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The Four Questions ..........Ma-nish-a-nah
The youngest asks in the household or congregation who is able, asks for questions from the Haggadah. Since at one time, every child has been the youngest…everyone would have a chance to hear the answers and thus the commandment to pass this down to all generations would be fulfilled. The four questions are:
1) Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we can eat any kind of bread but on this night only unleavened bread?
2) Why on all other nights we can eat any kind of herbs but on this night only bitter herbs?
3) Why on all other nights we do not even dip once but on this night we dip twice?
4) Why on all other nights do we sit up at the table but on this night we all sit in a reclined position? Why?
Answers:
1) Unleavened Bread (Matza)is the symbol of purity and holiness, as it contains no leaven. Leaven is a symbol of sin, as we seen in both the Tenach and the New Testament. (Exodus 24:25/ 1 Corinthians 5:7) “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:” What more fitting that on the night of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt by a Holy and Righteous God, that they would use this symbol of holiness. Also this was the bread of affliction made in great haste with no time for the leaven to rise as they were thrust out of Egypt.
2) Bitter Herbs (Maror) represent the bitterness of slavery and bondage in Egypt. As Christians we see this as the bitterness and bondage to the slavery of sin. (John 8:34) “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
3) The Dipping of the Parsley (Karpas) into the salt water represents both the tears of repentance, as well as the Hebrew children who entered the Red Sea and came out safely on the other side. As Christians we too see tears of repentance and the second dip is our Baptisim. We also came out in safety…changed. (Romans 6:4) “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. It was also this action whereby Jesus identified Judas as the one who would betray Him at the last Passover meal they would share together.
4) The reclining in their seats represents their deliverance from slavery.
Even so, we can see this as a celebration of our freedom. (John 8:32) “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In Orthodox households the Mageed (the story of the Exodus) was chanted. After the reading of the four questions (the Ma-nish-a-nah) and the answers are read from the Haggadah, the “Be-khol-dor-vecor” (In every generation, every individual, we are redeemed.”) is read. To me these are both reminders that God desires “that all be saved”….and that so great a salvation is offered “to whosoever will” trust in His sacrifice for the world. Truly it was enough (Dayanu) to secure a place for us in God’s kingdom.
The best version of the Exodus story can be found in the book of Exodus. The important point is not just that God delivered His people, but how He chose to do that. God could have used any means He wanted to “translate” His people out of Egypt and into the promised land. But Gods work with mankind has never been just about the destination but the journey. God would have them take a lamb without spot or blemish from among the flock of Israel. Four days before the Passover, the lamb was selected and examined by the people. Jesus entered into Jerusalem four days before Passover and was examined by the people. Many cried, Hossana”, (Oh, Save Us!) The Passover lambs were kept in an area called “Ephratah”, just outside Bethlehem, watched over by temple priest/ shepherds. (Micah 5:2) “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting. The lamb was slain outside the gate and its blood sprinkled upon the lintels and doorposts of the house, that the angel of death would “pass over” those covered with the blood. Our body is the “the house or temple of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 3:6) “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Jesus (Yeshua), Gods lamb without spot or blemish, has sprinkled His own perfect blood upon “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13), and we have passed from death unto life by faith in His sacrifice for us. (1 John 3:14) “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
The message to be remembered down through the ages is that BLOOD SAVES!!
(Leviticus 17:11) “For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:”
The story continues….
Giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, wandering in the wilderness, and finally entering into the promised land. The ceremonial foods are taken and eaten from the Sedar plate.(K’arah)
The items on the Seder Plate are: Bitter Herbs (Maror)…often ground horseradish, Vegetable (Karpas)..usually parsley, Charoset (a sweet mixture of honey, nuts, apples and cinnamon), an Egg, and a Lambshank (Zeroah). On the table is Unleavened Bread (Matza) ,Salt Water to dip the Karpas and Wine for the Four Cups.
We have already spoken of the Bitter Herbs (Maror) and the Dipping in Salt Water. Let’s look at the other items on the Seder Plate.
1) Parsley (Karpas) represents to both the Jew and the Christian the promised land and its abundance. Although we recognize the fulfillment of Gods promise as the Hebrew people came into the land of Cannan, as well as the fulfillment of prophecy as Israel was born again in 1948…as Christians we see another promised land, promised to those who believe in the name of the Son of God. The Kingdom of Heaven. We see the description of New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) and its beauty is beyond description.
2) Charoset represents the sweetness of a life devoted to God. The “sweet savour of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15)
3) To the Jewish people, the Egg represents the hardness of Pharaohs heart, and was probably added to the Seder plate during the Babylonian captivity. But to Christians it also represents the new life we have in Christ.
4) The Lambshank (Zeroah) represents the lamb sacrificed at the Passover, as well as in the temple at Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It is interesting that the word “zeroah” lterally means “right arm”, “right hand”, or “mighty power”…all terms directly linked to the Messiah…and linking the Messiah to the sacrificial lamb.
