Chag HaMatzot
Shabat Shalom fellow students and preservers.
Let me start by making it clear that although I do not bring an omer of barley
to a kohen to wave, in our home we enjoy and follow the instructions our loving
Father has given us concerning unleavening of our homes, and the eating of matza.
As a matter of fact, my homemade "pocket bread" is quite the rave
around here..... NOT! Zeeky and I love it, but few others do (I think Sip eats
it just to be polite). I think Ezekiel likes it because it reminds him of his
dog bisquits, whereas I like it cause 2 bites will fill your stomach. Put a
piece of this stuff in your pocket and your good for the day! So, let me now
tell you what I believe this exercise in re-dedication is to remind us of.
This is really quite ironic, and you may see what I mean as I go thru this.
I am of the quite firm belief that the ceremonial system was not some kind of a
circus. I highly doubt if our Father, the Sovereign of the whole universe, was
asking the Hebrews to jump thru hoops merely for His entertainment. What I do
believe is that all the ceremonies were to be reminders of past events, and were
to be used as graphic visual teaching tools to help in teaching Torah and
reminding the people of what had happened.
I am also one who fully believes YHWH uses the creation in many ways to help
teach and guide us. I see how He analogously uses the creation to help us see
ourselves and our behaviour by analogously using sheep, goats and shepherds,
fruits and harvests, and seasons, etc, etc, to help us see the way in which we
are going and whether it is the right way or not.
Partly due to this, but probably mainly due to my searchings in the Hebrew, I
also see this being done within the Hebrew language itself. When two seemingly
different words are written the same in the Hebrew (minus the added vowel
pointing), there is usually if not always a relationship. Hebrew is picture
language, with each letter having a corresponding meaning, and when letters are
"constructed" together they have a "constructed meaning".
The letter sequence I am focusing on here is sheen, ayin, reysh, and those who
have searched the Hebrew will know that yud and wav infixes have little effect
on root meanings.
08165 ry[X Se`iyr {say-eer'}
formed like 08163; TWOT - 2274h,2274g
Seir = "hairy" or "shaggy" n pr m
======
08181 r[X se`ar {say-awr'} or sa`ar (Isa
7:20) {sah'-ar}
from 08175 in the sense of dishevelling; TWOT - 2274a; n m
1) hair
1a) hair (of animals, man)
1b) hair (of garment made of hair)
=====
08163 r[X sa`iyr {saw-eer'} or sa`ir {saw-eer'}
from 08175; TWOT - 2274c,2274e
adj
1) hairy n m
2) he-goat, buck
2a) as sacrificial animal
2b) satyr, may refer to a demon possessed goat like the swine of
Gadara (Mt. 8:30-32)
=====
08184 hr[X s@`orah {seh-o-raw'} or s@`owrah
{seh-o-raw'} (fem. meaning
the plant) and (masc. meaning the grain); also s@`or
{seh-ore'} or s@`owr {seh-ore'}
from 08175 in the sense of roughness; TWOT - 2274f; n f
1) barley
1a) barley (of the plant)
1b) barley (of the meal or grain)
======
This word is the root of all the above words, its "root meaning" is
afraid/dread fear. Not respectful fear (yare in Hebrew), but afraid fear, dread
(I think you all know the difference):
08175 r[X sa`ar {saw-ar'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 2274d,2275,2276; verb
1) to storm, shiver, dread, bristle (with horror), be very afraid
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bristle (with horror)
1a2) to dread
2) to storm away, sweep away, whirl away
2a) (Qal)
2a1) to sweep away
2a2) to storm away (of God's action against the wicked)
(fig)
2b) (Niphal) to be stormy, be tempestuous (exceedingly)
2c) (Piel) to whirl away, be stormed away
2d) (Hithpael) to storm against, come as a storm
======
DIFFERENT VOWEL POINTING, ie, Sheen instead of Sin:
08182 r[v sho`ar {sho-awr'}
from 08176; TWOT - 2439a; adj
1) horrid, disgusting, vile, offensive
======
08186 hrwr[v sha`aruwrah {shah-ar-oo-raw'}
or sha`ariyriyah
{shah-ar-ee-ree-yaw'} or sha`arurith {shah-ar-oo-reeth'}
from 08176 in the sense of 08175; TWOT - 2439b; n f
1) horrible thing
======
This word is the root of the three above words:
08176 r[v sha`ar {shaw-ar'}
primitive root; TWOT - 2438; v
1) TO SPLIT OPEN, REASON OUT, CALCULATE, RECKON, ESTIMATE
1a) (Qal) to calculate Pr 23:7
======
So, is it possible that hairyness, the dwelling place of Esau, hairy goats,
barley, dread, afraid fear, and reasoning out, calculating, have anything in
common? Is it possible that these above things have anything to do with the omer
of barley waved (aka, wave sheaf) during Hag HaMatza? If so, is it possible that
the omer of barley was a graphic analogous visual aid in teaching the Hebrews
something about drawing nearer to YHWH? And what about the unleavened,
unfermented bread?
