(The Scriptures quoted are from The Interlinear Bible, a literal translation by Jay P. Green, Sr., as general editor and translator, with the transliterated Hebrew names of the Father and Son, Yahweh and Yahshua.)
Although they may not observe it, most people have at least heard of the Passover. However, they know very little, if anything about the week that follows it, known to many as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Hebrew word for bread, lechem, is not used in the Scriptures that talk about this festival. The Hebrew word used in place of the English “unleavened bread” is #4682, matsah. It means sweetness; sweet (i.e. not soured or bittered with yeast); an unfermented cake or loaf.
The definition is explained as meaning “unleavened bread”, but there are many other food products that can also be leavened, and this would have to do with those as well. These would be items such as cakes, cookies, waffles, crackers, cobblers, donuts, etc. That is one reason we simply say unleavens and not just bread. Today there are myriads of products that contain leaven of which we may not be aware at all.
The Hebrew word for “leaven” is #4682, se’or. It means barm or yeast-cake (as swelling by fermentation).
INSTRUCTIONS FROM SCRIPTURE
Exodus 12:1-14 and 21-28 contain the instructions regarding the observance of the Passover. Between those two sections is the first mention of the Days of Unleavens.
Exodus 12:15-20 15-Seven days shall you eat unleavens; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eats leaven from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 16-And in the first day there shall be a set-apart convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a set-apart convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every soul may eat, that only may be done of you. 17-And you shall observe unleavens: for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. 18-In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, you shall eat unleavens, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19-Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eats that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20-You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall you eat unleavens.
Exodus 13:6-7 6-Seven days you shall eat unleavens, and in the seventh day there shall be a feast of Yahweh. 7-Unleavens shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leaven be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven seen with you in all your quarters.
Exodus 23:15 You shall keep the feast of unleavens: (you shall eat unleavens seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed in the month of the aviv; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty).
Leviticus 23:5-8 5-In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is Yahweh’s Passover. 6-And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavens unto Yahweh: seven days you must eat unleavens. 7-In the first day you shall have a set-apart convocation: you shall do no servile work therein. 8-But you shall offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh seven days: in the seventh day is a set-apart convocation: you shall do no servile work therein.
WHAT ARE AND ARE NOT LEAVENING AGENTS?
Farm Journal’s Homemade Breads, Alice Joy Miller, Editor –
Page 11 – “Yeast, a microscopic plant that lives all around us in the air and soil, needs air, moisture and sugar or starch to grow, and it thrives in the moist, sticky environment of bread dough. As yeast grows, it converts sugars and starches into carbon dioxide and alcohol in a process known as fermentation.”
Page 13 – “Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, was the first chemical leavener used in this country. It must be combined with an acid, such as buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, to produce the carbon dioxide that makes dough rise. Baking soda reacts immediately when moistened and always should be sifted or mixed with dry ingredients before liquid is added.”
“Baking powder is a mix of baking soda, an acid such as cream of tartar, and an absorbent such as cornstarch. When mixed with liquid, baking powder releases some carbon dioxide immediately. Like baking soda, it must be sifted or mixed with dry ingredients before being added to liquid.”
Page 14 – “Starters such as sourdough starter, beer starter and salt starter are unpredictable at best. Before yeast became commercially available, cooks would set a mixture of flour and liquid in a warm place in the hope of capturing the yeast that’s present in the air. In a few days, with luck, the starter would begin to ferment and bubble, and then it could be used to make bread.”
“Starters were kept ‘going’ by replenishing them each time bread was made. Sometimes starters produced big, high loaves of bread, and sometimes not. That’s why once the integrity of the starter was proven, it was passed along to neighbors and friends.”
Cream of tartar alone will not leaven. It is a fine white powder derived from a crystalline acid deposited on the inside of wine barrels. It is added to candies and frostings to give them a creamier texture; to egg whites before beating to improve stability and volume; or as an acid to aid the leavening properties of baking soda.
Brewer’s yeast is a by-product of the fermentation of beer. It is rich in vitamins, especially in B-complex. It will not leaven anything.
Yeast extracts are the proteins derived from inactivated (killed) yeast. They are used as a flavor enhancer and will be listed on labels as “yeast extract”, “yeast autolysate” or “torula yeast”, describing the ways in which it is made. This extract does not contain any live yeast cells and will not have any leavening effect.
Eggs, of themselves, are not leavening agents. Boiled, scrambled, fried, etc, they do not rise. Simply stirred into a batter that does not contain any other leavening agent, they alone will not leaven the baked product.
BUT – if the whole eggs are beaten till light and foamy, they will add air to make things like popovers rise. Egg whites separated and beaten fluffy and full of air, will cause expansion when a batter is heated. For example, egg whites are often the only “leavening” in an angel food cake.
