Showing posts with label blood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blood. Show all posts

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Saved By The Blood of Jesus




Shalom, Chag Semeach Sukkot!
Before Sukkot this year I shared a little about the Festival of Tabernacles with a close relative of mine. 
I wrote:
Today is the Festival of Sukkot (at sunset Sept 30th this year)  Sukkot may be the actual birthday of Jesus (Yeshua) The Catholic Church celebrates HIS birthday on December 25th.

It is a big day for both Jews and those who follow the messianic teachings of Messiach ben David (Yeshua) 

Tabernacles: Yeshua was born the first day of Tabernacles, and He was circumcised the eighth day of Tabernacles. (Sukkot)

What I really want to bring to your attention is that Tabernacles was a feast of the ingathering of the Harvest. His first coming was when he was born on the 15th of Tishri, the first day of Tabernacles, so then would it be quite reasonable to presume that the Harvest of this earth, the ingathering of the Second Coming of Yeshua, will occur precisely the same day? I am not talking about the rapture of the saints. I am talking about His Second Coming.

Luke 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered. 
7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn.
And as fate would have it, they ended up in a sukkah of sorts anyway!
Have you ever noticed most nativity scene? The figurines are usually
under a 3 sided structure with a straw like roof… in other words, a sukkah! For the Messiah to be qualified as Messiah He had to obey the Torah in every way, and G-d caused it so that Yeshua was born in a sukkah!
Yeshua said Himself that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48). Yeshua
was born in Beyt-Lechem, Bethlehem, being translated, the House of
Bread. And when He was born He was laid in, of all things, a feeding
trough, a manger, in which grain, which is used to make bread, was put
to feed the livestock. And in the Scriptures, especially in Psalm 23,
we are likened as unto sheep, who at times eat grain.

Pretty amazing, right?  Think about how God is. He has done everything about the Messiah through His festivals.

I pray you too will get hungry to learn more of what HaShem (God) has in store for you.

My friends response was:

"You are causing confusion. We are Apostolic by our belief. Pentecostal by our experience. And saved by the blood of Jesus."
It is important to me that you come back to the truth. You must have a love for the truth. These are the last days!”


My brother, God love him, belongs to a sister denomination of the Catholic Universal Church, known as the United Pentecostal Church International, a oneness (Jesus Only) form of Christianity. As sincere as many of these followers are in their beliefs about the deity of Jesus as being God and their heretical belief that the UPCI has taken the place of the Jews (the Tribe of Judah) as the elect of HaShem, they totally miss the understanding of the oneness of God, the role of the Jews in the last days and where their beliefs and doctrines actually come.

I've placed links on his sentence for anyone wanting a better understanding how the Oneness denominations DO NOT go back to the original doctrine of the Talmidim (Disciples) of the first century but, are theories of men from the late 1800'sand early nineteenth century. (1914) Here I will address Saved by the blood of Jesus.

The UPCI emerged out of the Pentecostal Movement, which traces its origins to the teachings of Charles Parham in Topeka, Kansas, and the Azuza Street Revival led by William J. Seymour in 1906. Rejected by the mainline churches, Pentecostals began to form organizations of their own. One of these new groups was the Assemblies of God, which formed in 1914. In 1925, three new Oneness churches were formed: the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance, and Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ. In 1927, steps were taken toward reunifying these organizations. In 1932, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance changed its name to the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated to reflect its organizational structure. In 1936, Pentecostal Church, Incorporated ministers voted to work toward an amalgamation with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. Final union, however, proved elusive until 1945 when these two Oneness Pentecostal organizations combined to form the United Pentecostal Church International. [1]

Pentecost: A feast of the universal Church -the Catholic doctrine, [2]

We are Apostolic by our belief. Pentecostal by our experience. And saved by the blood of Jesus?”

Note: NOWHERE* does the Bible use the term "Saved by the blood of Jesus".
"Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. ."
God makes it clear that it's good deeds, not sacrifice that counts:
""With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? ."
(Micah 6:6-8)

So it is clear that whereas the Nicene Christian system believes that blood effects atonement, in the Hebrew system it's repentance, contrition and prayer.
As far as Jesus being the "Lamb of God", this again is solely a NT concept.
According to the Hebrew Scriptures, the only animals permitted for sacrificial purposes are those that have split hooves and chew their cud. The carcass of an unclean animal defiles (Leviticus 11:26). On these grounds alone, human beings are disqualified for sacrificial purposes. Jesus, as a human being, was unfit for sacrificial purposes.
An animal blood atonement offering must be physically unblemished (Leviticus 22:18-25). According to the evangelists, Jesus was physically abused prior to his execution (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1; John 20:25; Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2). According to Paul, Jesus' circumcision constituted "mutilation" (Philippians 3:2) and is likened to "castration" (Galatians 5:12). As a result, Jesus would again be disqualified as a valid sacrifice.
The New Testament's claim that Jesus' death was "one sacrifice for sin for all time" (Hebrews 10:12) is not supported by the Hebrew Scriptures. Mere death, no matter what was the extent of the preceding violence or pain, does not satisfy the biblical requirements for those times when a blood atonement sacrifice is offered. In a blood atonement offering the animal (clean species and unblemished) must actually die as a result of blood loss. That is why it is called "a blood atonement sacrifice."
Jesus (unclean human species and blemished) did not die within the Temple precinct, at the hands of an Aaronic priest, or through the shedding of blood. Jesus' blood was not sprinkled on the altar by the Aaronic high priest (Leviticus 16:18-19). Animal sacrifice, offered as a blood atonement, must conform to the biblical guidelines set down in Leviticus 17:11: (a) Bloodshed (by means of shechitah--Deuteronomy 12:21), (b) Given solely to the Jewish people, (c) Blood sprinkled upon the Temple altar.
Jesus' humanity, the physical state of his body, and the manner of his death (crucifixion) do not satisfy any blood atonement provisions found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Summary:
Both beliefs agree:
a) God commanded that literal goat and sheep sacrifices are part of atonement for some (not all) sins.
b) Presently, the literal goat and sheep sacrifices are not necessary, and nor are they possible, and they've been replaced with some other means of achieving the same.
They disagree as to WHAT they are replaced with.
Nicene Christians believe it's the figurative sacrifice of Jesus. (Human sacrifice is not supported by OT scripture, and is called an “abomination” in Jeremiah 32:35)
Hebrew Scripture teaches that it's repentance, prayer, and contrition.
What Nicene Christians making the claim that the Old Testament would demand sacrifices are trying to do is on one hand state that they acknowledge that literal goat and sheep sacrifices are not necessary, as they have been replaced by another figurative means, while holding Old Testament believers to the premise that there is no substitute.
This is using different measures for each of the two groups.

