Seudat Chiyat HaMatim
Encyclopedia
The Seudat Chiyat HaMatim, a Hebrew
term, is a Seudah (feast) for the righteous following the Chiyat Hamatim, the bodily Resurrection
of the dead, which is referred to in a passage of the Talmud
in the section on Passover
which alludes to a relationship between the Passover Seder
and this other feast of life and freedom. Rabbi Avira interpreted the biblical passage
as alluding to this feast.
According to Rav Avira, at the Birkat HaMazon
(Grace after Meals
) following this feast, the Cup of Blessing will be passed from Abraham
to Isaac
to Jacob
to Moses
to Joshua
, each of whom will cite some sin or imperfection and claim unworthiness to lead the blessing. The cup will then pass to King David, who will take it and lead the Birkat HaMazon. The Rabbis cite the verse "I shall raise the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalms
16:13) as support. This section of the Talmud does not report what King David will say. Belief in bodily resurrection is a tenet of Orthodox Judaism
.
According to Midrash
, three mythical beasts mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
, the bird Ziz
, the animal Behemoth
, and the sea-creature Leviathan
will be served at the feast.
Some Modern Orthodox Jews have revived a millennium-old custom of adding a piece of fish to the Passover Seder
plate, with the lamb, egg and fish jointly symbolizing the three prophets (Moses
, Aharon
, and Miriam) referred to in Micah 6:4, as well as the three mythical beasts associated with the Seudat Chiyat HaMatim, which the Passover Seder
, and the Cup of Elijah allude to. The added fish represents Leviathan as well as Miriam and is also a water symbol. An egg and shankbone (for Moses/Ziz/air and Aharon/Behemoth/earth) are already on the standard Seder plate. The contemporary revival of this existing traditional custom, which honors a female figure in a highly traditional context, is favored by some Orthodox Jewish Feminists
as preferable to developing new customs honoring Miriam or other female leaders.
A belief in a bodily resurrection of the dead, one of Maimonides
Thirteen Principles of Faith, is a normative belief of Orthodox Judaism
and a traditional belief of Conservative Judaism
. However, Aggadic
and Midrash
ic elements of the Talmud are often interpreted as representing allegorical symbolism within Orthodox Judaism (and generally so in more liberal branches).
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
term, is a Seudah (feast) for the righteous following the Chiyat Hamatim, the bodily Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
of the dead, which is referred to in a passage of the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
in the section on Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
which alludes to a relationship between the Passover Seder
Seder
Seder is a Hebrew word meaning "order" or "sequence", and can have any of the following meanings:For Jewish holidays*Passover Seder, a ritualized dinner observed during Passover...
and this other feast of life and freedom. Rabbi Avira interpreted the biblical passage
- And the child was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned (Genesis 21:8)
as alluding to this feast.
According to Rav Avira, at the Birkat HaMazon
Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon or Birkath Hammazon, , known in English as the Grace After Meals, , is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish Law prescribes following a meal that includes bread or matzoh made from one or all of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt...
(Grace after Meals
Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon or Birkath Hammazon, , known in English as the Grace After Meals, , is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish Law prescribes following a meal that includes bread or matzoh made from one or all of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt...
) following this feast, the Cup of Blessing will be passed from Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
to Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
to Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
to Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
to Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
, each of whom will cite some sin or imperfection and claim unworthiness to lead the blessing. The cup will then pass to King David, who will take it and lead the Birkat HaMazon. The Rabbis cite the verse "I shall raise the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
16:13) as support. This section of the Talmud does not report what King David will say. Belief in bodily resurrection is a tenet of Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
.
According to Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, three mythical beasts mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, the bird Ziz
Ziz
The Ziz is a giant griffin-like bird in Jewish mythology, said to be large enough to be able to block out the sun with its wingspan. It is considered a giant animal/monster corresponding to archetypal creatures. Rabbis have said that the Ziz is comparable to the Persian Simurgh...
, the animal Behemoth
Behemoth
Behemoth is a mythological beast mentioned in the Book of Job, 40:15-24. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity.-Plural as singular:...
, and the sea-creature Leviathan
Leviathan
Leviathan , is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper . The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature...
will be served at the feast.
Some Modern Orthodox Jews have revived a millennium-old custom of adding a piece of fish to the Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
plate, with the lamb, egg and fish jointly symbolizing the three prophets (Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Aharon
Aharon
-People:* alternate spelling for Aaron, prominent biblical figure in the Old Testament* Aharon , includes name origin, variants, plus people with the given name* Ben-Aharon , includes name origin, variants, plus people with the surname...
, and Miriam) referred to in Micah 6:4, as well as the three mythical beasts associated with the Seudat Chiyat HaMatim, which the Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
, and the Cup of Elijah allude to. The added fish represents Leviathan as well as Miriam and is also a water symbol. An egg and shankbone (for Moses/Ziz/air and Aharon/Behemoth/earth) are already on the standard Seder plate. The contemporary revival of this existing traditional custom, which honors a female figure in a highly traditional context, is favored by some Orthodox Jewish Feminists
Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance
The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance was founded in 1997 with the aim of "expand[ing] the spiritual, ritual, intellectual, and political opportunities for women with the framework of halakha," or Jewish law...
as preferable to developing new customs honoring Miriam or other female leaders.
A belief in a bodily resurrection of the dead, one of Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
Thirteen Principles of Faith, is a normative belief of Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and a traditional belief of Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
. However, Aggadic
Aggadah
Aggadah refers to the homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash...
and Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
ic elements of the Talmud are often interpreted as representing allegorical symbolism within Orthodox Judaism (and generally so in more liberal branches).