All the other above-mentioned leavening agents are simply mixed into the flour and/or dough. But beaten egg whites require that you make a deliberate change in the egg and alter its characteristics. Why is that being done? In order to get a light, fluffy product, right? Why? Is it an attempt to get around the law of Yahweh?
Beverages such as carbonated drinks or beer will leaven a baked product. A 7-Up in a cake rather than baking powder will result in a light, soft texture, also due to carbon dioxide. So, for this one week, these drinks would be considered leavened.
In Deuteronomy 16:3, unleavened bread is referred to as the bread of affliction. The word “affliction” is # 6040, ohnee, meaning depression or misery. The children of Israel were just coming out of misery when Yahweh took them out of Egypt. Some will look at that and say that it is a bread of misery – not something to be enjoyed. But consider: due to their traveling, they could not have their usual bread. The unleavened product reminded them of freedom. They had just come out of depression and misery. We are to do this for seven days to be reminded that Yahweh is also rescuing us from misery and depression – of sin. So can’t we dispense with soft bread and cakes for just one week and stop trying to circumvent the rules Yahweh has set in place?
CHAMETZ
When the Jews refer to leavened things, you will hear the word chametz. The root for that word is #2556, chametz, meaning to be pungent, i.e. in taste (sour, i.e., literally, fermented, or figuratively, harsh). In other words – to be leavened.
But the Jews’ definition is somewhat different.
Living Judaism, by Rabbi Wayne Dosick, page 164 –
“In Hebrew, leaven is called chametz. But everything – not just leavened bread – that is prohibited on Pesach is also called chametz. The Rabbinic sages went far in defining chametz when they delineated the Pesach food prohibitions. The rabbis specified five grains that are chametz (presumably because leavened bread can be made from them): wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats. To these were added rice and legumes (including peas, beans, corn, maize, lentils, millet and mustard), which expand when cooked.”
“Thus prohibited on Pesach are leavened bread, cakes, cookies, biscuits, crackers, cereals, coffee (if mixed with grain), and anything else made from any one of the five grains, including beer and liquor. The only exception is the matzah. Although it is usually made from wheat, production is carefully supervised by rabbinic authorities who make sure that the wheat flour comes in contact with water (the process which would cause the wheat to rise) for only a specified number of minutes, precluding leavening.”
PREPARATION
This festival will be much easier to handle with some advance planning. About a month ahead of time (or maybe two), do an inventory of your kitchen. What leavening agents or leavened products are in your pantry, cabinets, freezer or refrigerator? Set them aside or make a mental note of what is there. That leaves time for you to use those things up before that week arrives. Also keep these days in mind every time you go to the grocery store and don’t buy any more than you can use up before that week begins. That way, you won’t have to throw away unused items on which you spent your money. Because it will have to be thrown out because Yahweh says we are not to have anything leavened for that week.
Cleaning for the Days of Unleavens isn’t exactly mentioned in the Scriptures. So where does the idea come from?
Think about it. What is the best way to be sure we have all of these products out? It would be to clean the cabinets, refrigerator, freezer, etc. If we are to remove anything leavened, that includes crumbs, too, doesn’t it? So what about the oven, the microwave, any area where you eat, etc? But especially the toaster! What about fast food in the vehicle? That’s your property, too, isn’t it? Though I have never seen any quotes nor do I have any proof, I feel that this is where the idea of spring housecleaning originated.
Oh, and don’t forget to empty the vacuum cleaner bag!
LIVING WITH UNBELIEVERS
What if others in your household do not believe as you do and do not plan to observe the days of unleavens? If you are responsible for the meals, check out our recipes – you may not have to disrupt your usual plans as much as you think. If the other person(s) in your household insists on leavening, that is their choice. It doesn’t mean that you have to eat it, too. Just think carefully before you eat something.
As for cleaning, do as much as you can. If you have a separate room, make sure that is clean. Set aside a space for unleavened items from which you may eat freely.
At work, you can make sure that there is no leavening in your cubicle or desk. If you are allowed to have foods there, keep some unleavened item to snack on to help avoid the office donuts!
WHAT CAN BE EATEN?
You can eat any grain product that is unleavened. In the stores, you can find such items as matzos and other cracker-like products. But be sure to carefully check all labels, even if they do say kosher for Passover. Don’t forget items such as breading on fish, chicken fried steak, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. Of course, graham cracker piecrusts contain leavening and so do some of the regular piecrusts. You may have to do some searching. It will be necessary to check the ingredient labels on everything. Leaven will be found in strange places and sometimes they can be very unexpected.
By the way, check ingredient lists yearly. The ingredient list can change as products may be altered or improved.