The Nicene Christian Concept of "the Blood"

There are some Nicene heresies that are so deeply rooted in the Christian psyche that for those seeking authentic biblical religion getting beyond them is very difficult, even with the Light of Torah. One of these is the "Blood of Jesus" dogma. The famous Christian hymn declares this central Nicene dogma clearly:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me white as snow?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The Nicene dogma of "the blood atonement" causes many to question and even reject the clear word of Torah! Some even claim that the Torah of HaShem has been "nailed to the cross" and made irrelevant!

The Bible Clarifies Everything:

Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
That this truth has never changed.
It has always been this way:
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall dieThe son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the sonthe righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
There are two impulses that drive the human race: yetzer tov and yetzer ra. As Prophet Ezekiel says, the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. The idea of an atonement in the Nicene sense would completely undermine this vital human responsibly and denigrate the very purpose of human existence.
The notion that another person might bear our sins for us is ridiculed by Prophet Micah when he says:
Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before Adonai, and bow myself before the high G-d? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
6:7 Will Adonai be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Adonai require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy G-d?

You and I are responsible for our actions, be they positive or negative. No one else can answer for nor for atone for our sins. The Bible is clear on this.


Are humans so sinful that they need a sinless agent to redeem them?

Question: Isn't it true that humans are so innately sinful that they need an outside sinless agent to redeem them from sin?

 Answer: God says of sin, "you may rule over it" (Genesis 4:7). Yet, "there is no man that does not sin" (1 Kings 8:45). Indeed, "Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin'?" (Proverbs 20:9). That is why God provided Israel with the means of cleansing itself from sin through the sacrificial system, which includes blood offering and repentance. By God's grace, when the system cannot be fully utilized repentance alone suffices (Psalms 69:31-32, 1 Samuel 15:22). The remedy for sin is clear, "But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die" (Ezekiel 18:21). An individual that sins can utilize those statutes that provide for reestablishing a right relationship with God.

According to the Jewish Scriptures, repentance is open to Jew and non-Jew alike (Jonah 3:5-10, Daniel 4:27). The repentant sinner undergoes genuine remorse for his past misdeeds and pledges himself to improve his ways in the future. He is to make every effort to keep away from all past transgressions. However, if righteous acts are done insincerely as an attempt to hide unrepentant iniquities, "all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:5).

The Christian concept is that man is hopelessly entrapped in innate original sin. However, the Jewish Scriptures provide ample testimony that although man may have an inclination towards evil (Genesis 8:21) the means of reestablishing a right relationship with God are always at hand for Jew and non-Jew alike through sincere repentance (Psalms 32:5).

There is no innate sin that separates the individual from God and forgiveness of sin is not dependent on a sinless sacrifice. Even when sacrifices were offered in the Temple the sinless animal's blood did not automatically redeem from sin. Blood sacrifice was part of a process that was primarily dependent on confessionary prayer to achieve reconciliation between the repentant sinner and God.   


A KNOCK-OUT PUNCH:THE "LAST AND FINAL SACRIFICE" TAKES THE TEN-COUNT

I. INTRODUCTION
Christian missionaries claim that those who do not accept Jesus as their lord and
savior, which includes the Jewish people, are doomed to burn in “hell” because
they cannot have their sins forgiven by God. This claim is rationalized with the
allegation that, in Biblical times, the only way to bring about the remission of sins
was via the blood of a certain animal. This animal had to be brought to the priest
to be slaughtered at the altar in the Sanctuary, first while in the portable
Sanctuary and later in the Temple, as a sacrificial offering. According to this
claim, since there has been no Temple standing in Jerusalem since the year 70
C.E., valid sacrificial offerings can no longer be made and, therefore, the only
way for Jews to have their sins forgiven is through the blood shed by Jesus in his
"sacrificial" death on the cross. In other words, the claim is that the blood of
Jesus, who was allegedly sacrificed by God (the "Father") as a demonstration of
his great love for mankind,
has once and for all removed the stain of “Original
Sin" from those who follow Jesus (the "Son"). This act of love by God allegedly
made Jesus the "last and final sacrifice" forever.

There are two main aspects to the claim that Jesus was "the last and final
sacrifice". The first concerns the suitability of Jesus and his death as a sacrificial
offering for the remission of sins. The second aspect, which was investigated in
another essay, concerns the need for blood in the atonement process.
This essay examines the suitability of Jesus and the manner in which he died as
a sacrificial offering for the remission of sins.

II. THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE VERSUS THE SPECIFICATIONS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
The process for testing this claim by Christian missionaries consists of
contrasting the requirements concerning sacrificial offerings, as specified in the
Hebrew Bible, against the accounts in the New Testament that describe the
death of Jesus on the cross as a sacrificial offering. As part of this analysis, it is
important to bear in mind the following two conditions that existed during the life
of Jesus, at the time of his death, and for several decades following his death:
 The Second Temple was still standing in Jerusalem
 The Hebrew Bible was the Scripture in force

The salient issue to be addressed, and answered, is:
According to the requirements set forth in the Hebrew Bible, was Jesus a valid sacrificial
offering, and was his death by crucifixion an acceptable process, for remission of sins?
The analytical phase of the testing process identifies ten elements for which the
respective accounts in the New Testament are compared with the specifications
provided in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the Torah.

