 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
hpj0828
Member
| Joined: | Sun Apr 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 136 |
| First Name: | Henry | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Messianic Jewish believer |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 03:38 pm |
|
I've been asked to provide a post that shows the linkage between the Jewish Passover and the Christian faith. There are many such linkages. Of interest to Roman Catholics, certain phrases from the Passover liturgy seem to have been lifted word-for-word directly into the Eucharistic liturgy. Unfortunately, it would take a lot of space to discuss all of these!
However, below, please find one of the most fascinating linkages. I hope you find it inspirational to your walk with Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah!
Shalom!
Henry
Searching for the Aphikomen—A Passover Mystery
By Henry Petri, 14 Mar 2008
In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, the main character Tevye the milkman sings a song about Tradition. This song introduces us to the Jewish traditions of his village.
At the end of the song, he says:
“You may ask me, ‘Why do we have these traditions?’
I’ll tell you!
I don’t know (with a typical Jewish shrug)
But it’s a tradition!”
Growing up in a Jewish community, I experienced many traditions, the meaning of which I had not the slightest clue. Why did we do these meshugah (crazy) things?!
A Bizarre Ritual—What does it mean?
At the heart of the Passover Seder meal is a bizarre ritual with a Greek name for which the rabbis offer no coherent explanation, the aphikomen. The word aphikomen comes from the preposition apo (from afar) plus erkomenos (coming one), or “The Coming One (from afar).”
What is this Greek word doing in the middle of the Hebrew Passover Haggadah? It has stood out like a “sore thumb” in the very center of this liturgy which has guided the Jewish celebration for millennia.
Before the main courses of the meal, the celebrant, usually the father of the home, stacks three square crackers of matzah (unleavened bread), one on top of the other. Then, he removes the middle matzah and breaks it neatly in half. One half, he wraps in a napkin, or sometimes places in a ceremonial envelope, while the other half remains at the table.
Then everyone must close their eyes, while the father hides the wrapped matzah somewhere in the house. This wrapped matzah is called the aphikomen.
At the very end of the meal, the children in the family search throughout the house to find the aphikomen. The child who finds it gets a small prize: a piece of chocolate or some money.
Then, the father breaks the aphikomen up into small pieces which are placed upon a plate that is passed around the table. Everyone must eat a piece of matzah as the last item consumed at the Passover meal. All the matzah from the aphikomen must be consumed. Nothing else may be eaten after the aphikomen has been consumed.
Most of the foods at the Seder have symbolic meanings: the bitter herbs are a symbol of the bitterness of slavery, the red charoseth paste (comprised of red wine, crushed nuts and apples and honey) symbolizes the mud of the bricks that the Israelites made for the Egyptians, etc.
Yet, when it comes to the aphikomen, there is no coherent explanation of its symbolism. Some rabbis taught that the three matzot represented Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If so, then why do we break Isaac in half, wrap him in a napkin, hide him, then search for him, raise him up, break him into little bits and eat him? Other rabbis taught that the three matzot represented the priests, the Levites (the Temple musicians) and the people of Israel. So, why do we break the Levites in half, etc.? Why not the priests? Or the Israelites? There is no clear rabbinic interpretation which makes sense of the various parts of this ritual, or that explains with any coherence why a Greek word is used to describe it.
Before I followed Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, I had no use for the traditions of my Jewish background, but afterwards, these traditions became full of meaning. Much of the last 25 years of my life has been spent reclaiming my lost heritage which was very imperfectly passed down to me. While I was a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, I decided to write a paper on the origin of the custom of the aphikomen--I did my own “search for the aphikomen” through the history of the spiritual “house” of Israel.
The History of the Aphikomen Ritual
Not all customs of the Passover meal go back to the 1st C CE. For example, the custom of setting an extra place at the table for the prophet Elijah originated in the Middle Ages. When did the custom of the aphikomen begin?
The earliest rabbinic source for the aphikomen is the Mishnah. The Mishnah, written in 200 CE, is a compilation of earlier oral rabbinic teachings, legal rulings and traditions. According the Mishnah tractate on the Passover: “You shall not end the Passover meal with the aphikomen.” What?!
