Seudat Mashiach – Honoring the Messianic Redemption
1March 24, 2010 by yochanan
The Seudat Mashiach or “Messiah’s Feast” is a final meal of Passover that is focused on the Messiah and his role as bringing the final redemption.
The celebration of the Seudat Mashiach began with the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the modern Hasidic movement in Judaism. I was unfamiliar with this custom until just before Pesach in 2002, I saw and ad in the LA Jewish Journal for the local Chabad houses having Seudas Moshiach gatherings on the final day of Passover. I did some research and found out that the meal consisted of matzah and 4 cups of wine, like the Passover seder, with this seder focusing on the redemption to be brought by King Messiah.
As the description of the Seudat Mashiach from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Schneerson says:
“The last day of Pesach is the conclusion of that which began on the first night of Pesach. The first night of Pesach is our festival commemorating our redemption from Egypt by the Holy One, Blessed be He. It was the first redemption, carried out through Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the first redeemer; it was the beginning. The last day of Pesach is our festival commemorating the final redemption, when the Holy One, Blessed be He, will redeem us from the last exile through our righteous Moshiach, who is the final redeemer. The first day of Pesach is Moshe Rabbeinu’s festival; the last day of Pesach is Moshiach’s festival.” (Cited in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXII, p. 34.)
I then began to construct an order of service for a final meal of Passover that focused on the predictions, coming and future return of our righteous Messiah, Yeshua. Using the Passover hagaddah as a guide I developed a Hagaddah Shel Seudat Mashiach. In it is a service that begins with Messianic prophecies foretelling the coming of Messiah, passages from the book of Yochanan and Luke telling of the first coming of Yeshua and concluding with readings from Revelation telling of the coronation of King Messiah. It is a great time of dwelling in the final hours of Pesach, a time of remembering redemption from Egypt, to focus on the redemption from sin that was brought by Yeshua.
It is a new and yet old practice, new in that I began working on it about 8 years ago and old being that the original practice began over 200 years with the Baal Shem Tov, it is better to call it a renewal.
May we all celebrate the redemption that Yeshua has brought us each day and may we be able to celebrate the Seudat Mashiach soon with our Messiah in Jerusalem, until then we will celebrate His great works here in exile as we await his appearing.
To download the most recent edition of the Hagaddah Shel Seudat Mashiach (click below):
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