One
According to the accounts in the New Testament, Jesus was crucified by
Roman soldiers:
John 19:18,23(KJV) – (18) Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either
side one, and Jesus in the midst.
(23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made
four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam,
woven from the top throughout. [See also Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33.]
According to the Levitical Law of Sacrifice in the Torah, the animal brought as
a sin sacrifice had to be slaughtered by the person who offered it:

Leviticus 4:27-29 - (27) And if any one person from among the common people sins
unwittingly, by performing one of the commandments of the Lord which may not be
done, and incurs guilt; (28) Or if his sin, which he has committed, is made known to
him, then he shall bring his sacrifice, an unblemished female goat, for his sin which he
has sinned. (29) And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and he
shall slaughter the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

Two
According to the Levitical Law of Sacrifice in the Torah, some of the blood of
the (sin) sacrifice had to be rubbed by the priest with his finger on the horns of
the altar in the Temple, and the rest had to be poured out at the base of the
sacrificial altar. The fat of the sacrifice had to be removed and burnt:

Leviticus 4:30-31 - (30) And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and
put [it] upon the horns of the altar [used] for the burnt offering; and [then] he shall
pour out all of [the rest of] its blood at the base of the altar. (31) And he shall remove
all of its fat, as was removed the fat from the sacrificial peace offerings; and the priest
shall burn it upon the altar for a pleasant fragrance to the Lord; and [thus] shall the
priest make an atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
 The New Testament is silent on what was done with the blood of Jesus and
with the fat of his body.

Three
According to the accounts in the New Testament, Jesus was beaten,
whipped, and dragged on the ground before being crucified:

Matthew 26:67(KJV) - Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others
smote him with the palms of their hands, [See also Mark 14:65; Luke 22:63; John 18:22.]
Matthew 27:26,30-31(KJV) – (26)Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he
had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
(30) And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (31) And
after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own
raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. [See also Mark 15:15-20; John 19:1-3.]

According to the Torah, a sacrificial animal had to be without any physical
defects or blemishes:

Deuteronomy 17:1 - You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that
has in it a blemish or any bad thing, for that is an abomination to the Lord, your God.

Sidebar Note: As a born Jew, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day following
his birth, a ritual that leaves a scar (Genesis 17:10-13; the “sign of the covenant”).
The circumcision of Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament (Luke 2:21), yet Paul
refers to circumcision as being tantamount to mutilation (Galatians 5:11-12;
Philippians 3:2).

Four
 According to the New Testament, Jesus was "the Lamb of God" whose bones
may not be broken [a reference to the Paschal Lamb of Exodus 12:46 and
Numbers 9:12]:
John 1:29(KJV) – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 19:36(KJV) - For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A
bone of him shall not be broken.

 According to the Torah, the Paschal Lamb was not offered for the removal of
sins. Rather, it was a festive, or commemorative, offering. Yom Kippur (the
Day of Atonement) would have been a more appropriate time for a sin
offering:

Numbers 29:11 - One young male goat for a sin offering, beside the sin offering of
atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and their drink
offerings. [Yom Kippur – Individual sin offering]

Leviticus 16:15 - He shall then slaughter the he goat of the people's sin offering and
bring its blood inside the dividing curtain, and he shall do with its blood as he did with
the blood of the bull and sprinkle it upon the cover of the ark, and before the cover of
the ark. [Yom Kippur – Communal sin offering]

Five
 According to the Torah, the Paschal Lamb had to be slaughtered and its
blood used to place markings on the side-posts and lintels of the entrances to
the dwelling. Moreover, the meat had to be roasted and eaten, and whatever
was not consumed by the time the Israelites were to leave their homes, had
to be burnt and destroyed:

Exodus 12:6-10 - (6) And you shall keep it under watch until the fourteenth day of this
month; and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it at
dusk. (7) And they shall take [some] of its blood, and place it on the two doorposts and
on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it. (8) And they shall eat the meat in
that night, roasted over fire, and [with] unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall
eat it. (9) You shall not eat from it raw, nor boiled in water; but roasted over fire, its
head with its legs, and with its inner parts. (10) And you shall not leave any of it until
morning; and that which left over until the morning you shall burn in the fire.

 According to the accounts in the New Testament this was not done with
Jesus after his death. In fact, Jesus was buried.

Matthew 27:57-60(KJV) – (57) When the even was come, there came a rich man of
Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: (58) He went to
Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be
delivered. (59) And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth, (60) And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he
rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. [See also Mark 15:42-46;
Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42.]

Six
 According to the New Testament, the death of Jesus was a sacrificial offering
that expiated the sins of mankind for all times:
Hebrews 10:10,18(KJV) – (10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. [See also
Romans 6:10; Hebrews 9:12.]

 According to the Torah, the Passover (sin) sacrifice, a male-goat, had to be
offered on an individual (per household) basis, not as a communal offering:
Numbers 28:22 - And one young male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for
you.

Seven
 According to the New Testament, the death and blood of Jesus took care of
(almost) all sins:
Hebrews 9:22(KJV) – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission.

 According to the Levitical Law of Sacrifice in the Torah, the sacrificial sin
offering brought atonement only for unintentional sins, except as noted in
Leviticus 5:1-6, 20-26[Leviticus 5:1-6, 6:1-7 in Christian Bibles]:
Numbers 15:27-31 - (27) And if a person sins inadvertently, then he shall offer a female
goat in its first year as a sin offering. (28) And the priest shall atone for the erring
person who sinned inadvertently before the Lord in order to make atonement on his
behalf; and it shall be forgiven him. (29) For the native born of the children of Israel
and the stranger who resides among them, one law shall apply to him who sins
inadvertently. (30) And the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is a
native born or a stranger, that person blasphemes the Lord; and that person shall be
cut off from among his people. (31) Because he has scorned the word of the Lord, and
has violated his commandment; that person shall surely be cut off, for his iniquity is
upon him.

Eight
 According to the New Testament, the death of Jesus brought about the
remission of sins yet uncommitted, and of sins of those yet to be born:
Hebrews 10:18(KJV) – Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin.
 According to the Levitical Law of Sacrifice in the Torah, sacrifices could bring
atonement only for sins committed prior to the offering of the sacrifice. No
sacrifice was provided for the atonement of sins committed after the sacrifice
was offered and, thus, no sacrifice can bring atonement for sins of people
born after it was offered. This includes both טּאתָחַ (haTAT)], a sin offering,
described in Leviticus 4:1-5:13, and שׁםָאָ (aSHAM), a guilt offering,
described in Leviticus 5:14-26. Had there been, among the listed sacrifices,
even one kind of sin or guilt offering that could bring atonement for future
sins, the person who would have offered that particular sacrifice would not
have had to do so again for the rest of his life. Moreover, Yom Kippur (the
Day of Atonement), which is ordained by the Torah as an annual Holy Day
(Leviticus 16:29-34), would have had to be celebrated by the Israelites only
the very first time after the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, had they used one
of those "super" sacrificial offerings that could atone for sins of the future.