Every Jew on the face of the earth celebrates the Passover meal using the aphikomen ritual. Yet, the Mishnah prohibits it! The Mishnah gives no explanation of what the aphikomen is, or why it should be prohibited. This indicates that in 200 CE, Jews were so familiar with this custom that no further explanation beyond a simple reference was needed. So, by 200 CE, the aphikomen ritual had already been well-established among Jews for at least decades, if not centuries.
Yet by the time the Talmud was compiled in the 5th C CE, its rabbinical commentary on the Mishnah tractate on the Passover shows no real understanding of what the Mishnah meant by this prohibition. By the 5th C CE, the original meaning of the aphikomen ritual had been lost to rabbinic tradition.
In 1940, a remarkable archeological discovery uncovered an ancient Greek sermon by Bishop Melito of Sardis (in present-day Turkey). Melito wrote “A Homily on the Passion” to show that Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice. He uses the term aphikomen twice in his homily to refer how Jesus was “The Coming One” who came from heaven (afar) down to earth to die as the Passover sacrifice for our sins. Similar to the Mishnah’s citation, both references assume that those who hear the sermon are immediately familiar with the aphikomen ritual, without needing any elaboration or explanation. So, by 150 CE, the aphikomen ritual had already been well-established within the Christian community for decades, if not centuries, and was specifically identified with Jesus the Messiah! It is significant that we have two 2nd C CE sources, of opposite biases (the Mishnah with its rabbinic assumption against Jesus being the Messiah, and Melito’s homily with its Christian assumption for Jesus being the Messiah) that both testify to the antiquity of the aphikomen ritual in both communities.
The Gospels of the New Testament speak of Jesus breaking up a piece of bread, after the Passover meal was over, and passing it out to his disciples to eat. This custom is coherent with the consumption of the aphikomen at the end of the Seder. So, this text offers corroborating evidence that the aphikomen custom was present in the Last Supper in the 1st C CE.
But, the aphikomen custom may be even earlier than this. As previously mentioned aphikomen comes from the preposition apo (from afar) and the word erkomenos (The Coming One). The word erkomenos, the Coming One, can be traced back to three important Messianic passages in the Septuagint Greek translation (about 250 BCE) of the Old Testament. The Septuagint translation was made in Alexandria, Egypt for the use of Greek-speaking Jews living outside of Israel in the diaspora. Such Jews, raised outside of the holy land, no longer spoke Hebrew. They needed a translation of the Old Testament in the common “international” language of trade and commerce of their era, Greek.
The Coming One in the Old and New Testaments
Consider: Psalm 118:21-28 (= Psalm 117 by the Jewish numbering scheme) Septuagint translation into English by Brenton
21 (117:21) I will give thanks to thee; because thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 (117:22) {1} The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. {1) Mt 21:42}
23 (117:23) This has been done of the Lord; and it is wonderful in our eyes.
24 (117:24) This is the day which the Lord has made: let us exult and rejoice in it.
25 (117:25) O Lord, save now: O Lord, send now prosperity.
26 (117:26) {1} Blessed is he that comes[The Coming One-erkomenos] in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. {1) Mt 21:9}
27 (117:27) God is the Lord, and he has shined upon us: celebrate the feast with {1} thick branches, binding the victims even to the horns of the altar. {1) Possibly, the multitude, q. d. coetu frequenti}
28 (117:28) Thou art my God, and I will give thee thanks: thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. I will give thanks to thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
Or the Jewish Publication Society 1917 translation:
21 I will give thanks unto Thee, for Thou hast answered me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone.
23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 We beseech Thee, O LORD, save now! We beseech Thee, O LORD, make us now to prosper!
26 Blessed be he that cometh [The Coming One—erkomenos] in the name of the LORD; we bless you out of the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and hath given us light; order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee.
The New Testament cites this passage to apply it to Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah as the “chief cornerstone” in Matthew 21:42. Also, on Palm Sunday, the crowds shout: Hosanna (Hebrew for “Save now!”) and “Blessed is The Coming One (erkomenos) in the name of the Lord!” They acclaim Yeshua as Messiah, using the boughs of palms. They are quoting this Psalm and enacting its worship for Yeshua.
