The Egg

[Sephania]

Let's talk PASSOVER EGGS

Since some here will be celebrating in three days here I think this is something that needs to be addressed. I just read in another thread here on Passover that the roasted egg on the Seder plate is to represent "the festive sacrifice which was offered on the three pilgrim festivals, Passover, Shavuot and Succoth."

Now a book I have on Passover decribes the reason in "some traditions" is that it represents the Peace offering required for the 2nd day of Passover.

So I took a look around the world on the internet to see what I could see about this "tradition".

This is from a Rabbi in NYC, he has various reasons and I have highlighted each:

"The Betiza - the boiled or roasted egg - represents both fertility and the cycle of life and renewal. It also stands for the additional offering that was made in the Temple on festivals. The egg represents a visual "pun" as well. In Aramaic, a sister language to Hebrew which was spoken in Second Temple times, the word "bea" -- means "desire." The egg on the Seder plate also represents the desire of the Holy One to redeem the people of Israel.

Here from another site:

2) Beitzah - a roasted egg. Together with the shankbone, this symbolizes the sacrifices offered at the Holy temple in Jerusalem on the eve of Passover. The egg is also thought to be used as a symbol of mourning for the destroyed temple.

Another
The Beitzah represents fertility and the cycle of life and renewal. The roasted egg also symbolizes the festival sacrifice made in temple in biblical Jerusalem.

This is from a Christian site's articles called "Recovering Passover for Christians"

beitzah: "roasted egg," in the Seder meal represents the burnt offerings brought to the Temple during festivals in ancient days; it also symbolizes the cycle of life, the endurance of God’s people and the hope for a future. Traditionally, a brown egg is used on the Seder plate, roasted in an oven until it turns dark. Vegetarians often use an avocado seed as a substitute for the egg on the Seder plate. While hard boiled eggs are often served as the first course of the Seder meal, like the zeroah the beitzah is not eaten since sacrifices are no longer offered.

From another site

In addition, there are those who see the egg as a symbol of the Jewish people's will to survive. Just as an egg becomes harder the longer it cooks, so the Jewish people have emerged from the crucible of persecution as a strong and living people.

This is interesting also:

Despite Passover not being celebrated for the first part of the first Temple period, Passover was celebrated throughout the second Temple period, as far as it is known. There is a quote from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37 C.E. - circa 100 C.E.), who estimated the number of participants who gathered for the Passover sacrifice in Jerusalem in 65 C.E. were "not less than three millions" (Josephus, Wars, 2:280). After the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. by the Romans, the practice of sacrificing a lamb was ended, however, the rituals of Passover and the Passover Seder continued on as before. A new "sacrifice" was added to the Passover Seder meal to replace the sacrifice of the lamb in the former Temple in Jerusalem: the hard-boiled or roasted egg. The hard-boiled or roasted egg had many symbolisms. In addition to replacing and reminding the Jews of the Passover lamb sacrifice, the hard-boiled or roasted egg also reminded the Jews of the destruction of the Second Temple. On a more positive note, the hard-boiled or roasted egg also symbolized the renewal of Springtime, rebirth, and the start of the grain harvest season. This symbolically connected the hard-boiled or roasted egg with the two pre-Passover of Egypt customs that were adapted, historicized, and traditionalized to the Passover of Egypt by the Hebrews. Since the hard-boiled or roasted egg represents Springtime and renewal, it connected with both the agricultural festival in pre-Passover of Egypt times and the Passover of Egypt itself (start of the grain harvest season and hence, close in time to the Exodus from Egypt). This agricultural festival was celebrated by eating matzah. The hard-boiled or roasted egg also symbolized the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, and as a result, it also connected with the pastoral festival of pre-Passover of Egypt times, meaning the sacrifice and eating of the paschal lamb or the "Passover" to ensure a safe migration from the G-ds, which in turn connected with the migration of the Hebrews out of Egypt. To summarize, Passover before the time of the Exodus from Egypt was originally celebrated as two distinct festivals: (1) a pastoral festival, known as the "Passover", which involved the sacrifice and eating of a paschal lamb to ensure a safe journey to cultivated lands from winter pastures; and (2) an agricultural festival, where unleavened bread was baked and eaten to celebrate the start of the grain harvest season. It was only after the events of the first Passover in Egypt that these two distinct festivals became associated with the "Passover of Egypt"; in the case of the "Passover" festival, with the Hebrews' Exodus from Egypt (a migration event, similar to the earlier migration of the nomadic sheep and goats breeders) and the slaying of the first-born son in each Egyptian family (the spreading of the doorposts and lintel with the blood of the paschal lamb in both the pastoral festival of pre-Passover of Egypt times, and in the Passover of Egypt story), respectively; and in the case of the unleavened bread festival, with the Exodus from Egypt (with the time of the pre-Passover unleavened bread festival coinciding with the time of the Exodus from Egypt in the Passover of Egypt story), although they remained separate festivals until 587 B.C.E. or 586 B.C.E. when most of the Hebrews were forced into Exile when the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judah in the region of Judea. From this point onward, the two festivals were combined into one festival known simply as Passover.