The claim by the author of Hebrews, that there are no more sin offerings
required following the death of Jesus, is false for other reasons as well:

 The Second Temple stood in Jerusalem for nearly 40 years following the death of
Jesus, during which time literally thousands of animals were offered as sacrifices
of all sorts, including sin and guilt offerings, as prescribed by the Torah.
 The Hebrew Bible contains prophecies about the building of the Third Temple in
the messianic era, and of the resumption of the sacrificial system at that time. All
the types of sacrificial offerings described in the Hebrew Bible will be made on the
sacrificial altar [חַ בֵּזְמִ (mizBE'ah)] in the Temple, including both the טּאתָחַ and
שׁםָאָ sacrificial offerings. In other words, the sacrificial system, which has been
in a state of suspension since the year 70 C.E., when the Romans destroyed the
Second Temple, will be completely restored in the messianic era:

Ezekiel 43:21-22 - And you shall take the bull of the sin offering, and he [the priest]
shall burn it at the edge of the Temple, outside the Sanctuary. (22) And on the
second day you shall offer an unblemished he-goat for a sin offering, and they [the
priests] shall purify the altar as they purified it with the bull. [See also: Isaiah 56:7;
Jeremiah 33:17-18; Ezekiel 40:39,46-47, 41:42, 42:13, 43:13,15,18-19,22,25-27,
44:27,29, 45:17,19,22-23,25, 46:20, 47:1; Zechariah 14:21.]

Nine
 According to the New Testament, God's "only begotten son" died on the cross
for the sins of mankind, and all who accept this belief are "saved" (i.e., get
salvation) and will go to heaven:
Romans 5:8-11(KJV) – (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, being now justified by his
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (10) For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life.(11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. [See also Acts 10:43;
1Corinthians 15:3; 1Peter 3:18.]

 The Hebrew Bible strictly prohibits (human) vicarious atonement, and
mandates that everyone is responsible for his or her own sins:
Deuteronomy 24:16 - Fathers shall not be put to death because of children, nor shall
children be put to death for fathers; each person shall be put to death for his own sin.
[See also Exodus 32:31-33; Numbers 35:33.]

Ten
 According to the New Testament, Jesus was "God manifest in the flesh" (this
would make it a human sacrifice):
Romans 8:3(KJV) - For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh: [See also 1Timothy 3:16; 1John 4:2.]

 The Hebrew Bible strictly prohibits human sacrifices. The concept of human
sacrifices to a deity is foreign to Judaism. Human sacrifice is a pagan rite:
Leviticus 18:21 – And you shall not give any of your offspring to pass through the fire
for Molech, and shall not profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. [See also
Deuteronomy 18:10; Jeremiah 7:31, 19:32; Ezekiel 23:37-39.]  


Shalom aliekhem

Sources
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Pentecostal_Church_International
[*] http://www.shalombewithyou.com/scripture-verses/spiritual-warfare-verses/verses-on-the-blood-of-christ/verses-on-the-blood-of-jesus-christ/


Pastor Robin Almeida-Casting out demons by the blood of Jesus-live


Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught (Likutay Moharan 64) that every Wisdom and Intellect has it's own specific tune and melody. It is from the melody that the wisdom is produced and extended (as can be discerned in Psalms (47) 'sing enlighten'). Even the the wisdom of heresy has it's own specific tune and melody unique to the wisdom of heresy.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Pesach is a remembrance of the death of YAHUSHUA???

RABBI CROSS-EXAMINES CHRISTIANITY 

 


Blood, blood, blood. Missionaries insist that you need blood to atone for sins. This is totally untrue. Plus, Passover had absolutely nothing to do with sin. 


Jason Scott Sanford (G'yeson Ben Emek) ask's:
What do you all think of this post, it seems to be getting no response what-so-ever on the FB main wall.
The Rosh Chodeshim brings forth the harvest; the shofar is sounded to usher in the Moedim. On the tenth day of the first month, the Pesach lamb is selected, one without blemish or fault; it is kept alive until the fourteenth day, at the sixth hour, when it is slaughtered whole, not breaking a single bone and roasted by fire at the ninth hour, before the evening. It's shed blood is made in remembrance of YAHUSHUA, who bore the punishment for our sins, by laying down His life for us on the Roman execution stake. At the twelfth hour, an assembly is called for the lighting of the Shabbat candles and the Chag Matzah seder meal, in which the four cups, the matzah and the bitter herbs are observed. The Torah portion is then read, and the redemption story is chanted. At the fifteenth hour, the assembly then spends the night at the place of assembly until the twenty-fourth hour, at the conclusion of the first of two services. For seven days, only matzah is to be eaten, purging our bodies and homes from all leaven, which represents the sin in our lives. The Shabbat following the first day of Matzah, is the waving of the Bikkurim, which are the fifty days or seven weeks of presenting the first sheaves of the wheat and barley harvests to YAHUEH, our Elohim. Just as Pesach is a remembrance of the death of YAHUSHUA, the presenting of the Bikkurim is done in the celebration of His resurrection from the grave. On the twenty-second day, another assembly is called for the closing services of Chag Matzah. On Shavuot, the fiftieth day of presenting the sheaves, an assembly is called to bless YAHUEH (see Blasphemy) for speaking the Torah over all of Israel. It is also a day of thanking Him for pouring out the RUACH HAKODESH, upon the hearts and minds of all the set-apart believers. On the first day of the seventh month, an assembly is called for Yom Teruah, a day of rejoicing and the blowing of the shofar, celebrating the first day of the creation. It is also a day foreshadowing the seventh angel sounding the shofar at the end of days, and the resurrection of the witnesses who believe in the MESHIACH. On the tenth day of the same month, another assembly is called for Yom Kippur, a day of attonment, set-apart for prayer and fasting to Elohim. It is also a day foreshadowing the beginning of the Kingdom of Elohim, and the Melinnial Reign of the MESHIACH on the earth. At the end of the Melinnial Reign, there will be a day of judgment for both the righteous and the unrighteous, which will decide the eternal destinies of every man, woman and child who have ever roamed the face of the earth. On the fifteenth day of the same month, another assembly is to be called for Chag Sukkot, for seven days, we are to build a sukkah booth for which we are to worship, eat our meals and sleep in, depending on the weather conditions. This is a reminder of the time of exile for our ancestors when they were redeemed from the land of Mitsrayim in Egypt. On the twenty-second day of the month, an eighth and final assembly will be called for a closing ceremony to the Moedim.