This same acclamation is remembered in the Roman Catholic Eucharistic liturgy: “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is he who comes (The Coming One) in the name of the Lord.”
Consider Habakkuk 2:2-4, Septuagint translation into English by Brenton:
2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and that plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.
3 For the vision is yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come (erkomenos), and will not tarry. {1) Heb 10:37–39}
4 If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but {2} the just shall live by my faith.
This passage is applied to Yeshua the Messiah in the NT book of Hebrews 10:37-39. The Essenes who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls apply this passage in their Habakkuk Commentary to their Messianic figure, “The Teacher of Righteousness.” The rabbis in the Talmud also viewed this passage as referring to the Messiah. They were encouraged to wait for Him, even though he had “tarried” for many centuries. Consider this discussion from the Soncino translation of the Babylonian Talmud.
“Talmud - Mas. Sanhedrin 97b
… It has been taught; R. Nathan said: This verse pierces and descends to the very abyss:11 [See notes 11 and following below.] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though he tarry, wait for him; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.12 Not as our Masters, who interpreted the verse, until a time and times and the dividing of time;13 nor as R. Simlai who expounded, Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink a third time;14 nor as R. Akiba who expounded, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth:15 but the first dynasty [sc. the Hasmonean] shall last seventy years, the second [the Herodian], fifty two, and the reign of Bar Koziba16 two and a half years.17
What is meant by ‘but at the end it shall speak [Heb. we-yafeah] and not lie?’ — R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Blasted be18 the bones of those who calculate the end.19 For they would say, since the predetermined time has arrived, and yet he has not come, he will never come. But [even so], wait for him, as it is written, Though he tarry, wait for him. Should you say, We look forward [to his coming] but He does not: therefore Scripture saith, And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you.20 But since we look forward to it, and He does likewise, what delays [his coming]? — The Attribute of Justice delays it.21 But since the Attribute of Justice delays it, why do we await it? — To be rewarded [for hoping], as it is written, blessed are all they that wait for him.22
…
(11) Just as the bottom of an abyss cannot be reached, so is it impossible to grasp the full purport of this verse (Rashi).
(12) Hab. II, 3.
(13) Dan. VII, 25.
(14) Ps. LXXX, 6.
(15) Hag. II, 6.
(16) V. p. 627, n. 4.
(17) The verses cited from Daniel, the Psalms, and Haggai were interpreted so as to give a definite date for the advent of the Messiah. R. Nathan however, on the authority of Hab. II, 3, asserts that all such calculations are false. The three verses refer to the Hasmonean, Herodian, and Bar Koziba's reign, but the advent of Messiah is unknowable, Rashi.
(18) ויפח The verse is rendered, ‘he will blast him who calculated the end.’
(19) I.e., Messiah's advent.
(20) Isa. XXX, 18. [And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have compassion upon you; for the LORD is a God of justice, happy are all they that wait for Him. JPS 1917]
(21) I.e., because we are not yet worthy of it.
(22) Ibid.”
Consider also this passage from Daniel 7:13-14 Septuagint translation into English by Brenton.
13 I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming [erkomenos] with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
14 And to him was given the dominion, and the honour, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
In addition to the Palm Sunday reference above, the New Testament contains innumerable passages referring to Jesus as “The Coming One” (erkomenos). A NT word search on this word will yield many insights into Jesus as the fulfillment of these Old Testament Messianic prophesies.
From this evidence we are left with two possibilities: Either the aphikomen ritual originated as a prophetic anticipation of the Messiah among Greek-speaking Jews centuries before Yeshua was born, or else, possibly, Yeshua innovated this custom at the Last Supper to apply these OT references of the Coming One to himself. In any case, the aphikomen custom is ancient and has been passed forward to every Jewish home today in the Passover Seder liturgy.
