traditional Jewish
practice it is customary for
the leader to wear a kittel, a white robe. This is a
reminder of the priestly robes worn during the temple
services.
~
The Afikomen ~
As mentioned earlier, at one point in the
ceremony the middle
matzah is removed from the matzot bag and is
broken in half The larger piece is then wrapped in a separate linen
cloth. This is called the afikomen, which means "that which comes
later" or "dessert." The leader asks the children present to close
their eyes while he hides the afikomen out of sight. Later in the
Seder the children are asked to search for the afikomen or `hidden'
one. The child finding it brings it to the leader, who must then
`redeem' the afikomen by paying a redemption price for it.
The afikomen is the very last piece of
food eaten at the
Seder. In A Believer's Passover Haggadah, this
matzah is used to represent the body of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua
HaMashiach which was given for us.
"And He took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to
them, saying, `This is My body which is
given for
you; do this in remembrance of Me."'
(Luke 22:19)
~
Footwashing Ceremony ~
One major difference between A Believer's
Passover Haggadah
and most others is the inclusion of the
ceremony of footwashing. This practice was instituted by Yeshua at the
`Last Supper,' and He expressly indicated that we should practice this
ceremony with each other.
"Jesus, knowing that the father had
given all things into His hands, and that
He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid
aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He
poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and
to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. "Then He came
to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, `Lord, are You washing my
feet?' "Jesus answered and said to him, `What I am doing you do not
understand now, but you will know after this.' "Peter said to Him,
`You shall never wash my feet!' "Jesus answered him, `If I do not
wash you, you have no part with Me.' "Simon Peter said to Him, `Lord,
not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!' "Jesus said to
him, `He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is
completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.' For He
knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, `You are not all
clean.' "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and
sat down again, He said to them, `Do you know what I have done to
you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If
I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you
should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a
servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater
than he who sent him. "`If you know these things, happy are you if you do
them."' (John 13:3-17)
The footwashing ceremony can be effectively performed in one of two
ways. One is to have the men and women each go to separate rooms and
wash one another's feet. A second method is to have each family
perform the footwashing ceremony among their own members. In the
second example single guests, in order to participate, could be
adopted for the evening by a loving family. However, it is never a
good idea to have men and women wash each other's feet outside the
family unit.
Regardless of the method used, it is
important to plan ahead,
and advisable to instruct your guests to dress appropriately. Each
guest should bring a small wash basin and towel so that these items
do not have to be shared. In the interest of time, it works best when
the individual having their feet washed removes their own shoes and
socks.
Adequate water must be available, either
from a nearby sink,
faucet, or a large container from which a small amount of water can
be dipped or poured into each individual basin. Your guests will
greatly appreciate having warm water for this ceremony.
After the footwashing ceremony it is VERY
IMPORTANT to
remember that anyone who will be handling food items must WASH THEIR
HANDS before returning to the table. (This means everyone.)
NEXT
YEAR IN JERUSALEM !!!!
*************************************************************************
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
©2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.