Shabbat ha Gadol is the Shabbat before the festival of Passover. There are many interesting "coincidences" which the Rabbis speak about for this special Shabbat before Passover. The Haftarah read for Shabbat Ha Gadol is Malachi 3 including vs. 23 which states" Look I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes…" We Messianic Jews know that our Messiah has already come and Yeshua said that Yohanan came in the spirit of Elijah and he announced the coming of Messiah.

Another interesting fact was that Acharei Mot takes place at the beginning of Nisan, preceding Passover. There are no coincidences. As I explained in the last week's parashah, in the Yerushalmi Yoma 1:1 it is written that the death of the righteous avails for the redemption of Israel (the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's sons). At this time of the year we are commemorating not only the deliverance from Egypt but also, the deliverance from sin, through our Messiah Yeshua, whose death and being the Righteous one delivered us from sin.

The Rabbis say that the exodus from Egypt after the first Pesach took place on Thursday, the 15th of Nisan which would agree completely with the understanding that Messianic Jews have about when our Messiah died…on Wednesday, the 14th of Nisan. Yeshua fulfilled the Passover perfectly. He died between the two lights (12 noon and 6 PM), had to be buried quickly before sunset when Passover began and rose on the 3rd day as he said he would, quoting the sign of Jonah. This would mean that he rose on Shabbat not on Sunday.

Acharei Mot begins with the death of Aaron's two sons and speaks of the Day of Atonement. Aaron must bring 2 goats which he chooses by lot. One will be "ola chatat" - the sacrifice for sin and the other the Azazel, the scapegoat. The first goat will be killed and the blood will be sprinkled on the Azazel in a similar way which we saw last week with the two pigeons. The Cohen ha Gadol will lay his hands on Azazel confessing all his sins making that goat take on his sin. Yeshua did both of these- he died for our sins and became sin for us, like Azazel. The one without sin became sin for us to remove our sins. In Talmud, in Yoma…it is written that our sages say that Nadab and Abihu died because they were righteous, in order to teach us that the death of the righteous atones for the sin of the guilty. This comes right before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yeshua, the Righteous One died for us. Once the Seder has begun, the father washes his hands with a blessing in a ceremony called Urchatz. He washes his hands to declare himself clean and pure. Do you think that Yeshua washed his hands?

There is another interesting ceremony called the Bedikat Chametz which takes place the night before the Pesach in order to be able to declare our homes clean and ready. This was started in the 9th century CE and many believe that this was introduced into our traditions by the early Messianic Jews. The weeks prior to Passover, the home is cleaned and the wife leaves one small clump of breadcrumbs (chametz) for the father of the home to find. Interestingly enough, he cannot declare his home clean until he finds the chametz. He lights a bees-wax candle and searches the house for the last bit of chametz (which spiritually represents sin) which he sweeps onto a wooden spoon with a white feather. He then wraps it all up in a napkin of white linen and buries it or burns it outside the house. See if you can figure out what each of these elements represents. If you can, don't hesitate to email us at info@ksy.ca

The matzah tash or the unity holds three pieces of matzah in three compartments. This element we believe also came into our traditions through the early Messianic Jews. Once the rabbis have a tradition, it is almost impossible for them to break it however most people today have no idea where it started. The father during the service will take the middle matzah, break it, and then hide it in a white linen napkin. It is called the Afikomen or the one who is to come later. Later in the Seder it will be found by a child and redeemed by the father who gives the child a reward. It blessed and eaten as eaten with the 3rd cup, called the cup of Redemption. This is the part which Christianity calls communion. Notice the richness of our traditions and the importance of every detail.

Chametz or Leaven in Scripture has the meaning of sin and the message of Passover is that we are to remove the leaven not only from our homes but especially from our hearts. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Apostle Paul I speaking about keeping the Passover in a new way. "Do you not realize that only a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Throw out the old yeast so that you can be the fresh dough, unleavened as you are. For our Passover has been sacrificed that is Messiah, let us keep the feasts then with none of the old yeast and no leavening of evil and wickedness but only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (See also I Corinthians 11:28ff).The old yeast represents our old nature and Messiah has given us a new nature. This is not a new message. Ezekiel 36:24ff: "I shall remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh…"

From the moment, God puts His Ruach ha Kodesh into us we are given the ability to keep his commandments. To try to obey God without God's Ruach becomes mere religion. As followers of Messiah, all we can do is our best not out of mere tradition or religion but out of a desire to serve the One who loves us and the One we love in return. Loving God is not a burden if we really love Him. Serving God and keeping his commandments and observing the feasts are not a burden if we truly love Him.

When God set us free from the bondage of slavery, he freed the mixed multitude, Jew and Gentile left together. This was a clear message that the followers of God would be both Jew and non-Jew. Yes, He chose the Jewish nation not because we were better, simply because it was His choice. Gentiles do not need to become Jews to follow Messiah and Jews do not convert to another religion to follow Messiah Yeshua.

The true joy of Pesach is deliverance, redemption and true freedom. The only time we can be truly free is when we can exercise our own free will to do what is right. Only free people, not slaves can do that. Only in Yeshua are we truly free to be ourselves able to choose what is right over what is wrong. That is why there is constant struggle. Only a true believer in God knows that they have failed when they do wrong and we are able to go to our God who will always continue to forgive. The true meaning of Passover is that we are free at last! When God is for us, who can be against us?

     Rabbi Percy Johnson
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