Jason Scott Sanford (G'yeson Ben Emek) ask's: What do you all think of this post?   Ah...it's called Pagan Christianity i.e. Christopaganism or Catholic Dogma.

Blood, blood, blood. Missionaries insist that you need blood to atone for sins. This is totally untrue. The missionary error comes from two places: misreading Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews.

Leviticus 17:11 says nothing about blood atoning for sin.

What it does say is that blood atones for the life force (that makes sense -- blood coursing through your veins keeps you alive). But interesting enough the Torah uses the exact same words for two other things which atone in exactly the same way as blood. Somehow the missionaries never mention jewelry!

Numbers 31:50 "We therefore want to bring an offering to G-d. Every man who found any gold article [such as] and anklet, a bracelet, a finger ring, and earring, or a body ornament [wishes to bring it] to kafar (atone) for our nefesh (life force / soul) before G-d.'"

Jewelry atones for a life force just like blood in Leviticus 17:11! Did Jesus wear jewelry on the cross?

Money also atones for the life force (nefesh) -- again exactly the same term used in Leviticus 17:11. A half shekel acts as a memorial -- no kind of atonement in Shemot / Exodus 30:16: "You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before HaShem, to make atonement for the life force (nefesh)."

So it is a complete lie that you need blood to atone for sins. You do NOT need blood to atone for sin and Torah makes that very clear as far back as Genesis 4:7. Sin lurks at our door, but MAN can over come it.

If we really need blood to atone for sin (as missionaries insist) please explain why in Genesis 4 when Cain exclaims that his sin is to great to bear, why doesn't G-d tell him to go out and kill a goat?

How about Genesis 18? G-d tells Abraham He will forgive Sodom and Gomorrah's sins if He can find 10 righteous men.

RIGHTEOUS MEN. No blood sacrifices needed. G-d will forgive the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah if Abraham can find even 10 righteous men.

You'll find this throughout Torah -- Pharaoh asks Moses to pray for G-d to forgive him (not make a sacrifice). Moses goes to Mount Sinai to plead for G-d to forgive Israel's sin of the golden calf (no sacrifices).

There are so many of these examples in the Jewish bible which missionaries ignore! Let us not forget:

Proverbs 16:6 "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the L-RD a man avoids evil."

Blood can atone for SOME very specific sins (see primarily Leviticus 4 and 5 for information on the chatat and asham -- although flour can be a replacement for some who are too poor) but it has never been necessary and it has never been the only way to atone even for those very specific (usually minor) sins. BIG sins (willful disobedience of G-d and conscious sins) always needed repentance, prayer, etc.

On Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) there was a goat which carried the sins of the entire Jewish nation away -- ALIVE into the wilderness. NOT sacrificed. No blood on the altar. (See Leviticus 16).

So we are left with two conclusions:

1. blood is not the only thing that atones for a life force -- so do money and jewelry;

2. blood is not the only thing that atones for sin -- and when it does there are very specific rules about what sins are covered (usually mistakes or minor specific sins related to the Temple) -- and what can be sacrificed (kosher animals one year old) -- and where and when (Temple at specific times and holy days). . .




"Pesach is a remembrance of the death of YAHUSHUA"?.. REALLY?

It's this simple #1 You have to make up your mind to believe Torah (which is not to be changed) or The New Testament that changes it... Now, What is Pesach: Passover? 




Pesach: Passover
Pesach (in Hebrew)

Level: Basic
Significance: Remembers the Exodus from Egypt
Observances: Avoiding all leavened grain products and related foods; Family or communal retelling of the Exodus story
Length: 8 days (Some: 7 days)

And this day shall become a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a festival for the L-RD, for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you observe it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your homes ... you shall guard the unleavened bread, because on this very day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree. - Exodus 12:14-17
Seder Plate
Seder Plate
Pesach, known in English as Passover, is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays, even by otherwise non-observant Jews. According to the 2000-01 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), 67% of Jews routinely hold or attend a Pesach seder, while only 46% belong to a synagogue.
Pesach begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two areShavu'ot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season inIsrael, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Pesach are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. This story is told in Exodus, Ch. 1-15. Many of the Pesach observances are instituted in Chs. 12-15.
The name "Pesach" (PAY-sahch, with a "ch" as in the Scottish "loch") comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit Pei-Samekh-Cheit (in Hebrew), meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that G-d "passed over" the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. "Pesach" is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday. The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-Aviv Chag he-Aviv (in Hebrew), (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-Matzot Chag ha-Matzot (in Hebrew), (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z'man Cheiruteinu Z'man Cheiruteinu (in Hebrew), (the Time of Our Freedom) (again, all with those Scottish "ch"s).