We need to plan ahead for these days because we can’t go make a sandwich or grab some fast food at the last minute.
Try baking your own bread or crackers. Handle it quickly though. Don’t let the batter or dough sit uncovered, as it will pick up air-borne yeast spores. If you cannot roll out and cook all the dough in one pan and have to finish in another baking, just make sure any left behind is well covered. Feel free to experiment with herbs and seasonings as well.
CONNECTION TO PENTECOST
Though Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) is another festival, it is tied to the Passover/Unleavens season, where its countdown begins on the day of the wave sheaf offering. The description is as follows:
Leviticus 23:9-11,14 9-And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10-Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them, When you come into the land which I am giving to you, and have reaped its harvest, and have brought in the sheaf, the beginning of your harvest, to the priest, 11-then he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh for your acceptance, on the morrow of the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 14-And you shall not eat bread and roasted grain and fresh ears until this self-same day, until you have brought the offering of your Elohim, it is a never-ending statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Deuteronomy 16:9-10,16-17 9-You shall number to yourselves seven weeks. When the sickle begins to reap in the standing grain, you shall begin to number seven weeks. 10-And you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to Yahweh your Elohim according to the measure of the free-will offering of your hand, which you shall give according as Yahweh your Elohim blesses you. 16-Three times in a year shall all your males appear before Yahweh your Elohim in the place which He shall choose: In the Feast of Unleavens, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before Yahweh empty, 17-but each with his gift in his hand, according to the blessing of Yahweh your Elohim, which He has given you.
Yahweh has three distinct festival seasons. These festivals are all in celebration of the harvests: the barley harvest for Unleavens; the wheat for the Feast of Weeks, and the fruits (grapes, figs, olives) and nuts for Tabernacles. The people were to bring offerings for those festivals. They were not to appear empty – they were to bring the first fruits of each product.
The offering, called the wave sheaf offering, of the barley was to be offered “on the morrow of the sabbath”. There have been two ways of looking at this. Is it to be the Sunday after the weekly Sabbath or the annual Sabbath (the first day of Unleavens) that starts the count? The phrase “the sabbath”, or “ha-Shabbat” in Hebrew always appears in the context of the weekly Sabbath, not for any of the annual Sabbaths. It is stressed as the Sabbath.
The next argument presented has been whether or not that Sabbath must appear in the Days of Unleavens. The importance in Scripture seems to be on “the morrow of the sabbath”, the first day of the week and not the Sabbath itself.
This discussion arose when Passover came on the weekly Sabbath and the first Day of Unleavens was on Sunday. Did the count start on that first day, the morrow of the Sabbath? Or should it be postponed to follow the only Sabbath that appeared within the Days of Unleavens, the last day of the festival? Some ay it must be following the last day, thus putting the wave sheaf outside the week of Unleavens.
In the years when the days fall that way, the Congregation of YHWH of Irving starts the count on the first Day of Unleavens on the first day of the week. Besides being an annual Sabbath, the wave sheaf would also be that day. If this is to be a harvest festival, why would the wave sheaf offering be postponed until that festival would be over? Yahweh told them not to come empty to that festival, but with their gift in their hand.
Starting with the morrow of the Sabbath (the morrow falling within the festival) as day #1, count 7 weeks (or weekly Sabbaths). The fiftieth day will also fall on the first day of the week – the morrow of the Sabbath. That would be the Feast of Weeks.
(For more detailed information on this counting, please see our article “Pentecost – Feast of Weeks”)
WHY UNLEAVENS?
The festival of Unleavens is a week that Yahweh specified no leaven was to be eaten. Those Israelites leaving Egypt didn’t have a choice. The only form of leaven they had available was sourdough and they had no time for that to rise.
Yahshua used leaven as an analogy that the disciples would understand.
Matthew 16:6,12 6-Then Yahshua said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 12-Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware you of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
What Yahshua is saying is that their attitude of superiority and hypocrisy – their sin – was likened to leaven. That sin caused them to “puff up” with importance and arrogance, just as leaven “puffs up” the bread. Putting the leaven out of our homes and meals is likened to putting sin out of our lives. That is where the unleavened bread comes in.
John 6:35 And Yahshua said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger: and he that believes on me shall never thirst.
He is the bread. He was sinless. Wouldn’t that mean that He was unleavened?
His last evening as a human was the Passover, which required unleavened bread.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Yahshua took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
The eating of the unleavened bread is a symbol of taking Yahshua into our lives; of trying to become more like Him every day. We should be trying to live a leaven-free (sinless) life every day, not just for seven days only.
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Congregation of YHWH, Irving, TX.
224 North Story Road Suite #138
224 North Story Road Suite #138
Irving, Texas 75061
Mailing Address:
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