So Who Eats Matzah Balls, Anyway?

This week is Pesach (Passover), beginning tonight, Monday evening at dusk. Depending upon how you observe it, I’d encourage you to remove the leaven (chametz - yeast and fermenting products) to an “out-of-sight” location, or trash it if it’s going to go bad anyway after a week. Then open your first box of matzoh and get excited about eating only unleavened bread for the week!

If you get a late start on it - that’s ok! God looks at the heart and our desire to please Him. Removing the leaven is mentioned in Ex. 12:15, 18-20, 13:6-7 and also by Yeshua and Paul in Mt. 16:6, I Cor. 5:6-9, & Gal. 5:9. You’ll be surprised how hard it is to not eat bread and yeast products, especially if out for a snack! But that’s the beauty of it. Every time you realize you can’t eat that ‘burger on a bun’, or that bowl of cereal, you remember that you love God more than your belly, pleasing Him more than pleasing your flesh, and the joy is in that decision to refrain and replace BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM! Do I receive extra points with God for doing this? No. But I do increase within, strengthening my spiritual self, my ‘new man’. I recommend carrying around a container with matzoh when you’re out and about, so you’ll have it ready.

Bread was first made in Egypt, and leaven represents pride, malice, evil, hypocrisy, and erroneous teachings. Our decision to not eat of it for the week is a renunciation of the old life and darkness from which we’ve been redeemed. Our eating matzoh is an embracing of Yeshua who is the bread of life, a proclamation of our new life in Him. It was a dramatic deliverance when G-d called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, transferring us into the kingdom of His Son (I Pet. 2:9; Col. 1:13). Unleavened bread represents humility, sincerity, and the truth about grace. Like Yeshua, who was without sin, it does not ferment. He came in humility, to sacrifice His life (Zech. 9:9; Is. 42:2-3; Mk. 10:45). Eating it also signifies our readiness to leave this life instantly and meet Him when He calls us to do so. It is both retrospective and prospective.

Now the next part: what do you like to put on your matzoh? Eat with your matzoh? Make with matzoh meal? Let’s send in our favorite complement to our matzoh or recipe and share ideas together! Not being much of a chef, I love making matzoh brie - scrambled eggs w/ matzoh mixed in (soak in milk first). But mostly you’ll see me eating peanut butter on matzoh a lot this week!

This coming Shabbat we will focus on the Resurrection of Yeshua, the Lamb of God (Seh HaElohim). Though He would actually have risen this coming Thursday, April 1 (as I understand it), we will take this opportunity to remember, review, and rejoice in this historic and eternal event. Did Yeshua actually redeem Israel? Are there reasonable arguments substantiating His resurrection? What was the ancient Jewish or rabbinic view of a future resurrection? What did this event mean to His Jewish followers, and what does it mean to us? Would you pray with me that the Lord would speak, and bring an awesome visitation and illumination of His resurrection?

Oh, and of course I can’t wait to see many of you at one of our congregational seders, April 1 & 3! "Shevet achim gam yachad" (Ps. 133:1)! [Seders are listed on our website: www.koldodi.org].

Chag Pesach v’T’chyayah Sameach!
(Happy Passover & Resurrection Holiday),

Rabbi Alpren