Pesach Laws and Customs

Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves avoiding chametz (leaven; sounds like "hum it's" with that Scottish "ch") throughout the holiday. This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the "puffiness" (arrogance, pride) from our souls.
Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after first coming into contact with water. Orthodox Jews of Ashkenazicbackground also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, legumes (beans) and some other foods as if they were chametz. All of these items are commonly used to make bread, or are grown and processed near chametz, thus use of them was prohibited to avoid any confusion or cross-contamination. Such additional items are referred to as "kitniyot." (usually pronounced as in Yiddish, KIT-nee-yohs).
We may not eat chametz during Pesach; we may not even own it or derive benefit from it. We may not even feed it to our pets or cattle. All chametz, including utensils used to cook chametz, must either be disposed of or sold to a non-Jew (they can be repurchased after the holiday). Pets' diets must be changed for the holiday, or the pets must be sold to a non-Jew (like the food and utensils, the pets can be repurchased after the holiday ends). You can sell your chametz online through Chabad-Lubavitch. I have noticed that many non-Jews and non-observant Jews mock this practice of selling chametz as an artificial technicality. I assure you that this sale is very real and legally binding, and would not be valid under Jewish law if it were not. From the gentile's perspective, the purchase functions much like the buying and selling of futures on the stock market: even though he does not take physical possession of the goods, his temporary legal ownership of those goods is very real and potentially profitable.
The process of cleaning the home of all chametz in preparation for Pesach is an enormous task. To do it right, you must prepare for several weeks and spend several days scrubbing everything down, going over the edges of your stove and fridge with a toothpick and a Q-Tip, covering all surfaces that come in contact with food with foil or shelf-liner, etc., etc., etc. After the cleaning is completed, the morning before the seder, a formal search of the house for chametz is undertaken, and any remaining chametz is burned.
The grain product we eat during Pesach is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. We have come up with many inventive ways to use matzah; it is available in a variety of textures for cooking: matzah flour (finely ground for cakes and cookies), matzah meal (coarsely ground, used as a bread crumb substitute), matzah farfel (little chunks, a noodle or crouton substitute), and full-sized matzah (sheets about 8 inch square, a bread substitute).
Some people observe an additional strictness during Pesach known as gebrochts, from a Yiddish word meaning "broken," although I'm not sure what brokenness has to do with this restriction. Those who observe gebrochts (or more accurately, "no gebrochts") will avoid any matzah product that has come into contact with liquid after being baked. The rule arises from a concern that matzah may contain bits of flour that were not completely cooked and that would become leavened upon contact with liquid. People who observe this strictness cannot eat many common traditional Pesach dishes, such as matzah ball soup, and cannot even eat charoset on matzah at seder. They are careful not to spill seder wine on their matzah, and promptly remove the wine spilled as part of the seder. Observance of this additional restriction is not common, but many people become exposed to it because it is followed by theChabad-Lubavitch, who are active in Jewish education. Some have criticized gebrochts for unnecessarily complicating Pesach and taking some of the joy out of this celebration of freedom for no good reason, noting that the premise of this rule contradicts codes of Jewish law that explicitly say it is impossible for matzah to become chametz once it is baked. Nevertheless, this effort to more fully observe G-d's law is worthy of respect, even if you are not inclined to add this restriction to your own Pesach experience.
The day before Pesach is the Fast of the Firstborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague.
On the first night of Pesach (first two nights for traditional Jews outside Israel), we have a special family meal filled with ritual to remind us of the significance of the holiday. This meal is called a seder Seder (in Hebrew), from a Hebrew root word meaning "order," because there is a specific set of information that must be discussed in a specific order. It is the same root from which we derive the word "siddur" Siddur (in Hebrew), (prayer book). An overview of a traditional seder is included below.
Pesach lasts for eight days (seven days in Israel). The first two days and last two days of the holiday (first and last in Israel) are days on which no work is permitted. See Extra Day of Holidays for more information. Work is permitted on the intermediate days. These intermediate days on which work is permitted are referred to as Chol Ha-Mo'ed, as are the intermediate days of Sukkot.

When Pesach Begins on a Saturday Night

Occasionally, Pesach begins on a motzaei Shabbat, that is, on Saturday night after the sabbath has concluded. This last occurred in 5768 (2008), and will not occur again until 5781 (2021). This complicates the process of preparing for Pesach, because many of the preparations normally undertaken on the day before Pesach cannot be performed on Shabbat.
The Fast of the Firstborn, normally observed on the day before Pesach, is observed on Thursday instead. The search for chametz, normally performed on the night before Pesach, is performed on Thursday night. The seder should be prepared for as much as possible before Shabbat begins, because time should not be taken away from Shabbat to prepare for Pesach. In addition, there are severe complications dealing with the conflict between the requirement of removing chametz no later than mid-morning on Saturday, the prohibition against eating matzah on the day before the seder, and the requirement of eating three meals with bread during Shabbat! For further details, see an excellent summary from the Orthodox Union, the world's largest, oldest and perhaps most respected kosher certification agency.

Ha-Seder Shel Pesach (The Pesach Seder, in Hebrew)The Pesach Seder

And if your son asks you in the future, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, that the L-RD our G-d commanded you? You will say to your son, We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; and the L-RD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The L-RD gave signs and wonders, great and harmful, against Egypt, against Pharaoh, and against all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out of there to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised our fathers. -Deuteronomy 6:20-23
The text of the Pesach seder is written in a book called the haggadah. The haggadah tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt and explains some of the practices and symbols of the holiday. Suggestions for buying a haggadah are includedbelow. The content of the seder can be summed up by the following Hebrew rhyme:
Kaddesh, Urechatz,
Karpas, Yachatz,
Maggid, Rachtzah,
Motzi, Matzah,
Maror, Korekh,
Shulchan Orekh,
Tzafun, Barekh,
Hallel, Nirtzah
Kaddesh, Urechatz, Karpas, Yachatz, Maggid, Rachtzah, Motzi, Matzah, Maror, Korech, Shulchan Orech, Tzafun, Barech, Hallel, Nirtzah (in Hebrew)
Now, what does that mean?
Kaddesh (in Hebrew)1. Kaddesh: Sanctification
blessing over wine in honor of the holiday. The wine is drunk, and a second cup is poured.
Urechatz (in Hebrew)2. Urechatz: Washing
A washing of the hands without a blessing, in preparation for eating the Karpas.
Karpas (in Hebrew)3. Karpas: Vegetable
A vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped in salt water and eaten. The vegetable symbolizes the lowly origins of the Jewish people; the salt water symbolizes the tears shed as a result of our slavery. Parsley is a good vegetable to use for this purpose, because when you shake off the salt water, it looks like tears.
Yachatz (in Hebrew)4. Yachatz: Breaking
One of the three matzahs on the table is broken. Part is returned to the pile, the other part is set aside for the afikomen (see below).
Maggid (in Hebrew)5. Maggid: The Story
A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Pesach. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder. The Four Questions are also known as Mah Nishtanah (Why is it different?), which are the first words of the Four Questions. This is often sung. See below.
 
