Pesach – פֶּסַח

Parasha: Exodus 33:12-34:26 & Numbers 28:19-25

Since this week is Passover the regular Torah portion reading is set aside and a special Torah portion reading is read.  In this week’s Parasha reading there are just a couple of verses about Passover commanding the children of Israel to remember the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.  In the immediate verses following is the instructions for the redemption of the first born male, both human and animal.  God said that all the firstborn males must be redeemed (Exodus 34:19-20).

It is no coincidence that during the Passover Seder today there is a buying back or redeeming of the “Afikoman,” the middle Matza of the three that is broken in half and hidden away.  It is believed that the Afikoman represents the Messiah and just as he is sacrificed for the sins of all the world He is also redeems us by His sacrifice. Let us celebrate the fullness of redemption in the Messiah Yeshua during this Passover and Resurrection Day!

Haftorah: Ezekiel 36:37-37:14

Shabbat Shalom & Happy Passover!

Passover Day and Shabbat: Exodus 12:21-51 & Numbers 28:16-25; Haftarah – Joshua 5:2 – 6:1. 2 Kings 23:1-9. 21-25; Song of Solomon (entire book)

Passover First day of chol haMoed: Leviticus 22:26-23:44

Passover Second day of Chol haMoed: Exodus 13:1-16

Passover Third day of Chol haMoed: Exodus 22:24 – 23:19

Passover Fourth day of Chol haMoed: Exodus 33:12, 34:1 – 26

Passover Fifth day of Chol haMoed: Numbers 9:1-14

Seventh day of Passover: Exodus 13:17 – 15:26, Deutronomy 14:22, 15:19-16:17; Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51, Isaiah 10:32 – 12:6

The children of Israel were saved through the blood of the lamb, and were released from life-long slavery in Egypt to a life of freedom. That was all a picture of God’s plan. He saved human kind through the blood of the lamb, Yeshua the Messiah, and took us from slavery to sin to the freedom in Him.

He is the unleavened Bread of Life. Free from leaven, free from sin.

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  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: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Our prayer on this great holiday is that the Lord will help us to realize His overwhelming grace, and to help us live in the New Life he has given us. It may be a desert that is difficult to go through, but we also know that a Land flowing with milk and honey awaits us, as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord and don’t long back to the slavery of sin.

Pesach Sameach – Happy Passover