-A Scriptural Parallel- (Genesis 37-50)
The Passover story really begins with Joseph being sold in to slavery by his brothers who were jealous of his relationship with his father Jacob and with the Lord. During the following seventeen years in Egypt, divine providence brings Joseph to a place great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh and Joseph becomes a man of great power and authority…just under Pharaoh himself. A severe famine brings the sons of Jacob for food. Which Joseph had been storing up for the previous seven years being forewarned by the Lord of the famine. After a wonderful story of the families reconciliation and forgiveness, Jacob and the rest of their family and servants moved to Egypt. When Jacob died, Joseph fulfilled his dying wish to be taken back to Cannan for burial, where his body is still today. Many years later as Joseph grew old, he prophesized that one day all their descendants would again return to Cannan and when they did, they were to take his bones back with them for burial in that land of his fathers. (Genesis 50:24-25). After Joseph’s death, his body was embalmed and buried in the Valley of the Kings in accordance with his royal station. While in Egypt, Joseph was called…Joseph of Rama…which means “Joseph in the seat of idolatry” as he was just under Pharoah in his authority over the most idolatrous kingdoms in existence at that time. The Egyptians had hundreds of gods, and yet Joseph remained faithful to the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Four hundred years pass and there arose Pharaohs who knew not of Joseph. Great cries of anguish went up to God as the Hebrew people were forced into slavery. God raises up Moses to deliver His people but God hardens Pharaohs heart so that His glory and power might be seen in the peoples deliverance. God brings great plagues upon the Egyptians that concludes with the death of all the first born of Egypt. Only those within a house whose doorpost and lintels have been sprinkled with the blood of the Passover lamb are untouched as the angel of death passes over Egypt. Pharaoh is defeated and tells Moses to take his people into the wilderness to worship for three days. But it was not long after the Hebrews had left Egypt, that the Pharaoh knew that they were not returning and began to make plans to pursue them and force them back into Egyptian slavery.
The question is: How did Pharoah know that the Hebrews would not be returning after the three days of worshiping in the wilderness?
Because the tomb of Joseph was open and his bones were gone…taken back to Cannan for burial in fulfillment of Josephs last dying wish.
The Chaldean word “Rama” meaning “a place of idolatry”, is much the same as the Hebrew word “Arimathaea”. Arimathaea is a town in Israel named after its “high” places that were used in the worship false gods. Are we seeing the parallel yet?
Now, let’s jump ahead another 1, 476 years. Jesus (Yeshuwa) lays down His life at the hands of wicked men to die on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for all those that would believe and trust in Him. He is taken down from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.
After three days, they find the stone rolled away and His body is gone.
* * * * * * * * *
-Scriptural Parallel-
The name Jesus is actually a translation..…of a translation.... of a translation.
Jesus name in the Hebrew is Yeshua, which means “Savior”. Yeshua was not directly translatable into Greek…which used the name Iesous. Iesous became Yesous….. Yesous became Jesous….. Jesous became Jesus. If you directly translate Yeshua into English it becomes Joshua. How interesting. Who was it who brought the Hebrew people into the promised land? Joshua
(Joshua 6:20) and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
Let’s compare that to the New Testament promise of Yeshua
(1 Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Yeshua (Jesus) bringing us into the promised land of heaven.
VIII The Second Cup……… Deliverance
This is a time for the Jewish people to look back on what they were delivered from. The father or leader of the Seder would dip his finger in the wine and drop…one drop at a time....the wine onto a white saucer before him each time reciting a plague that fell upon the Egypt. As Christians it is a time for us to remember what we were delivered from and the Jesus shed His blood …one drop at a time…for the sins for the entire race of Adam, and secured a place in heaven for all those that believe on Him.
IX Rachtzah ……..The Washing of hands
This time the washing of hands is done with a blessing in preparation for eating the Matza. There is also a blessing given over the all the grain products (the Motzi) and the bitter herbs (the Moror) And finally the blessing upon the Matza itself.
“Baruch ato Adoni, Eluhaynu meleck haw olam, a moshek amin ahorey”.
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
More about this important prayer at the end of the Seder.
X Korech……. Rabbi Hillel’s Sandwich ?
A portion of the Seder sometimes includes this tradition. Rabbi Hillel placed the Moror and the Charoset together between two pieces of Matza. It is interesting that the sweetness of the Charoset, which represents Gods love in sending the Messiah cancels out the bitterness of the Moror, which represents sin.
XI Shulchan Orekh…..The Festive Seder Dinner!!
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Posted by journeyman on 2008-08-15 03:52:22 | Rating: | Views: 51
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Great work! I had never heard of the parallel between Rama and Arimathaea. Very interesting and well researched.
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Posted by Unamuno
on 2008-08-15 05:07:43
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