Yeshua's Seder
Can we refer to the Jewish writing known as the Mishna and Talmud when discussing the credibility of the accounts of Yeshua’s life and happenings? Although they do vary on many theological precepts and positions that a follower of Yeshua may hold, they do give us insight as to the historical events and customs of the first century believers. Although the theological positions in the Mishna and Talmud may differ from the theological positions of the disciples of Yeshua, as well as differing opinions from rabbi to rabbi, the writings can explain the positions that were lived out by the disciples. When approached correctly they can greatly enhance our understanding of what was the de facto or presumed knowledge to the first century believer. In doing so they also shed some light on the scriptures that we hold in our hands today. To the modern reader of the Tanach (aka Old Testament) and the Brit Chadasha (Newer Testament), we would do well to read and analyze these biblical antiquities of the past to nurture our understanding, lest we inadvertently superimpose our own ideas into the text.
As a historical reference, the Mishna which means “repetition” was painstakingly accurate record of memorization that was passed down since Ezras great assembly that took place approximately 600 years to prior to its recording. In fact, Rabbi Meir began the penning of the Mishna after the first Jewish rebellion against the Romans in 66-67 CE, and the 2nd Jewish rebellion in 68-70 CE which resulted in the destruction of the 2nd Beit HaMikdash (2nd Temple). Rabbi Meir had realized that these Jewish wars had greatly affected the transmission of what Judaism calls the Oral Torah, and saw the urgency of writing down these oral traditions. This work of compiling the oral traditions was continued by a distant relative of Yeshua named Yehudah HaHaNasi (Judah the Prince), who was also descended from the great sage Rabbi Hillel. The disciples of Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai who taught from the Mishnaic writings were called the Tanna’im. These Tanna’im would have included Gamliel the grandson of Rabbi Hillel, who was the same Rabbi Gamliel that Paul (Shaul) studied under. As a matter of fact in the age that Yeshua and Shaul of Tarsus came out of, they too would have been referred to as the Tanna’im or teachers. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi completed the teachings of the Misha around 200 CE, which later became a primary resource to modern Judaism.
The expounding of the Misha and the further discussions of the later rabbis were compiled in a much larger volumes called the Talmud. These rabbis that studied and argued over the writings in the Misha and compiled the Talmud, were called the “Amora’im” or sayers. Now that we have drawn a historical time line that we know passed right through the age of Yeshua and his disciples, and we know that these writings were such that Yeshua and his disciples had certainly learned from and were exposed to. Let us venture into what they might tell us about a Passover Seder on the eve of Pesach? How would Yeshua and his Talmidim (disciples) have partaken in a meal prior to the meal that the Bible prescribed to them on the evening of Passover?The Mishna tells us that the custom of the day when Yeshua walked the earth was that if the Passover fell on a weekday, then an additional peace offering (Shelamim offering) was slaughtered and eaten on Nisan 14. On the eve of Pesach.
אֵימָתַי מֵבִיא חֲגִיגָה עִמּוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא בָא בְּחֹל, בְּטָהֳרָה וּבְמֻעָט. וּבִזְמַן שֶׁהוּא בָא בְּשַׁבָּת, בִּמְרֻבֶּה וּבְטֻמְאָה, אֵין מְבִיאִין עִמּוֹ חֲגִיגָה: ‘
When does one bring a Festival peace-offering with the Paschal lamb? A special offering is brought on the fourteenth of Nisan together with the Paschal lamb when the Paschal lamb comes on a weekday rather than on Shabbat, and when it comes in a state of ritual purity as opposed to when it is brought in a state of impurity because most of the community is impure, and when many people are registered for the Paschal lamb so that each person will receive only a small portion from it. When these three conditions are met, the Festival peace-offering is eaten first, and the Paschal lamb is eaten afterward. When, however, the Paschal lamb comes on Shabbat, or when few people are registered for it so that each person will receive a large portion, or when it is brought in a state of ritual impurity, one does not bring a Festival peace-offering with it.” Pesachim 6-3.
Here we see that if one of three conditions were to occur according to Mishna Pesachim 6, a peace offering was eaten first, then the Passover Lamb was eaten. The Passover or Pescal lamb was itself a Shelamim offering, but in fact a distinct type of peace offering. If the Passover fell on a weekday, or If there was to was to many registered for the Passover that there wouldn’t be a sufficient amount of lamb to go around, or if the majority of the community is found to be ceremonially clean or pure, then an extra Lamb could be eaten first. Rabbi Jack Abramowitz who is the editor of the Orthodox Union publications and the author of six books on Judaism quotes the Mishna on the observances of Pesach in his article “There is always room for the Chagiga: the prohibition from leaving over from festive offerings.” In this article, which he by no means intended to offer as a solution to the question of why did Yeshua eat with his disciples the night before Pesach, but he does just that. The Chaggiga offering simply means the festive offering described in Pesachim 6-3 above. Rabbi Abramowitz further explains that unlike the Pascal offering eaten on the day of Passover, Nisan 15, the Chaggigah offering could be eaten on two days. Nissan 14 and on Nissan 15. Nisan 14 is exactly when Yeshua ate his last meal with his disciples.
