P A S S O V E R
FOUR MORE QUESTIONS
The Passover
table was prepared and set for the Seder. In the center was the five branched
candlestick with the holiday lights over which the blessings were pronounced by
the mother of the household. The father had been busy for the last
twenty-four hours removing the leaven and cleaning ritually in boiling water
some of the utensils that had to be used all year round and on
Passover. The special utensils, kept only for these eight days of
Passover, were taken out from hiding. The matzo was purchased and brought
into the house along with the wine for this special season. Now it was time
to prepare the ceremonial platter where the various additional items are
placed into their proper place arranged in two triangular patterns: first the
roasted shank bone, symbol of the roasted Passover lamb, is placed on the
right. Opposite it, on the left, is the egg, roasted whole and symbolic of
the Passover and the new life and resurrection. The bitter herbs are placed
somewhat below and centered between the shankbone
and the egg, to remind us of the bitter life which our ancestors endured in
Egypt.
The next triangle consists of the haroseth,
made of grated nuts and apples with a dash of wine to produce the color of
mortar as it is written: "And they made their lives bitter with hard
bondage in mortar" (Exodus 1: 14). This item is placed on the
lower right. Opposite it on the left is the vegetable called karpos, usually a stalk of petersilia
or carrot to remind us of the low fare given to our ancestors in Egypt. It
also is a symbol of the hyssop used for the sprinkling of the blood of the
Passover lamb. Then centered below them are the grated bitter herbs to
complete the second triangle. There is also a seventh item outside the
large platter. This is a dish of salt water to remind us of tears shed in
Egypt and of the crossing of the salted Red Sea. THE FOUR QUESTIONS
The four
questions are to be asked by the youngest son as it is written: "And
it shall be when thy son asketh thee ... What is this?" (Exodus 13:14). The four
questions which are really four responses to one question are:
Why is this night different from all other nights? (1)
Any other night we may eat either leavened or unleavened bread, but on this
night only unleavened bread (2) Any other night we may eat any herbs,
but this night only bitter herbs (3) Any other night we do not dip
even once, but on this night twice (the bitter herbs in the haroseth and the vegetable in the salt water) (4)
Any other night we eat either sitting or leaning (on cushions) but on this
night we all lean.
This is an opportune time for the father to begin the chanting
of the Haggadah, the great story of the exodus from Egypt and the many
miracles which accompanied it. He performs actions symbolic of God's
great miracles. At the recital of the ten plagues that God brought upon the
Egyptians the wine in the cup is diminished. This shows God's
compassion on the very enemies of God and His people. Every person drinks
four cups of wine during the Seder to symbolize the four "I wills"
of redemption found in Exodus 6:6-7. The wine must be red to symbolize blood. THE BROKEN MATZO
Early in the ceremony the father
uncovers the three matzot which lie in front of him
in a three-pocketed napkin. He takes out the middle matzo, breaks it in
half, takes the larger half and wraps it in a napkin and hides it somewhere
under his cushion. One of the children will try to steal it away and
claim a price if successful. Otherwise it will lie there "buried"
until the service is over. Then it will be taken out and broken into
small pieces and distributed to the members of the family. This, too,
is a symbol of the Passover of which everyone was to participate. This
matzo, since it had been broken, has become the aphikomen,
a word apparently derived from the Greek, meaning, "I arrive," or
"I come to." (not epikomen
which means dessert). FOUR MORE QUESTIONS
The following
questions are not in the Hagadah but should be
asked nevertheless: 1.
Why do we place three matzot in one napkin? The usual explanation is that they
represent the threefold division in Israel: Priests, Levites and Israelites.
But the Priests and Levites are of the same tribe and the whole people of
Israel are called a kingdom of priests in Exodus 19:6! 2.
Why is the middle matzo broken in
the course of the Seder? Why is the larger half hidden away, buried under
the cushion, taken out later and eaten by all in memory of the Passover lamb? 3.
What is our pesach today? Is it the roasted shank bone, the Zero'ah? It can hardly be so, for its blood was
not sprinkled on the doorposts of the houses as prescribed in the Torah. It
was not roasted whole either. Is it then the roasted egg on the Passover
platter? An egg is surely not a sacrifice. Why are we advised to have wine
red as blood on Passover? What or Whom does this represent? 4. What is the meaning of the verses
we recite from Psalm 118:22-23: "The stone which the builders refused
is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is
marvelous in our eyes. “Who is the "Stone" and who are
the "Builders?" OUR ANSWER
Jewish believers in
the Messiah are convinced that there is a connection in the Passover Seder
with the Last Supper of our Messiah. Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus of
Nazareth, Yeshua HaNotzree, who claimed to be Messiah, sat down with His
disciples to celebrate the Passover Seder after accomplishing His teaching
and healing ministries. On the table were probably the three matzot and red wine. When the time came to break the
matzo and drink the wine, the Lord Yeshua gave the following explanation as
we read in the Brit Hadashah (New
Covenant): He took bread and gave thanks and broke it, and gave it unto
them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance
of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This
cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke
22:19-20).
From this we can make the following
inferences:
1.
The three matzot
may represent the triune nature of God: The Unity, His Shechinah,
and the One who is concealed from most of the people, as we pray "Behold
I am prepared and ready to fulfill the commandment of the first (second,
third, fourth) cup. In the name of the Holy Unity, blessed be
He and His Shechinah, through Him who is hidden and
concealed." 2.
The middle matzo represents the
One whose body was broken and given for us. It was hidden and buried, and
then resurrected with the promise of aphikomen. I
have come already and am coming again' 3.
The late Professor Solomon Birnbaum had the opinion that it was no longer possible
for our people to offer the Passover lamb since the Temple was destroyed in
A.D. 70. However, seeing the followers of Jesus of Nazareth celebrate
Passover with matzo and wine to represent the sacrifice of Messiah, the
Jewish leaders "incorporated it into the religion of the people ... [for
it] completely answered the purpose." In other words, some of our
ceremonies at the Seder Table are adapted from the practices by which the
followers of Yeshua commemorated His sacrificial death. A Jewish believer,
referring to Yeshua, declared: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
He is our Passover sacrifice. 4. He,
the Messiah, is the Stone, the Rock of Israel. Him, many of our builders, or
leaders, rejected, and He has become the headstone, the most important Jew in
the history of our people. But one day our people will accept Him,
"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come
out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob." Have you received your Redeemer, the Stone whom the builders
rejected? In Him is life,
light and joy and in His sacrifice is forgiveness of sin. Reprinted
with permission of The Messianic Literature Outreach For
More Information:
Return
to L'Chaim
- To Life! Page. Return
to Biblical Feasts Page. To
return to MENORAH'S
HOME PAGE |
