UPDATE: $7,109 raised of $36,000 goal
Chaim Society of Central Florida is raising funds for the training of one Paramedic to join Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Magen David Adom (MDA) MDA responds to those in need and transports over 1 million patients annually; providing blood services to hospitals and the IDF; and delivering disaster relief around the world. As a non-governmental organization, MDA depends on philanthropy.
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The question of “clean and unclean” is one of the most obscure Biblical concepts to Christians (a better choice of words would be “pure and defiled”). The commandments dealing with this subject appear to deal with a range of unrelated issues that the church chooses to ignore. Hopefully, we will be able to shed some light on importance of these concepts.
The main issue concerning “clean and unclean” is stated in Leviticus 15:31.
Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them (Leviticus 15:31).
So ritual cleanness or uncleanness has to do with the individual approaching God in His sanctuary. The individual had to be ritually “clean” (i.e., pure) to approach due to the implication for the sanctuary. In the next section we will see that part of the cleansing accomplished on Yom Kippur is that of the sanctuary itself due to the fact that it was exposed to the human community. The issue of “clean and unclean” primarily impacted the priesthood.
What are some of the things that would render a person “unclean”? One could become “unclean” by eating certain foods, by engaging in various activities or by coming in contact with a corpse. Most of the activities or conditions rendering a person “unclean” entail coming into contact with a dead person. Any discharge from the body except the elimination of bodily waste would render a person “unclean”. Finally, God distinguished between foods that were considered “clean” and those “unclean”. In our culture, the food prohibitions can be the most difficult to understand.
God is the living God. Jeremiah declared,
But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King (Jeremiah 10:10a).
God will not allow anything associated with the concept of “death” to be associated with Him. In addition, any Israeli that was making a “karbon” (approach) was a type of God Himself. Ultimately, God would bring the ultimate karbon (His unique son, Jesus) to the altar. So, God demanded that any person making an offering to distinguish between “clean and unclean” and, therefore, be ritually “clean”. If a person became “unclean” for any reason, there was a ritual to render him, after a specified period of time, “clean” again.
In the gospels, Jesus began to distinguish between ritual defilement (“clean and unclean”) and spiritual defilement. From the perspective of the Kingdom of God, Jesus emphasized that spiritual defilement was more important than ritual defilement.
It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man (Matthew 15:11).
Jesus did not totally dismiss the issue of ritual defilement, but later, it appears that Paul did so, especially as it deals with food. Paul declared,
I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean (Romans 14:14).
and,
men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:3-5).
I don’t know if Paul meant to include ham sandwiches or not, but it appears as if he did. Still, Paul complied with the issue of ritual “cleanness” when offerings were made for him as he made an approach to the sanctuary in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-26). He had been a believer for many years when this event occurred.
How do we answer the question of the difference between Leviticus and the New Testament? My only answer is that New Testament believers never become a type of God concerning the issue of karbon (offerings). That is a completed work; nothing can be added by us. Also, the issue of “clean and unclean” has to do with those “approaching” God. The believer in the Messianic Age lives in the Holy Place with Messiah Jesus and is not going out and coming in. Paul wrote,
…and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).
and,
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3).
Every believer must weigh these issues in his/her own faith walk. Everything should be established by faith by the individual. After all, Paul also wrote,
…whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23b).
We’d like to share this outstanding podcast from Rabbi Jeremy and Tehila Gimpel. Witness the life of faith our friends have chosen to live in the Judean desert. We praise God for His goodness!
Celebrating 1 year at the Arugot Farm, join Jeremy & Tehila on their harrowing journey to the Judean Mountains to settle these strategically critical & historic mountains.
Tune into their story and hear how they faired raising six children alone on a farm under construction in the most contested real estate in the world bringing life back to the mountains of Judea.
With a year behind them, what’s next?
Originally published on http://thelandofisrael.com website. Used by permission.
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Putting our love for God’s people into action…
For the past 20 years, the members of Fellowship Church have worked alongside the [Read more…]
This year, the Biblical festival of Passover began at sundown on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The celebration continues with the Feast of Unleavened Bread through April 9th, while the Christian festival of Easter is celebrated on Sunday, April 5th.
Since these festivals are based on the same Biblical events, I would like to describe both festivals and discuss how they have come to mean different things. First we will describe the festivals associated with Passover.