There’s Always Room for Chagigah: The prohibition against leaving over from festive offerings Rabbi Jack Abramowitz...nor shall any flesh...remain overnight... (Deuteronomy 16:4) The korban Pesach (Passover offering) wasn’t the only sacrifice brought for the occasion; there was also the korban chagigah (Festival offering), brought on the holiday itself. While the meat of the korban Pesach had to be finished that night, the korban chagigah had a longer “shelf life.” How long? In this mitzvah, we are informed that one may not leave over from the korban chagigah until the third day. Therefore, the chagigah could be eaten on the 14th and 15th of Nisan, after which time it must be burned. The reason for this mitzvah is that Passover is an extremely joyous occasion. This sacrifice, in addition to the korban Pesach, magnifies our celebration of the Exodus from Egypt. But to leave the meat around too long makes it not so nice and kind of degrading, at which point it is no longer appropriate for us to use it. To eat sacrificial meat beyond its designated time would violate the prohibition of nosar, as detailed in Mitzvah #143. This mitzvah only applies in Temple times. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Pesachim on pages 71a-b. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the tenth chapter of Hilchos Korban Pesach. This mitzvah is #118 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos. We know that the Passover that Yeshua was crucified on did fall on a weekday as he was to remain in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. The sign of Jonah who spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the fish. As mentioned previously in Pesachim 6-3 the sacrifice was allowed to be eaten on the 14th of Nissan if it fell on a weekday. See illustration below.
Matthew 12:40-42 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) "For just as Yonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. 41 The people of Ninveh will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they turned from their sins to God when Yonah preached, but what is here now is greater than Yonah. 42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, but what is here now is greater than Shlomo.
In addition, we find that Rabba says in the Mishna that even the uncircumcised aka the gentiles qualify to be atoned for by the Passover sacrifice! This is precisely what Yeshua did for everyone. Jew and Gentile alike. Pesachim 61 b. If one slaughtered the Paschal lamb for people who are circumcised on condition that uncircumcised people achieve atonement through the sprinkling of its blood, i.e., although the uncircumcised people are prohibited from eating the Paschal lamb, it was his intention that they achieve atonement through the blood of the offering... The Gemara explains: Rav Ḥisda said it is disqualified because intent that the offering should be for uncircumcised people has sufficient force to disqualify the offering at the time of the sprinkling. Rabba said that it is valid because intent that the offering should be for uncircumcised people can only disqualify the offering during the slaughter and not during the sprinkling. Here we see evidence of the disagreeing rabbi’s concerning the Hilchot Pesach, or rules of the Pesach sacrifice. Disagreements were common among rabbis. You may have been from the school of Rabbi Shammai which adhered to a strict code of religious rules, or perhaps you followed the school of Hillel who was known for a more relaxed set of rules? According to the sage that one followed determined the custom that you practiced.
But one might say “this is nothing but legalism, and not from Torah.” Where do these sages get their authority to make such rulings? The answer is from the Torah! Deuteronomy 17:8-12 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) “If a case comes before you at your city gate which is too difficult for you to judge, concerning bloodshed, civil suit, personal injury or any other controversial issue; you are to get up, go to the place which Adonai your God will choose, 9 and appear before the cohanim, who are L’vi’im, and the judge in office at the time. Seek their opinion, and they will render a verdict for you. 10 You will then act according to what they have told you there in that place which Adonai will choose; you are to take care to act according to all their instructions. 11 In accordance with the Torah they teach you, you are to carry out the judgment they render, not turning aside to the right or the left from the verdict they declare to you. 12 Anyone presumptuous enough not to pay attention to the cohen appointed there to serve Adonai your God or to the judge — that person must die. Thus, you will exterminate such wickedness from Isra’el —Of course as followers of Rabbi Yeshua we follow the ultimate Rabbi described in Deuteronomy 18 who came to settle these disputes of Torah. Deuteronomy 18:15-18 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)15 “Adonai will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, 16 just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested Adonai your God, ‘Don’t let me hear the voice of Adonai my God anymore, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!’ 17 On that occasion Adonai said to me, ‘They are right in what they are saying. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him. Rega, rega (wait a minute, wait a minute). Was this extra sacrifice that was allowed to be eaten on the 14th of Nisan an actual Passover Sacrifice or not? Well, the Mishna says that one rabbi says that it was equal to a Pesach sacrifice, and another rabbi says that it was not equal? Hmmm, I guess we will have to wait for Mashiach Yeshua to return to find out:)
Chag Pesach Sameach!
R’ Yehudah
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