Seven Days of Purity

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (חַג הַמַּצּוֹת - Chag HaMatzot) begins immediately after Passover, on the 15th day of Nisan, and continues for seven days. During this time, Israel was commanded to eat only unleavened bread and to remove all leaven from their homes.

The Symbolism of Leaven

In Scripture, leaven (שְׂאֹר - se'or) consistently symbolizes sin, corruption, and false teaching. Leaven puffs up dough, just as pride puffs up the heart. It spreads quickly, just as sin spreads through a community.

• Matthew 16:6 — Yeshua warns against the “leaven of the Pharisees” (false teaching)
• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 — Paul says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”
• Galatians 5:9 — “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (sin spreads)

Unleavened bread (מַצָּה - matzah) represents purity, sincerity, and truth—a life set apart from corruption.

Connection to Yeshua's Burial

Yeshua was buried on the first day of Unleavened Bread. His body was placed in the tomb just as the feast began—the sinless One, represented by unleavened bread, laid in the earth.

Just as Israel was commanded to remove all leaven from their homes, believers are called to remove sin from their lives. This is not a one-time event but a continual process of sanctification—putting off the old nature and putting on the new.