The Meaning of the Aphikomen Ritual
So, what does the aphikomen ritual mean? The three matzot that are stacked one upon the other represent God the Father (top matzah), God the Son (middle matzah) and God the Holy Spirit (bottom matzah). God the Son is broken (Jesus at the Last Supper said: “This is my body which is broken for you.”) on the cross, wrapped in the napkin (for burial), hidden (buried in the earth), found and raised up once again at the meal (resurrected) and passed out as spiritual food to the world (Eucharist). From this powerful symbolism pointing so clearly to Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, one can easily see why the rabbis of the Mishnah sought to prohibit this custom! Fortunately, by then the aphikomen was so well established in the Passover liturgy that it could not be stopped!
At the very heart of the Passover meal, preserved for all these centuries, is the testimony of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Coming One from heaven, who is broken for our sins, wrapped for burial, buried, resurrected and passed out to the world as Eucharist!
____________________
HPJ
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 04:08 pm |
|
Amen!
We have lots of server space, Henry. Your insights are fascinating, and I for one love reading each and every one of them.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
rbo4u2
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jan 16th, 2007 |
| Location: | Sunnyvale, California USA |
| Posts: | 324 |
| First Name: | Rich | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Formerly Christian & Missionary Alliance then became Presbyterian |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 04:33 pm |
|
Wow Henry. Your posts are absolutely fascinating. Don't ever stop educating us on your great traditions. I've heard portions of this but never in such great detail. Thank you for shareing with us.
Rich
Attachment: eurchrist3mf.jpg (Downloaded 34 times)
|
|
|
Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1227 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Nominal Methodist / evangelical non-denom / "Bapticostal" / Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 07:40 pm |
|
| WONDERFUL! Thanx!
____________________
I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 1900+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
|
|
|
hpj0828
Member
| Joined: | Sun Apr 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 136 |
| First Name: | Henry | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Messianic Jewish believer |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 08:19 pm |
|
Hi Dave,
I met today with a charismatic priest in our diocese for prayer. He showed me a "Book of Hours" that apparently has been revised since Vatican II. For Holy Thursday, it contains the text of a portion of Bishop Melito's sermon (translated into English). This text portion describes Jesus as "he who has come down from heaven." In Greek, this is the aphikomenos, one of two such citations in his homily!
So the aphikomen is actually in the Book of Hours on the Day of the Lord's Passover meal!
Amazing!
Henry
____________________
HPJ
|
|
|
japhy
Member
| Joined: | Thu Apr 26th, 2007 |
| Location: | Princeton, New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 179 |
| First Name: | Jeff / japhy | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | (Roman) Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 08:44 pm |
|
I actually just learned about this last Friday night at a 3-hour session explaining the Passover, hosted by Gregory Glazov of Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University.
Amazing stuff.
____________________
[Mary said,] "Do whatever he tells you." - John 2:5
|
|
|
hpj0828
Member
| Joined: | Sun Apr 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 136 |
| First Name: | Henry | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Messianic Jewish believer |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 09:09 pm |
|
Hi Jeff,
Great to hear from you again. I'm delighted to hear that this background is getting out. What a difference it makes to me, as I watch the priest breaking the host into pieces and placing them upon a silver plate--just as we do with the aphikomen at Passover.
I would love to hear more of the context of this teaching which you received at Seton Hall University. Can you tell more about the teacher and the class?
Blessings!
Henry
____________________
HPJ
|
|
|
tedjenczewski
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 162 |
| First Name: | Ted | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Presbyterian, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16th, 2008 02:46 am |
|
| The history of our tradition becomes more clear as another piece of the mosaic is completed. I wonder what Scott Hahn thinks about this?
____________________
"...the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1Tim 3, 15
|
|
|
Parodyonlife
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 14th, 2008 |
| Location: | Corning, New York USA |
| Posts: | 112 |
| First Name: | John | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | NEW CATHOLIC!!! W( ) ( )T!!! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:27 am |
|
In my miriad of religious expeditions we celebrated Passover one year. It was amazing. The bitter herbs. Everything the door being left open for Elijah it is all very spiritual. Thank you for this post  .
____________________
|
|
|
Current time is 12:03 pm | |
|
|
|
|
|
