Harmony Between G-d and Man

Both the Sabbath and the Passover point mankind towards freedom­­ from all bondage, the bondage of slavery, sin, and works. Both festivals bring man closer to the goal of having perfect harmony between G-d and His creation during a future day that will be All Sabbath. Just as the Exodus foreshadowed a spiritual freedom from sin (procured through the crucifixion and burial of Yeshua), so the Sabbath prefigured a spiritual freedom from works. Those individuals that attain to those spiritual freedoms made available through the New Covenant will be those who inherit the day known in Rabbinical teaching as the Sabbath Day of Rest or the Sabbath Day of Eternity.

The Sabbath

The Bible calls the Sabbath a Feast of the L-rd and is listed first among the Feasts, to be treated as a holy convocation which is a prophetic ritual or 'rehearsal':

The Sabbath also holds the distinction of being the only Feast mentioned in the Ten Commandments:

In Rabbinical  teaching, each Sabbath is to be regarded as the day the Messiah could come. In preparation, the Sabbath table is set with one's finest china, two candlesticks, two loaves of challah bread, and a white tablecloth symbolizing the dew that covered the ground when G-d rained down manna to feed the Israelites. No knives are placed on the table or the knives are covered to demonstrate the peace that will exist during the Messiah's reign which will be All Sabbath:

The two candlesticks and two loaves of challah represent the double portion of manna allotted to the Israelites in the wilderness before each Sabbath. Manna was given for six days only. On the sixth day, they received a double portion, one portion to be reserved for the Sabbath. The candlesticks also stand for the light of creation and the light of redemption. The challah loaves are covered, like a bride is veiled before her wedding. When the blessing is said over the meal, the challah is uncovered, just as the bride is unveiled after a blessing is recited. Each Sabbath symbolically pictures the wedding day of G-d to His covenant people.

God often used symbols in the Old Testament (Tenakh) to relate principles or ideas that would become future physical and spiritual realities. The sacrifices, the prayer shawl, and the mikvah, for instance, are examples of symbols that God commanded which pointed to a physical and spiritual reality in the Messiah, Jesus. The mezuzah is another one of those symbols.

“And thou shalt write them [the commandments] upon the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates.”(Deuteronomy 6:9)

The ancient sages believed that carrying out the commandment to attach the mezuzah [me zuz AH] to one’s doorpost would assure the same protection from God that the blood of the Paschal lamb afforded the Israelites during the first Pesach (Passover).

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote concerning the mezuzah:

“The greatest benefits of God are to be written on the doors.....in order that His benevolent providence may be made known everywhere.”

To fulfill this command, a parchment inscribed with specific Bible verses is rolled up, inserted into a case, and attached to the doorframe or doorpost (mezuzah) of one’s home. Eventually, the case containing the parchment became known as the mezuzah because its permanent attachment made it literally a part of the doorpost. It is also called the ‘shema’ (meaning ‘hear’) after the first word written on the parchment. Usually affixed at eye-level with the top tilted toward the inside of the house, it makes a ‘statement’ to all who enter in, that the Word of God is in that house.

On the back of the parchment is the word “Shaddai”, a divine name meaning ‘Almighty’ or ‘All-sufficient One’. ‘Shaddai’ is spelled with three Hebrew letters (sheen, dalet, yod) which form an acronym––Shomer Daltot Yisrael––meaning “Guardian of Israel’s Gates” or “Protector of the Doors of Israel”. The name ‘Shaddai’ also appears on the outside of the container of some mezuzot (plural); but most mezuzah only have the Hebrew letter ‘sheen’, representing ‘Shaddai’.

Because the mezuzah serves as a constant reminder of one’s loyalty to God and a source of Divine protection, many people kiss their fingertips and touch the mezuzah upon entering or leaving their homes while reciting, “May God protect my going out and coming in, now and forever.” These are gestures of reverence toward God.