Exodus 12: "foreigner or native-born" question

[Christian2]

Exodus 12:

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

Someone is trying to tell me that verse 19 applies to Gentile Christians everywhere -- that God is commanding Gentiles not to eat anything with yeast.

Is this true?

Thanks.

[mitzi]

Exodus 12:

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

Someone is trying to tell me that verse 19 applies to Gentile Christians everywhere -- that God is commanding Gentiles not to eat anything with yeast.

Is this true?

Thanks.

Hi Christian 2,

No, not correct. During Passover Jews were refrain from eating chometz (leavened foods)as the punishment for eating chametz on Passover is the divine punishment of kareth ("spiritual excision") one of the most severe levels of punishment in Judaism. "So anything that contains barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt, and is not cooked within 18 minutes after coming in contact with water.(Even products of the five grains are not considered chametz until the process of chimutz, typically translated as "fermentation", has begun.)" No leavening is allowed. This signifies the fact that the Hebrews had no time to let their bread rise as they made a hurried escape from Egypt.

(LINK - another *important fact*The prohibitions take effect around late morning on the eve of Passover, or the 14th of the month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar. Chametz is permitted again from nightfall after the final day of Passover. Traditional Jewish homes spend the days leading up to Passover cleaning and removing all traces of chametz from the house .)

So with this information - anyone - Jewish or non Jewish may not have anything leaven in the house ***Where*** preparations are made for Passover.

[Tanakh Keeper]

Exodus 12:

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

Someone is trying to tell me that verse 19 applies to Gentile Christians everywhere -- that God is commanding Gentiles not to eat anything with yeast.

Is this true?

Thanks.

Obviously not. Almost any question of this nature can easily be derived by putting the quote in context. If one simply reads the ENTIRE chapter 12, then it is easily determined who is being addressed.

E x o 12: 1. The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year. 3. Speak to the entire community of Israel...

This entire chapter is being addressed to the Israeli community, not gentiles. It was the Hebrews that G-d brought out from Egypt, not gentiles. All these Pesach rules apply to the Israeli community, not gentiles. Verse 19 is applicable only to gentiles that are inside a Jew's house during the Pesach holiday. G-d never stated that a gentile couldn't eat yeast inside their own house.

[mitzi]

Obviously not. Almost any question of this nature can easily be derived by putting the quote in context. If one simply reads the ENTIRE chapter 12, then it is easily determined who is being addressed.

E x o 12: 1. The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year. 3. Speak to the entire community of Israel...

This entire chapter is being addressed to the Israeli community, not gentiles. It was the Hebrews that G-d brought out from Egypt, not gentiles. All these Pesach rules apply to the Israeli community, not gentiles. Verse 19 is applicable only to gentiles that are inside a Jew's house during the Pesach holiday. G-d never stated that a gentile couldn't eat yeast inside their own house.

and Tanakh Keeper, I was discussing (also) the fact when guests are asked to a Sedar - and these moments do happen:


"Having strangers at the seder can generate some comical moments, especially when the guests aren't Jewish. Mary (not her real name), who grew up in Detroit, attended Catholic schools as a child and never learned anything about Judaism. As an adult, she befriended a man whose father was a cantor, and the family invited her to their Passover seder. She was very excited at attending her first Jewish event, and wanted to bring a very special gift. So she looked hard to find the one item that she knew symbolized Judaism. She still turns purple every time she describes the look on the faces of her host and hostess when she presented them with...a challah, or loaf of bread." LINK

Another article:

"However, this would only be the case if the guest brings his own chametz into the home of the ba'al habayis, thereby becoming obligated in the search for chametz and fulfilling his obligation via his agent, the ba'al habayis. If the guest does not bring any chametz of his own into the home, he would have no obligation whatsoever to search the house, and would therefore not fulfil the mitzva of bedikas chametz in that house 20. Consequently, he would have to acquire his own chametz, bring it in to the house, and then either search for it himself or fulfil the mitzva with the bedika of the ba'al habayis (with shlichus)."