The maggid is designed to satisfy the needs of four different types of people: the wise one, who wants to know the technical details; the wicked one, who excludes himself (and learns the penalty for doing so); the simple one, who needs to know the basics; and the one who is unable to ask, who doesn't even know enough to know what he needs to know.
 
At the end of the maggid, a blessing is recited over the second cup of wine and it is drunk.
Rachtzah (in Hebrew)6. Rachtzah: Washing
A second washing of the hands, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah
Motzi (in Hebrew)7. Motzi: Blessing over Grain Products
The ha-motzi blessing, a generic blessing for bread or grain products used as a meal, is recited over the matzah.
Matzah (in Hebrew)8. Matzah: Blessing over Matzah
A blessing specific to matzah is recited, and a bit of matzah is eaten.
Maror (in Hebrew)9. Maror: Bitter Herbs
A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually raw horseradish; sometimes romaine lettuce), and it is eaten. This symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. The maror is dipped in charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, which symbolizes the mortar used by the Jews in building during their slavery. (I highly recommend it -- it's the best tasting thing on the holiday, and goes surprisingly well with horseradish! My recipe is included below.)
Note that there are two bitter herbs on the seder plate: one labeled Maror and one labeled Chazeret. The one labeled Maror should be used for Maror and the one labeled Chazeret should be used in the Korekh, below.
Korech (in Hebrew)10. Korekh: The Sandwich
Rabbi Hillel was of the opinion that the maror should be eaten together with matzah and the paschal offering in a sandwich. In his honor, we eat some maror on a piece of matzah, with some charoset (we don't doanimal sacrifice anymore, so there is no paschal offering to eat).
Shulchan Orech (in Hebrew)11. Shulchan Orekh: Dinner
A festive meal is eaten. There is no particular requirement regarding what to eat at this meal (except, of course, that chametz cannot be eaten). Among Ashkenazic Jews, gefilte fish and matzah ball soup are traditionally eaten at the beginning of the meal. Roast chicken or turkey are common as a main course, as is beef brisket.
Tzafun (in Hebrew)12. Tzafun: The Afikomen
The piece of matzah set aside earlier is eaten as "dessert," the last food of the meal. Different families have different traditions relating to the afikomen. Some have the children hide it, while the parents have to either find it or ransom it back. Others have the parents hide it. The idea is to keep the children awake and attentive throughout the pre-meal proceedings, waiting for this part.
Barech (in Hebrew)13. Barekh: Grace after Meals
The third cup of wine is poured, and birkat ha-mazon (grace after meals) is recited. This is similar to the grace that would be said on any Shabbat. At the end, a blessing is said over the third cup and it is drunk. The fourth cup is poured, including a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah, who is supposed to herald the Messiah, and is supposed to come on Pesach to do this. The door is opened for a while at this point (supposedly for Elijah, but historically because Jews were accused of nonsense like putting the blood of Christian babies in matzah, and we wanted to show our Christian neighbors that we weren't doing anything unseemly).
Hallel (in Hebrew)14. Hallel: Praises
Several psalms are recited. A blessing is recited over the last cup of wine and it is drunk.
Nirtzah (in Hebrew)15. Nirtzah: Closing
A simple statement that the seder has been completed, with a wish that next year, we may celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem (i.e., that the Messiah will come within the next year). This is followed by various hymns and stories.
For more information about how the Pesach seder compares to a traditional Jewish weekday, Shabbat or holidaymeal, see Pesach Seder: How is This Night Different.

Pesach Music

Many people think of Pesach as a time of deprivation: a time when we cannot eat bread or other leavened foods. This is not the traditional way of viewing the holiday. Pesach is Z'man Cheiruteinu, the Time of Our Freedom, and the joy of that time is evident in the music of the season. There are many joyous songs sung during the seder.
Mah Nishtanah (Why is it Different?) MIDI
This is the tune sung during the youngest participant's recitation of the Four Questions.
Why is this night different from all other nights, from all other nights?Mah nishtanah ha-lahylah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-layloht, mi-kol ha-layloht?
On all other nights, we may eat chametz and matzah, chametz and matzah. On this night, on this night, only matzah.She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin chameytz u-matzah, chameytz u-matzah. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, kooloh matzah.
On all other nights, we eat many vegetables, many vegetables. On this night, on this night, maror.She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin sh'ar y'rakot, sh'ar y'rakot. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, maror.
On all other nights, we do not dip even once. On this night, on this night, twice.She-b'khol ha-layloht ayn anu mat'bilin afilu pa'am echat, afilu pa'am echat. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, sh'tay p'amim.
On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining, either sitting or reclining. On this night, on this night, we all recline.She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin, bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, koolanu m'soobin.
Dahyenu (It Would Have Been Enough For Us) MIDI
This is one of the most popular tunes of the seder, a very up-beat song about the many favors that G-d bestowed upon us when He brought us out of Egypt. The song appears in the haggadah after the telling of the story of the exodus, just before the explanation of Pesach, Matzah and Maror. I provide just two sample verses from a rather long song. The English does not include all of the repetition that is in the Hebrew.
Had He brought us out of Egypt and not judged them, it would have been enough for us.Ilu hotzi-hotzianu hotzianu mi-Mitzrayim, v'lo asah bahem s'fateem dahyenu.
(Chorus) It would have been enough for us.Dahy-dahyenu, dahy-dahyenu, dahy-dahyenu, dahyenu, dahyenu, dahyenu.
Dahy-dahyenu, dahy-dahyenu, dahy-dahyenu, dahyenu, dahyenu!
Had He judged them and not done so to their idols, it would have been enough for us.Ilu asah bahem s'fateem, v'lo asah beyloheyhem, v'lo asah beyloheyhem dahyenu.
Chorus, etc.
Eliyahu Ha-Navi (Elijah, the Prophet) MIDI
Many people sing this song when the Cup of Elijah is poured and the door is opened in anticipation of his return.
Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah, Elijah, Elijah the GileaditeEliyahu ha-Navi, Eliyahu ha-Tishbi, Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu ha-Giladi.
Speedily and in our days, come to us, with the messiah, son of David, with the messiah, son of David.Bimhayrah v'yamenu, yavo aleynu, im Mashiach ben David, im Mashiach ben David.
Adir Hu (He is Mighty) MIDI
Adir Hu is a great sing-along song, because it has a lot of repetition. You don't need to know much Hebrew to get by with this one! It's also got a catchy tune. It's sung as the seder comes to a close. It expresses our hope that the messianic age will begin soon, and the Temple will be rebuilt. Each line of praise begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in alphabetical order, a common gimmick in Jewish hymns.
He is mighty, He is mightyAdir hu, adir hu
Chorus:
May He soon rebuild his house
Speedily, speedily and in our days, soon.
G-d, rebuild! G-d, rebuild!
Rebuild your house soon!
Chorus:
Yivneh vayto b'karov
Bim'hayrah, bim'hayrah, b'yamenu b'karov
E-yl b'nay! E-yl b'nay!
B'nay vayt'kha b'karov
He is distinguished, He is great, He is exhalted
(Chorus)
Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu,
(Chorus)
He is glorious, He is faithful, He is faultless, He is righteous
(Chorus)
Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakay hu, chasid hu,
(Chorus)
He is pure, He is unique, He is powerful,
He is wise, He is King, He is awesome,
He is sublime, He is all-powerful, He is the redeemer, He is all-righteous
(Chorus)
Tahor hu, yachid hu, kabir hu,
Lamud hu, melekh hu, nora hu,
Sagiv hu, izuz hu, podeh hu, tzaddik hu
(Chorus)
He is holy, He is compassionate, He is almighty, He is omnipotent
(Chorus)
Kadosh hu, rachum hu, shaddai hu,
takif hu
(Chorus)