From Heart of Wisdom site

Foods listed in Exodus 12

Bitter Herbs (usually horseradish) representing the bitterness of bondage

Shank Bone of a Lamb symbolizes the lamb eaten before they fled Egypt.

Matzah-- must be made solely of special flour and water (no leaven).

Customary foods later added by the Rabbis

Haroset (it looks unappetizing but is delicious) is a mixture of apples, nuts, grape juice, and cinnamon. It represents the mortar the Israelites used to build the Egyptian cities and the sweetness of a better world.

Roasted Egg is said to be the symbol of life, but we believe it came in with the pagan fertility rituals

Karpas or fresh greens (usually parsley or celery) symbolizes the new life for the Jewish people and the hyssop used to sprinkle blood on the door post. The parsley is dipped into salt water representing the tears of slavery.

This from a believers in Yeshua/Jesus site:

We find the Beytzah or Beitzah (a boiled or roasted egg, which symbolises the Hagegah or festival offering and is a symbol of life itself, a triumph of life over death, a symbol of new life and of rebirth.

Messianic site:

Today many people use a seder plate to place these items on. But along with the truth, folklore had been added. Today an egg and shank bone have been added to the celebration. When asked why, many people say it is tradition. But is the tradition right and according to YHVH’s word?

Bitter herbs represent the bitterness of bondage under the Egyptians, Matzah, a flat unleavened bread represents YHVH’s word and the roasted lamb, the Messiah. After the temple was destroyed and during the time of Babylon the Rabbis replaced the commandment to eat roast lamb with a shank bone. Today, many serve turkey or some other meat instead of lamb. They say this is because the temple was destroyed but many do not realize the temple is within them and the lamb is to be eaten (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Early Rabbinic authorities diminish the focus of the Messiah by replacing the lamb. YHVH’s commandment of eating roast lamb came while leaving Egypt before a tabernacle, temple or Rabbinic authority ever existed, revealing that the Lamb of God was always with them. Without the lamb the revelation of a Savor and redemption has no meaning and is lost.


It was during the Babylonian exile that the egg became a popular addition for both the House of Judah and the House of Israel. The House of Judah placed the egg on the Seder plate at Passover. This is not found in scripture. After searching the scriptures there is no mention of the commandment for a roasted egg in the Passover. They say it is a symbol of “life” but scripture (the Shema) says we are to have only “one” symbol for life. An egg represents the Babylonian pagan goddess of fertility. With this renewed understanding and after studying the Egyptian gods and the plagues that follow those who have other gods before them, many are deciding not to introduce the egg onto the Seder plate.

And Yet one more:

Beitzah (roasted egg): A roasted egg is not even cracked open. It’s cooked whole in the oven until its shell turns a deep, rich brown color. And it, too, is pretty yummy. The egg on the seder plate tells many parts of the story. Like an Easter egg, it’s a symbol of spring, and new life. It’s also a symbol of a special offering that the Israelites made every year in their Temple to celebrate that they had escaped slavery and moved to the land of Canaan. The temple doesn’t exist anymore, and neither does the special offering. So the egg now represents thanksgiving for the Israelites’ freedom from the bondage of slavery.

So with all these differeing reasons for the egg being there, what can we conclude from this?

Let's sum up from the above info, the Egg represents:

1. Peace offering required for the 2nd day of Passover
2. the festive sacrifice which was offered on the three pilgrim festivals, Passover, Shavuot and Succoth.
3. represents both fertility and the cycle of life and renewal
4. the burnt offerings brought to the Temple during festivals in ancient days
5. endurance of God’s people
6. the hope for a future
7. A new "sacrifice" to replace the sacrifice of the lamb in the former Temple in Jerusalem
8. the Jewish people's will to survive.
9. the destruction of the Second Temple
10. the renewal of Springtime
11. rebirth
12. the start of the grain harvest season
13. a symbol of life itself
14. a triumph of life over death
15. many people say it is tradition
16. the egg now represents thanksgiving for the Israelites’ freedom from the bondage of slavery

 

[Yahudim]

1Co 3:16 Don't you know that you are a temple of God, and that God's Spirit lives in you?

1Co 3:17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, which you are.

I've gotta agree, eggs are definitely pagan in origin. Easter or Pesach, the egg is out. If I see one more ad for an Easter Ham, I think I'm gonna hurl.

 

[MyZz]

LOL Talmidim...I know what you mean..and Zayit , great info lots to read later again in more detail

 

[Sephania]

I've gotta agree, eggs are definitely pagan in origin. Easter or Pesach, the egg is out. If I see one more ad for an Easter Ham, I think I'm gonna hurl.

I read ya, is there anything more 'in your face' than trying to replace the Passover Lamb of G-d with an abominable thing called a "Easter Ham". but not only to us, but this is in his face also.