Everyone knows, I suppose, that Passover commemorates the deliverance of Israel from the land of Egypt some 3500 years ago. Egypt at that time was the most powerful nation of the ancient world. God moved with such boldness and strength that the infant nation of Israel was freed from the grasp of Egyptian slavery and set on their journey to the promised land. From that time until today, God’s people have rehearsed this deliverance each year at the time of the first full moon of spring (As spring occurs in the northern hemisphere).
Biblical festivals were declared by God to be His festivals (Leviticus 23:37). God’s festivals recur around the number seven. The weekly festival of Shabbat occurs at the end of the seven day week. Passover which happens in the middle of the first month initiates the timing of the other festivals which occur later in the year. Following Passover is the festival of Firstfruits which happens during the week initiated by Passover. Seven weeks from the celebration of Firstfruits comes Shavuot (Christians know this festival as Pentecost). Seven months from Passover the last of the yearly festivals occurs. This is called Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles.
When we look back at Passover we remember the mighty deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The deliverance has become the basis of hope for all people who find themselves in bondage. Additionally, this festival points forward to the deliverance of the whole human community from Satanic bondage. Paul described the struggle against this captor as:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
John later declared the ultimate victory over this captor:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Messiah) and He will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
The festival of Passover initiates a week long observance of Unleavened Bread. Because Israel left Egypt in a great hurry they did not have time for their bread to rise so they ate unleavened bread. God’s people remember this during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this week, following the Shabbat, is the festival of Firstfruits. The ancient Israelis were farmers and their festivals were often symbolized through agricultural means. In Israel, small grain crops (wheat and barley) are sown in the late fall. By early spring these crops have grown to full height and began to produce heads but has not fully matured and ripened. At Passover the Israelis would cut a bundle of wheat or barley and bring it to the Priest in the Temple. The Priest would wave this bundle of grain before the Lord with the prayer that God would produce a great harvest. This was observed on the first day of the week following Passover during the week of Unleavened Bread. We read in the Gospel account of the resurrection of Messiah Jesus which occurred on the first day of the week. Since Jesus was crucified just before Passover, this happened during the week of unleavened bread. As Jesus was being raised up, the Priest in the Temple would have been waving the Firstfruits offering for that year. Later, Paul declared:
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” (I Corinthians 15:20)
Seven complete weeks from the day of the Firstfruits offering when Jesus was raised from the dead, His followers were celebrating Shavuot in the upper room in Jerusalem when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians call this event Pentecost. These believers were empowered with the Holy Spirit and ushered into Kingdom or resurrection perception and power. Later Paul would call this an “earnest” or pledge of the promised resurrection to come. Obviously, due to the implication of Messiah Jesus being declared as the Firstfruits of resurrection, we are looking forward to the day of His coming when those who belong to Him will be raised up in a similar manner. Indeed, we are praying for a great harvest.
The Biblical meaning of these festivals is rich with significance. Why would anyone want to change them and, hence, take the chance of loosing their meaning? Christianity, after the 2nd century, did this very thing. Christianity of this era wanted desperately to distinguish itself and separate itself from anything associated with Israel. They began to define themselves as “catholic” or universal so not to be seen as a part of national Israel that God had designed them to be. They changed their Shabbat to the first day of the week in the place of the last day of the week that God had prescribed. They substituted “Good Friday” for Passover which they no longer celebrated and renamed Firstfruits as Easter. In doing so they opened the door for all kinds of pagan influences like the fertility symbols of eggs and “Easter Bunnies”. Many of these changes were authorized by the First General Council of the Church held at Nicea. Emperor Constantine who convened and presided over this council was a sun worshipper. As a result I am suspicious of the origin of the “Sunrise Service”.
We believe that these are the “last days” leading to the return of Messiah Jesus. Is it not the time to forsake “pagan” practices and return to the things that God specifically prescribed for His people? Forces in the Middle-East are now aligned in a posture eerily like that predicted by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38:1-6). In a very short period of time, we could be in a position for the final conflict prophesied in the Bible (the battle of Armageddon). We believe that Jesus will return and enter this struggle on behalf of Israel. I, for one, by the grace of God, will identify with Israel as these events occur. Who will you be identified with at His coming?
*If you are interested in joining us for our Annual Community Seder, please visit this link: 2026 Community Passover Celebration.