Parsha Vayikra--Entering the book of Leviticus, Matzah Challah-cast, and Cherry Blossoms Peek!

When you present an offering of meal baked in the oven, (it shall be of) choice flour:  unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, or unleavened wafers spread with oil.  
Leviticus 2:4

וְכִי תַקְרִב קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה, מַאֲפֵה תַנּוּר--סֹלֶת חַלּוֹת מַצֹּת בְּלוּלֹת בַּשֶּׁמֶן
וּרְקִיקֵי מַצּוֹת מְשֻׁחִים בַּשָּׁמֶן.

As my blog has a theme of  "challah"  and I like to find connections between Challah and Torah, you may not be surprised that I got excited when reading about the "grain offering" in this week's parsha.  This time its the first time I noticed the word "Challah" in the scripture above. 
Unleavened wafers (cakes)  in the English is "Challot Matzot" in Hebrew!!!

If you can find it in your heart to share in my enthusiasm, please do read on !!!

Making Matzah!

In the recipe for making matzah, after it is baked there is the instruction to "anoint the matzah"!

I never read that in a recipe before, and I must say it helped me to "draw near" to the LORD in this matzah-making time!!  If you have never made matzah before, be encouraged to try!!! First, its much simpler than challah, and technically (halachically, according to the Jewish tradition) has to be done from start to finish in 18 minutes for Passover purposes!! So if you have a little time and want to try it for this year, please do!!

I'm hoping  to be able to get  a box or so of Matzah  for Passover, but just in case am "practicing" making Matzah!!

Of course, The Children of Israel didn't have the luxury of "practicing",  and had to just to it and prepare the dough right away and carry the dough with them on their Exodus!!

Passover amazingly always comes at the time of the Cherry Blossoms!! This year Nissan 1,  the first of Nissan, was also just when the first blossoms opened!! I find that amazing, as the day is always different on the Hebrew calendar, and there is not a "set day" that cherry blossoms open, and yet the past few years that I have been "living on the Hebrew calendar" I have noticed that each year!!

It feels very Messianic that God's commanded first day of Springtime and first month of the year is announced in His creation with the opening of the first cherry blossoms!!  I always say I look forward to the day when the people of Japan will know their Messiah Yeshua and the glorious time under the blossoms will be a time of worship and celebration of Him!!! May it be swiftly and in our day!!

This year it may be a little quiet for cherry blossom picnics, but thankfully the blossoms blossom and the fragrance of resurrection and renewal is in the air!!  And who knows, maybe it will be just this year when the people of Japan look up to a salvation Sky and receive their Saviour as  the "sakura" blossom all throughout Japan.

Nissan, as you know, is a month of miracles!   

As a friend wrote in a message to me, I will share this:

"Get ready to pass over!"  

That message encouraged me tremendously!!

This is the Matzah recipe I used HERE  if you'd like to try it!!

And this (below) is my Matzah Challah-cast for this first week of Nissan!  

The Challah-cast is a little under 11 minutes if you are moved to watch it and  to make matzah, you can try it!! I also share some of my "drash" (related discussion!!") in the upload, so I'll keep the text here in this post brief as the photos are many!!

Time to start removing the "hametz", and change the header to "unleavened" bread!!

 Much Love and blessings all!!

Shayndel (dba Joanne's Challah-cast)

Notes:  The recipe also calls for salt to be sprinkled on the matzah.  I love this recipe! Anointed with oil and sprinkled with salt!

Yeshua, the anointed One, tells us we are to be salt (Matthew 5:13)!! I found that connection so interesting to read this scripture in Leviticus in light of Yeshua's words, as  we ourselves are  to be the salt.

You shall season your every offering of meal with salt; you shall not omit from your meal offering the salt of your covenant with God; will all your offerings you must offer salt.    Leviticus 2:13

Shabbat Shalom!! (not Passover yet, but making "unleavened cakes" to prepare, in this week of parsha Vayikra!

Anointed, salted "challot matzot"-- Matzah!-- on the Shabbat Table in this week of Parsha Vayikra--entering the book of Leviticus

Cherry blossoms first blossoms so perfectly calling in the month of Nissan,the month of springtime

The matzah is "Pierced" and calls to us to remember Messiah Yeshua who was pierced for our transgression

And by His stripes we are healed!

Take, and eat!  

This is my body, given up for you.

Matthew 26:26

♡

Subtitle:

Messianic Japan!!

Welcoming Messiah Yeshua to Japan!!

Yeshua, Japan welcomes you!!

xoxo Declared with Love, 

by Shayndel