|
Bread
to be Respected:
“The rabbis . . . instituted a special benediction . . . before eating
bread . . . (popularly called Ha-Mozi).
After pronouncing this benediction, other food or beverages may be eaten
. . .” “Bread must be treated
with special regard. Raw meat
should not be placed on it nor spilt wine be allowed to spoil it; it should also
not be thrown across the table. Providing
bread for the poor was regarded as a great religious duty; the withholding of it
from the hungry, a sin. Bread with
salt was regarded as the poor man's food but sufficient for the humble student
of the Torah, and it has remained a custom to sprinkle a little salt on bread
partaken at the beginning of meals. In
Jerusalem it is the custom to greet official guests of the City Council with
bread and salt as they enter the city's limits.” (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Special
Sabbath Bread:
“Hallah is a form of bread . . .
the bread portion which was brought as an offering . . . in the days of the
Temple. Loaves of hallah appear
in forms associated with special occasions and different areas.
The most distinct special occasion is Passover, when hallah appears
as mazzah, unleavened bread. The
sweet hallah, often round in shape, is traditional for Rosh Ha-Shanah, to
symbolize the prayer for a sweet and a full year.
Another popular form for the Sabbath is the braid, two loaves of three
strands each, or one of six strands --- the number six representing the
weekdays, handmaidens of the Sabbath. A hallah of 12 small sections
symbolizes the 12 tribes of Israel. Each
variation enriches the beauty of the tradition.”
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Heavenly
Bread:
“Manna was the miraculous food which sustained the Israelites during
the 40 years in which they wandered through the wilderness of Sinai.
Manna is called "bread from heaven" in the Book of Exodus, and
"bread of the angels" in Psalms. The English name "manna"
comes from the words, man hoo? ("What is this?" in classical
Hebrew) which is what the Israelites exclaimed when they saw manna for the first
time.” (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
The
Lord is Bread:
Every time the term bread is used, it should be an automatic reminder to
look for the Lord in the meaning of the phrase.
The lack of bread may be an indication of the lack of accepting the Lord.
He just wasn’t there. “And
there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the
land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.”
(Genesis 47:13) The
bread of affliction refers to Him, who was afflicted more than anyone was, is or
will be afflicted.
Bread
and Water is Great!
Since the Lord descended below all things and then rose above all things,
He came from the rocks below and ascended to the heaven above. The following verse is one of several ways of remembering
Him. “And gavest them bread from
heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for
their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land
which thou hadst sworn to give them.” (Nehemiah
9:15)
Water,
Rock and Heaven Connected:
Remember, that the Hebrew word for water is “Ma-yim” and that the
word for heaven is “She-ma-yim” (from the waters).
The Fountain of Living Waters came from heaven.
Moses struck the rock and out came water. It became the Rock of Salvation.
The term rock is an ancient metaphor for the Lord.
Simon, son of Jonah (Bar Jonah in Aramaic) was affectionately nicknamed
Petrus (“rock” in Greek) by Jesus. In
that sense, Simon became “Rocky-1” in the scriptures!
Jesus, knowing that He was the “Rock of Salvation,” was establishing
a profound lesson for one who would be the Lord’s mouthpiece and chief
witness. “Adon Olam
(Lord of the world) is a rhymed poem . . . appears in the Ashkenazi service . .
. four verses are . . . personal in nature . . . God is much closer to the individual
worshiper, his hopes and his fears. "He
is my God, my Redeemer, my Rock in time of trouble.”
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
During
Jesus’ three year ministry, Peter and other Disciples were being taught
numerous lessons of the eternal and spiritual nature of the Lord and the many
physical witnesses of Him. This
training was necessary so that when He was gone from their physical presence,
they could fulfill their Apostolic mission, witnessing of Him.
One of those lessons took place at the uninhabited eastern shore of the
Sea of Galilee. Even today, the few
archaeological ruins indicate the deserted nature of that area.
At times, Jesus went there
to be alone.
Fishes
and Loaves:
When the people heard that He was on the other side, they followed Him
out of their cities. He blessed
them and preached to them until the disciples urged Jesus to let them go home to
buy food to eat. He said, “Give ye them to eat.
And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes . . . he
said to his disciples, make them sit down . . . he took the five loaves and the
two fishes . . . he blessed . . . brake, and gave to the disciples to set before
the multitude. And they did eat,
and were all filled: and there . . . remained . . . twelve baskets.”
(Luke 9:13-17)
Jesus
told the disciples to feed the people, and they said it couldn’t be done.
Still, Jesus did not change His charge.
He took what they had, prepared it and returned it to the disciples.
Then they fed the loaves and fishes to five thousand - not counting women
or children. There was even enough
left over for each disciple to have a basket of food for himself.
Would it have been more dramatic if there had been fourteen basketfuls
left over? Or would it have been
less dramatic if only ten basketfuls remained?
The remaining twelve baskets full of food would surely suffice them as
Jesus sent them by ship to the other side of the lake.
“. . . the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves . .
. Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea . . . the disciples . . . cried out
for fear.” (Matthew
14:22-26)
Faced
with what they supposed was a spirit, the only instruction they might have had
at that point was that fasting and prayer was necessary to drive spirits away.
After they had eaten a miraculous meal the previous evening and had
twelve baskets or provisions with them, they were full, not fasting!
They may have therefore thought, “We cannot command the spirit.”
“But
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid. And Peter answered him and
said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But
when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. And
immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying, Of a
truth thou art the Son of God.” (Matthew
14:27:33)
Many
people believe that with enough faith, they can walk on water. However, the
personal nature of the Lord’s miracles leads us to view the event more
closely. Peter cried, “Lord save
me.” Jesus responded, “Wherefore didst thou doubt?”
This may have been a personal lesson for the Prophet-to-be.
The dialogue might be imagined to have continued, “. . . Wherefore
didst thou doubt, I came to save.”
It
is possible that the Savior, having named Simon, Peter (Rocky), was now teaching
him that rocks sink . . . to be raised by the “Stone which the builders
rejected.” (Matthew 21:42; Mark
12:10; Luke 20:17).
Just
as bread needs to be raised, we need to be raised by the Bread of Life, the
Leaven, the Rock of Salvation.
|