Shalommmm Tribe 🙂
This is my first year really observing the Festival of Unleavened Bread as ordained by HaYah.
For those who don’t know, the Festival of Unleavened Bread is a week long celebration in which Israelites purify themselves of sin by abstaining from leavened bread.
Regular Bread and bread products like pretzels, cakes, cookies, etc. that have leavening agents (yeast, honey, egg) are expressly prohibited for seven days. While this may be a staple in the Festival, the true meaning is to abstain from impurities to kick off the Yaqobian New Year which begins with Passover.
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
– Galatians 5:9
The leaven in the bread represents sin and the temptation of sin that can lead us astray. Abstaining from it is Yah’s will, and in Yah’s will we find everything we’ll ever need.
As the saying goes, it only takes a little bit of yeast to make the whole batch of dough rise.
This follows just after Yah commands us to observe the Memorial of Passover, the annual remembrance of Moshe, The Plagues, The Crossing of The Reed (or Red) Sea, and Our Complete Departure (or Exodus) from not only slavery, but the ways ingrained in us through slavery. (You can also read about how our Passover Memorial went here)
Me, featuring my oh-so refreshing cucumber-strawberry-mint cocktail (H2O)I had a great Passover Memorial, and I’m having an even better festival.
It’s been a challenge staying away from my favorite snacks, foods, and desserts, though. I personally am a large fan of ramen noodles, pretzels along with Nutella dip, sandwhiches (my faaaaav food), and spicy chips… and just bread in general.
Similarly, it’s been a challenge to stay away from certain lusts and content, like worldly music, worldly books/hobbies, and even being in the company of those who aren’t observing the Holy Sacraments of Eheyeh or being mindful of how they may be influencing me. Particulalrly the struggle of keeping my eyes on Yah and off the world has shown me that I have a lot of work to do.
However, in the process of sacrificing regular bread and a regular lifestyle, I’ve found some better alternatives that have been helping me see a different world.
Without the normal access to what I’m used to, I was challenged to get creative. Initially I was a little intimated to observe this week long fast of sorts, because I knew it would require me to expand my range in the kitchen LOL.
I decided to make some stuff I’m used to, with some healthy substitutes.
First, I got some ingredients together for spinach wraps– something I’ve never made. It really wasn’t complicated. I guess sometimes we think healthy eating is complicated because it requires a new way of thinking. But honestly, it requires less steps and less ingredients.
Gluten-free spinach tortillas, chicken breast tenders, arugula, homemade hummus, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with a side of brown sugar + black pepper glazed sweet potato fries and yogurt dip. It was one of my yummiest creations yet 🙂 I got the experience of a savory sandwich without the heaviness of thick bread.
One thing this week has taught me so far, is that simplicity is the greatest blessing.
Simplifying my eating for the sake of Hayah has cultivated better sleep, higher focus, and even revealed a few things about my own life and purpose here.
For one, I’ve realized that my dream of becoming a spiritual life coach is totally attainable. Up until now, I’ve had doubt after doubt, fear after fear, and excuse after excuse as to why I can’t, how it’s not the right time, or how I don’t have enough support.
But those are just intangible obstacles that only need a little prayer and elbow grease to get over :).
The same can be said of my approach to making excuses for sin and a lackluster worship life. It’s all smoke and mirrors. All you need is to cut out what you don’t really need.
I fretted about how to make unleavened bread. But it’s simple. You make bread as usual, leaving out the leaven.
We don’t need great musical talent, the novelty $200+ Bibles, or the cleanest purest alkaline body on the planet in order to offer authentic, intimate, and vulnerable worship and prayer to The One Who Delivers us.
All we need is the will to open our mouths and tell Him how great He is, how much we adore Him, and how much we need Him.
Living a sinless life is really as simple or as complex as we want it to be. It’s as simple as saying no to the world, and saying yes to Yah.
I’m really glad that I get to observe this consecration, because I’m learning a lot. Aside from making my own breads and getting creative in the kitchen, I’ve also discovered substitutes for other areas of leaven in my life.
When it comes to my taste in music, the books I read, the content I consume on social media, the conversations in which I engage, and the practices of my hygiene have all seen transformation. Perfection? No. Not that. Far from that. But with an acute focus on what I put in my mouth, I’m also hyper-aware of what I put in my eyes, ears, and hands as well.
More importantly, I’m more aware of how to remove the leaven that’s already there.
Sometime I curse in that heavy afternoon traffic and the right person cuts me off at the right time. Sometimes I will be present in an atmosphere with family who say obscene and unbecoming things (that are especially distasteful for a woman), and even if I’m not participating, my silence is consent.
But when the Ruach stopped me and reminded me that I was supposed to be sinless, I quickly stopped to repent and exercised patience in that thick traffic, or swiftly left the room once things became heady.
These past few days of unleavened living have shown me that it’s not just about avoiding it, but also about recognizing when it’s present within, and what it takes to expel it.
My husband, Chief Allahdan, once told me:
“Purge the house, then close the gate.”
Not only do you learn how to find substitutes for the leaven in your kitchen, you learn how to substitute the leaven in your lifestyle, too.
Just as I exchanged my regular white bread for gluten free spinach wraps, you exchange your anger for peace.
Your impatience for quiet observation.
Your frustration for surrender.
Your anxiety for worship.
And one of the best parts? Well, for me, it’s realizing that this is a lifestyle I like. It’s a lifestyle I can manage. This is an existence I prefer. And it doesn’t have to end once the week is over. Even if I go back to putting flaming hot cheetos and my favorite white chocolate macadamia nut cookies into my body again, it doesn’t mean the leavening of sin has to come back.
Neither do the attitudes that facilitate sin.
This festival will last until this upcoming Tuesday (the 28th), and you can see the Holy Day Countdown either at the bottom or on the side depending on which device you’re using to view this. So even if you’re not observing the festival per say, you can still get in The Spirit and start expelling the leaven from your home, your soul, and your lifestyle choices with me.
And let it be as simple as an exchange. Don’t think of it as denying yourself pleasure. Think of it as denying yourself a pleasure that will cost you something greater down the road. Replace that earthly pleasure that’ll weigh you down with the Goodness of Yah that will only lift you up.
I hope you get to join me. If not, don’t worry. You have every day to turn around until The Day of Reckoning.
Also, I update the High Holy Day Countdown to reflect the next upcoming High Holy Day as found in The Scripture. So if you ever want to know what’s coming next, just reference that 🙂
Thanks for reading, Tribe! Can’t wait to show you how the rest of this Festival goes for my family and what surprises lay in the Feast on the last day!
Shloma!
