Parasha haShavuah (for Shabbat, 3rd April 2021) by Herschel Raysman
The Seventh Day of Passover – Shevi’i Shel Pesach - שביעי של פסח
Lev 23:7-8
7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on
the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'"
The 1st and last days of the 3 major pilgrimage festivals, are treated like the weekly Shabbat. The same restrictions that apply to the weekly Shabbat also apply to the 1st and last days of each festival.
Leviticus 23:2-3
Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying: "Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and tell them:
These are the appointed moadim of Adonai (מוֹעֲדָי), which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations (מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ)
Mikra’ei kodesh is translated as “a sacred or holy convocation’. But it also means ‘a rehearsal’. And, this is where we discover its messianic revelation.
Firstly. Both Passover and Sukkoth (Tabernacles) are celebrated for 8 days. And therefore, a weekly Shabbat will be included in their observance. But, the 1st and last day of both festivals is also treated as a weekly Shabbat. The in-between days that form part of the Pesach and Sukoth celebrations are called chol hamoed, or half holidays. Here the restrictions are less rigid. And therefore, besides being the Seventh Day of Passover, this Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Chol Hamoed – Pesach.
But there is an additional instruction with regard to the 7th day of Unleavened Bread that does not apply to the 7th day of Sukkoth. This additional command is found in
Ex 13:6:
6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
We are in fact note the following for this specific Shabbat.
It is Shabbat Chol Hamoed – Pesach
It is a feast to Adonai
It is the seventh day of Pesach
Now we all understand that the physical redemption from Egypt is incomplete without its spiritual counterpart – the giving and receiving of Torah at Mount Sinai, and the outpouring of the Spirit recorded in Acts, chapter 2. Both components are crucial. Torah without the Spirit of God can become mechanical- repetition by rote (Isaiah 1). But, the Spirit without Torah, can and often has led to some crazy mashugas.
The sages dug deeper and determined that there were in fact, two distinct components to Israel’s physical redemption from Egypt:
the actual exodus on erev Pesach (14th Nissan) when they slaughtered the lamb and applied the blood to the door posts and lintels of their homes, and
the crossing of the Yam Suf on dry land which occurred on the 7th day of Pesach that is the 21st Nissan.
The sages teach that it was only when we crossed the Yam Suf, the Sea of Reeds, that we left the oppression of Egypt behind. This pivotal event signifies the birth of the nation.
We are further instructed to remember these events and to teach them to our children and our children’s children. This obligation indicates that they are not simply incidents in history; instead, the Exodus from Egypt and the Splitting of the Red Sea reflect two continually relevant stages in our service of HaShem.
Let me briefly recap why we drink 4 cups of wine at the Passover seder.
Exodus 6:6-7
6 "Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out
from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage,
and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
7 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know
that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens
of the Egyptians.
So, the four cups of wine are:
Kiddush – the Cup of Sanctification – vs 6 – ‘I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians’
the cup that introduces the Hallel prayers - I will rescue you from their bondage
the Cup of Redemption (after the meal) - I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
the cup the concludes the Pesach service - 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God
Yeshua drank only three of these four cups of wine at what is called The Last Supper.
Matthew 26:26-29
Now while they were eating, Yeshua took matzah; and after He offered the bracha, He broke and gave to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And He took a cup; and after giving thanks, He gave to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the removal of sins.
But I say to you, I will never drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom."
Here, Yeshua is referring to the 4th cup of wine consumed at the conclusion of the Passover meal. This final cup is called the cup of completion, where we complete reading the Hallel prayers. Yeshua was alluding to the completion of that which He initiated over 2000 years ago with his death, burial and resurrection. Soon, Messiah will return to judge the nations, destroy the works of the adversary and usher in His millennial reign. Then, when we are gathered to Him in His eternal kingdom, we will drink that final cup of wine with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
And so, in the oral tradition, we read the comments of a great sage,
Tzemach Tzadek writes concerning this 7th day festive meal:
“The last day of Pesach is the conclusion of that which began on the first night of Pesach. The first night of Pesach is our festival commemorating our redemption from Egypt by the Holy One, blessed be He! It was the first redemption carried out through Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the first redeemer; it was the beginning.
The last day of Pesach is our festival commemorating the final redemption, when the Holy One, Blessed be He, will redeem us from the last exile through our righteous Moshiach, who is the final redeemer.
The first day is Moshe Rabbeinu’s (Moses’) festival; the 7th day (of Pesach) is Messiah’s festival”
From this we can legitimately deduce that this Seudat Mashiach – this 7th day Pesach meal - is the foreshadowing of the meal mentioned in Revelations 19:
Rev 19:6-9
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb !'"
We, who are the Bride of Messiah, are being prepared to reign with Him and that
preparation involves the refiner’s fire. Yes, it will be ‘eina’ to the flesh but the end of that process will produce a Bride who is cleansed, washed and worthy to be invited to dine at His Table. Verse 9 says that we will be called ‘blessed’.
And there, Yeshua will drink that final cup of wine with us at this wedding banquet. He truly saves the best wine for the end and this meal will be the consummation of all things.