Charoset (in Hebrew)Recipe for Charoset

This fruit, nut and wine mix is eaten during the seder. It is meant to remind us of the mortar used by the Jews to build during the period of slavery. It should have a coarse texture. The ingredient quantities listed here are at best a rough estimate; I usually just eye-ball it. The recipe below makes a very large quantity, but we usually wind up making more before the holiday is over. Other fruits or nuts can be used.
  • 4 medium apples, 2 tart and 2 sweet
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1/4 cup sweet wine
  • 1/4 cup dry wine
  • 1 Tbs. cinnamon
Shred the apples. Add all other ingredients. Allow to sit for 3-6 hours, until the wine is absorbed by the other ingredients. Serve on matzah. Goes very well with horseradish.

Haggadah (in Hebrew)Buying a Haggadah

If you want to know more about Pesach, the best place to start is with the haggadah. The haggadah was written as a teaching tool, to allow people at all levels to learn the significance of Pesach and its symbols.
There are a wide variety of Haggadahs available for every political and religious point of view: traditional haggadahs, liberal haggadahs, mystical haggadahs, feminist haggadahs, and others. I have even seen what might be described as an atheist haggadah: one that does not mention the role of G-d in the Exodus.
If you're buying a haggadah for study or collection, there are many haggadahs with extensive commentary or with pictures from illuminated medieval haggadahs. However, if you're buying haggadahs for actual use at a seder, you're best off with an inexpensive paperback. Keep in mind that you'll need one for everybody, you're likely to get food and wine on these things, and you'll be using them year after year.
I'm particularly partial to the Artscroll/Mesorah series' The Family Haggadah. It has the full, Orthodox text of the haggadah in English side-by-side with Hebrew and Aramaic, with complete instructions for preparing for and performing the seder. The translations are very readable and the book includes marginal notes explaining the significance of each paragraph of the text. This book is usually only available at Jewish gift or book stores, and usually sells for about $2.50.
Another good traditional one is Nathan Goldberg's Passover Haggadah. This is the familiar "yellow and red cover" haggadah that so many of us grew up with. Believe it or not, it is frequently available in grocery stores in the Passover aisle. It usually sells for less than $5, and is often given away free with certain grocery purchases.
Watch out for Christianized versions of the haggadah. The Christian "last supper" is generally believed to have been a Pesach seder, so many Christians recreate the ritual of the seder, and the haggadahs that they use for this purpose tend to reinterpret the significance of the holiday and its symbols to fit into their Christian theology. For example, they say that the three matzahs represent the Trinity, with the broken one representing Jesus on the cross (in Judaism, the three matzahs represent the three Temples, two of which have been destroyed, and the third of which will be built when the mashiach comes). They speak of the paschal lamb as a prophecy of Jesus, rather than a remembrance of the lamb's blood on the doorposts in Egypt. If you want to learn what Pesach means to Jews, then these "messianic" haggadahs aren't for you.

Finding a Seder

Are you looking for a place to attend a Pesach seder? Chabad-Lubavitch sponsors Pesach seders all around the country. You can search for a seder in your area using their International Seder Directory.

Key Terms

Note: Pronunciations are intended to reflect the way these terms are most commonly pronounced by Jews in the United States, and may not be strictly technically correct.
TermMeaningPronunciationHebrew
PesachPassoverPAY-sahkh or PEH-sahkhPesach (in Hebrew)
MatzahUnleavened breadMAHTZ-uhMatzah (in Hebrew)
ChametzLeavened thingsKHUH-mitzChametz (in Hebrew)
SederHome ritual performed on the first two nights of PesachSAY-d'rSeder (in Hebrew)
HaggadahThe book read during the sederhuh-GAH-duhHaggadah (in Hebrew)

Video: The Seder Plate

I've put together a video on YouTube that explains the items on the seder table and another discussing the beginning of the seder. I hope to have more of the seder on YouTube soon.

List of Dates

Pesach will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:
  • Jewish Year 5772: sunset April 6, 2012 - nightfall April 14, 2012
  • Jewish Year 5773: sunset March 25, 2013 - nightfall April 2, 2013
  • Jewish Year 5774: sunset April 14, 2014 - nightfall April 22, 2014
  • Jewish Year 5775: sunset April 3, 2015 - nightfall April 11, 2015
  • Jewish Year 5776: sunset April 22, 2016 - nightfall April 30, 2016