Well, we know that barley is somewhat "hairy", and it was considered
the cheap grain, often used for feeding animals. We also know that Esau/Edom was
not exactly in the favor of YHWH, and we are told he dwelt in Seir
(repetitively, I might add). The hairy goat is the most commonly used of the sin
offerings.
I think it is safe to say that the Hebrews learned many bad habits while in
Mitzrym. Whatever knowledge of YHWH they brought in with them seemed to have
been diminished much, and mixed with much falsehoods.
If you ever have searched the Hebrew, you will know that matza and mitzvah are
often spelled the same too (mem, tzade, wav, tav). Is there any analogous
relationship there? Well, we are told:
Ex 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened
bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy
quarters.
8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because
of that which YHWH did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial
between thine eyes, that the torah of YHWH may be in thy mouth: for with a
strong hand hath YHWH brought thee out of Egypt.
And we are also told:
De 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of YHWH doth man live.
So, could this unleavened bread have anything to do with the commands of YHWH?
Why unleavened? What does leavening do to bread? Well, it causes it to grow into
a shape much different than it once was. Could this flat unleavened bread have
any analogous relationship with the 2 flat stones which YHWH wrote upon?
When I put the above things together with the accountings of the deliverance
from Mitzrym, it seems to me that the idea of having no leaven, and leaving it
behind has much to do with leaving behind of the falsehoods we may have learned
whilst in Mitzrym, and focusing on the foundation, the core issues. Removing all
doctrine, and focusing on and eating the basics, so they become part of us. It
is a time to be willing to start from scratch again, and accept the possibility
that many of our doctrinal beliefs may be way off base.
How many times do we allow our preconceived doctrinal beliefs interpret the
texts thereby coloring our understanding, instead of accepting the text at face
value? If we are afraid to let go of our preconceived doctrines, we may never
get to the root issues at hand, nor may we ever get to the Truth.
So, for me, eating of unleavened bread pictures my consuming of His commands,
and trying to leave the falsehoods I may have learned behind. The omer of barley
waved pictures my "offering up" of my fears and false reasonings a
little at a time, year by year.
If you really think about it, frightful, dread-filled, afraid fear is our
biggest enemy. Fear causes us to do many things we might not normally do. Fear
of being rejected by our peers. Fear of survival, or financial security. How
does this fit in with trust in YHWH?
Think about some of the accountings in Torah. Abraham feared, so he told Sarah
to say she was his close relative. Yitzchaq did much the same thing. Yaqob
feared Esau, and Yoseph's brothers feared Yoseph.
When it came time to go into the land, the people were afraid due to what they
saw, and falsely reasoned that they couldn't enter the land, and that YHWH
couldn't drive out the Canaany.
Fear, Fear, Fear. The number one enemy. Fear, fear, fear, often causes false
reasonings.
Trust in YHWH and not being afraid to let go of our beloved doctrines is the
cure.
Now, some of you who know the Hebrew are probably saying, well, why doesn't he
mention where sheen, ayin, reysh is translated "gate"? How does that
fit?
08179 r[v sha`ar {shah'-ar}
from 08176 in its original sense; TWOT - 2437a; n m
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
======
Well, in tradition there is the concept of the 50 gates, and how we must pass
thru these "gates" as we draw nearer to YHWH. It concerns character
development. Personally I see some truth in that concept, especially when I
weigh it against the 50 year Yowbel cycle.
So, it seems to me this time of year, this Hag HaMatza, has much to do with our
recognizing and overcomming our Edomite tendancies, our animalistic nature, our
afraid/dread-fear nature, our "hairyness" (finding that most
conspicuous sheaf of barley in our field), and offering them up a little at at
time over the years (the waving of the omer), asking Him to help us by either
removing or giving us the strength to overcome these character defects which
separate us from Him, which keep us trapped in bondage to Mitzrym.
So, some might be asking.... where is the irony I first spoke of?
Well, if there is any validity to what I am saying here, then forget everything
I just said for it is exactly what I am talking about, leavening, additions
which may lead us away from the Truth! Remember, this too is merely one man's
doctrinal belief, and maybe false doctrine that needs to be left behind. Or,
maybe this is how YHWH wants me to see it, but someone else may need to see it
differently. Bottom line, we are still left with the focal point:
Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there
is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
That ain't doctrine. If we respectfully fear Him, and do His commandments, we
need not fear anything else.