 

[chunkofcoal]

Easter ham!
I didn't know the origin of the "traditional Easter ham" until last year, so if there is anyone reading this thread who doesn't know about it - The pagans used to sacrifice swine to the "goddess" Ishtar. There's your "traditional Easter ham".

Thanks for the information about the Passover egg. I didn't know about that.

 

[yod]

We definetely do Pesach without the egg. It is explained from the main table as being brought in during the Babylonian captivity, but that is usually all which is said as we move on to the next object lesson...

 

[Shimshon]

I've gotta agree, eggs are definitely pagan in origin. Easter or Pesach, the egg is out. If I see one more ad for an Easter Ham, I think I'm gonna hurl.

I am what I am but NOT green eggs and ham!!! No egg for SAM I am. What a treat we eat when we seat for a legg of lamb!!!

 

[Sephania]

Did the "Dr" think it was Kosher if it was green?

I love Green Eggs and Ham , the Kosher way!

Ham and Eggs,
I'll Never see,
They are not KOSHER,
So let me be!

I will not eat green eggs and ham.
I will not eat them, Sam-I-am.
But I'll eat green eggs with a biscuit.
Or I will try them with some brisket.

I'll eat green eggs in a box.
If you serve them with some lox.
And those green eggs are worth a try
Scrambled up in matzoh brie!

And in a boat upon the river,
I'll eat green eggs with chopped liver!
So if you're a Jewish Dr. Seuss fan,
But troubled by green eggs and ham,

Let your friends in on the scoop:
Green eggs taste best with chicken soup!

 

[Tishri1]

Thanks Zayit for finding all that fascinating info!

 

[Sephania]

You are welcome Tishri! I am glad I searched through all that stuff, that egg on the plate was more like egg on the face and I didn't feel right about it, even as I was setting out about 3 dozen of them on seder plates last year. Besides, the charred egg, which is supposed to mean life? always reminded me of the halocaust. So I am happy to have an empty spot on my seder plate!

 

[Tishri1]

way back in my early messianic days when I only had half the info and ran with it we had a "Pizza Passover Sader" hehehe The Pizza was a Hawaiian style, Canadian Bacon and pinapple and of course not unleaven . But what did I know? I did sence that the egg was Pagan though...so when It came to talking about the egg on the sader plate I threw the egg on the floor in protest to Paganism entering the sader and replaced it with a cross . well at least I was trying to walk in what light I had at the time. hehehe, great memories.

 

[Sephania]

I hope it was cooked through!

 

[Tishri1]

yeah and it even bounced

 

[MyZz]

LOLOLOL@ tishri and then @Zayit...u guys are so funny ssometimes

 

[Tishri1]

...so later that week during unleaven bread...It was my son's 13th birthday and a sweet little Jewish girl came over....and she couldn't eat birthday cake or pizza cus of the leaven, so I thought I would be so cleaver and said "wait right here" and I went to the kitchen and came back with the topping of the pizza on top of a matzah



She said so sweetly "Sorry Maam but it's not Kosher" "It's got Ham "
(Canadian Bacon ....again )

 

[yod]

If it wasn't kosher pizza, then you could have given her some hard-boiled eggs !

 

[Sephania]

...so later that week during unleaven bread...It was my son's 13th birthday and a sweet little Jewish girl came over....and she couldn't eat birthday cake or pizza cus of the leaven, so I thought I would be so cleaver and said "wait right here" and I went to the kitchen and came back with the topping of the pizza on top of a matzah



She said so sweetly "Sorry Maam but it's not Kosher" "It's got Ham "
(Canadian Bacon ....again )

Them darn un-Kosher Hawaiian Canadians~!

That's some funny recounts of your beginnings, Tishri, you should write a book.

 

[Tishri1]

Yeah like the time we almost burned the house down on our first Hanukkah celebration....We invited a family of 8 over with our family of 5 plus a Friend we had just met who was studying with the local Rabbi's....we thought it would be clever to make real oil burning Menorahs out of bottlecaps (filled with oil) and pipecleaners. Well it was the first night but we got carried away and lit 'em all....and they ended up being more like small torches than flickering flames....and no one thought ahead about how to put them out

14 menorahs, times 8 torches each , all burning away on my dinning room table It was a hot party that was for sure

After about 30 minutes of setting a blockade around the dinning room and watching them from the the living room we went to the garage and got out our big oil pans to lay on top of them which finally extinguished the flames

 

[debi b]

Sounds like the year my hubby made a menorah (used parafin and made HUGE wicks) and I had to paint the ceilings. Who knew parafin makes such a mess when you have a torches in your house!

 

[Tishri1]

If it wasn't kosher pizza, then you could have given her some hard-boiled eggs !

Yeh now she could walk right into my kitchen and have anything she wants, poor girl, she did invite my son to her Batmitzvah later that year....at the space needle in Seattle Wa. . Her folks rented it out just for her ...My son said it was better than a wedding