Restrictions:

If any chametz is found in a Jewish person's possession - meaning on one's person and/or in the household - during the Passover festival and was not sold to a non-Jew, then that chametz is forbidden to be used or sold at all even after Passover. This law is called "chametz she'avar alav ha'Pesach", which means "chametz that remained during Passover" in Hebrew, and is simply a penalty for either not performing the rituals of Bedikat Chametz and Biur Chametz or not performing them correctly. Throughout the Passover festivals, observant Jews will not eat any food or drink or come into contact with any edible or non-edible product that has leaven in it. LINK

As the guest who's being invited to Passover: This prohibition applies only to chametz which you own. It does not apply to someone else's chametz -- even if it's in your house. (Ask the Rabbi)

[Tanakh Keeper]

As the guest who's being invited to Passover: This prohibition applies only to chametz which you own. It does not apply to someone else's chametz -- even if it's in your house.

It only makes sense Mitzi. G-d didn't intend for us to search people at our door. But I can imagine the hilarity that could ensue from someone showing up with a gift of challah during Pesach.

[mitzi]

It only makes sense Mitzi. G-d didn't intend for us to search people at our door. But I can imagine the hilarity that could ensue from someone showing up with a gift of challah during Pesach.

Me tooo...lol. I can almost feel her face turning purple.

I had worked at the Jewish community center many years ago, while working there I meant someone- who being Orthodox - had befriended me out of piety. During dinner, I had loudly voiced that there was whip cream on the jello for dessert. So AB, as he signaled me to come over to his table, said "We don't serve milk products with the meat". That being life's little lessons, and one that I hope I never repeat, you can image how every Jewish woman, at that meal, was up on their feet looking at me. It was a good thing the Rabbi was standing near the exit door because that exactly where I was looking to head. I still can feel that moment...and how my face turned bright purple (not red).

So Yah, hmm! I can *edit* really picture that moment.

[Christian2]

Thanks mitzi and Tanakh Keeper.

I came to the same conclusion you two did, but I am not getting anywhere. My opponent is a Gentile Christian who is trying to follow Jewish law.

I have another Scripture and I will make it a separate topic.

[mitzi]

Thanks mitzi and Tanakh Keeper.

I came to the same conclusion you two did, but I am not getting anywhere. My opponent is a Gentile Christian who is trying to follow Jewish law.

Well, he's not instructing you very well - even as an opponent - as you now know this. Sometimes even in an argument you can learn scripture and passages but with this person - you won't learn anything...

[Tanakh Keeper]

Thanks mitzi and Tanakh Keeper.

I came to the same conclusion you two did, but I am not getting anywhere. My opponent is a Gentile Christian who is trying to follow Jewish law.

An oxymoron right there.

[Christian2]

Well, he's not instructing you very well - even as an opponent - as you now know this. Sometimes even in an argument you can learn scripture and passages but with this person - you won't learn anything...

You are right that I did learn Scriptures -- had to read them a couple of times, even though I have studied the book of Exodus. LOL

I doubt that "this person" will accept any interpretation but her own.

Thanks.

[Christian2]

An oxymoron right there.

Perhaps I should have said she is trying to convince Gentile Christians that they are commanded to follow Mosaic Law.

[mitzi]

You are right that I did learn Scriptures -- had to read them a couple of times, even though I have studied the book of Exodus. LOL

I doubt that "this person" will accept any interpretation but her own.

Thanks.

Sounds like it. Christian 2 I've know you a long time on the board - and at least you'll come to someone on the board when in doubt about a passage or passages. Some people just don't ask questions - when in doubt. I know, I've had my flub ups - but at least (and at rare moments) I always land on my feet.

[mitzi]

Perhaps I should have said she is trying to convince Gentile Christians that they are commanded to follow Mosaic Law.

.....Wish her luck!

[mitzi]

Sounds like it. Christian 2 I've know you a long time on the board - and at least you'll come to someone on the board when in doubt about a passage or passages. Some people just don't ask questions - when in doubt. I know, I've had my flub ups - but at least (and at rare moments) I always land on my feet.

Also - you've had some real good questions that I've enjoyed writing about. So Keep them coming -