“He sent redemption to His nation, He commanded His covenant for eternity; holy and awesome is His Name.” Psalms 111:9
As I put this very short Op together it is 19 April 2024, just a few days before Pesach (Passover) 2024! This past week has been historic because we have seen Iran launch a massive drone and missile attack from Iranian territory itself against Israel! Baruch HaShem, HaShem protected Israel and the majority of the weapons fired by Iran were intercepted and destroyed!
What I find so astounding is today I received word from a citizen who lives in Israel who said when the country was warned of the Iranian attack, the people were told to just go to sleep as it would take many hours for the Iranian drones to arrive. Instead of sleeping the majority of the Israeli populace searched out and prayed from the Book of Tehillim (Psalms) for HaShem’s protection and He answered their prayers!! Additionally, this person said the populace of Israel today is talking about how HaShem protected them, the point is they are acknowledging HaShem’s Hand of protection…Baruch HaShem! It wasn’t the IDF nor the Americans and allies who saved Israel, it was HaShem!! Its an amazing precursor to Pesach next week!
Before continuing on always remember the following eternal characteristics of HaShem:
- HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
- His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
- He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
- He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
- He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
- He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
- He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
- He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
- He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
- He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
- He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
- He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
- He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
- He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
- He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
- He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
- He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
- He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
- He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
- He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
- He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
- He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
- He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
- He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
- He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
- He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
- He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
- He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
- He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
- He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
- He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5
We are commanded by HaShem to come three times a year up to Temple in Jerusalem to present ourselves before the Great King per Deuteronomy 16:16. These three times are known as the Shelosh Regalim, the Pilgrimage Feasts i.e. Pesach (Passover), Shavuot and Sukkot!
Why do we celebrate Pesach? Tractate Pesachim from the Elucidated Mishnah published by Artscroll, it explains “Pesach, the festival that commemorates the redemption of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The redemption is the basis of our faith because the Jewish people actually saw the miracles that HaShem performed for them. They thus realized that HaShem not only created the universe, but that He also controls nature, and uses it to reward the innocent and punish the guilty. The Torah states that the Jews of that time should teach these lessons to their children, who must teach them to their children, and so on down through the generations, to this very day. In this way, the events of the Exodus, which are celebrated on Pesach, continue to inspire belief in HaShem and in His supervision of our lives.”
What is interesting is the Torah devotes more commandments to Pesach than to any other Feast of HaShem! There are 24 commandments of the total 613 commandments in the Torah specific to Pesach.
On the first night of Pesach we sit down for the Seder (Order) meal. It is here at the Seder we read through the prescribed order of the meal i.e. the Haggadah and in doing so we retell how HaShem miraculously redeemed the Jews from slavery and oppression in Egypt!
Tractate Pesachim from the Mishnah expounds further and says “Ever since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 AD by Rome), we have been unable to bring or eat the Pesach offering, or fulfill the Biblical mitzvah of eating maror (Bitter herbs). Although almost 2,000 years have passed since that tragedy, our people have never stopped yearning for the rebuilding of the Temple and the resumption of the korbonot services. Each year we conclude the Seder with the declaration ‘Next year in Jerusalem!’ And we pray ‘Just we have merited to perform the Seder, so too shall we merit to make the Pesach offering.’ We hope that in the merit of studying the laws of Pesach, we will see the rebuilding of the Temple, and we will observe the mitzvos of the Pesach offering, and perform the Seder in its full and proper form, ‘Speedily in our days, amen!'”
Chapter 10 of Tractate Pesachim in the Mishnah discusses the Seder which is divided into four parts:
- Kiddush
- Reciting the story of how we left Egypt and the first part of Hallel (Psalms of Praise)
- Eating the Matzah, maror and the festive meal
- Reciting the second part of Hallel
We drink one of the Four Cups of wine after each of these sections.
The four parts of the Seder are broken down into fifteen specific steps which are as follows:
- Kaddesh – Sanctify the day with recitation of Kiddush
- Urechatz – Wash the hands before eating Karpas
- Karpas – Eat a vegetable dipped in salt water (Represents the salty tears shed in captivity)
- Yachatz – Break the middle (Three pieces of Matzah) piece of Matzah. Put away the larger half for the Afikomen.
- Maggid – Narrate the story of the Exodus from Egypt
- Rachtzah – Wash the hands prior to the meal
- Motzi – Recite the blessing, Who brings forth, over Matzah as a food
- Matzah – Recite the blessing over the Matzah
- Maror – Recite the blessing for the eating of the bitter herbs
- Korech – Eat the sandwich of Matzah and bitter herbs
- Shulchan Orech – The table prepared with the festive meal
- Tzafun – Eat the Afikomen which had been hidden all during the Seder
- Barech – Recite Bircas HaMazon, the blessings after the meal
- Hallel – Recite the Hallel, Psalms of praise (Psalms 113-118)
- Nirtzah – Pray that HaShem accept our observance and speedily send the Messiah
I don’t expect anyone to understand this all. My point is, all through the Seder we will see the Redeeming Hand of HaShem! If He reveals the end from the beginning and there is nothing new under the sun, then we must observe the Pesach Seder and retell the miracles of HaShem because once again Redemption is at hand! Further, the ending of the Pesach Seder we pray not only next year may we be in Jerusalem with a rebuilt Temple, but more importantly may He redeem us once again by His Mighty Right Arm and send Messiah to redeem us and all of Israel from the oppression of Egypt (The nations)! How much more important is this today especially now in 2024 as we will celebrate Pesach in which our enemies are once again working diligently to annihilate us! It is important because this Pesach as we sit down at the Seder, we must remember the IDF are on the front lines in battle! Once more we will celebrate Pesach in a time of war! May HaShem grant victory and redemption soon in our days!
Chag Pesach Sameach! (Happy Passover!)