Just What is Leaven? Which foods are to be avoided during the Days of Unleavened Bread?
God uses leaven as a symbol of sin, illustrating how sin, like leaven, puffs up and spreads. The Days of Unleavened Bread therefore rep - resent an unleavened life—one in which sin is actively removed and resisted (I Corinthians 5:1–8). In the Old Testament, different He - brew terms clarify what constitutes leaven. Mechametz refers to leav- ening agents such as yeast, baking soda, and baking powder. She-ohd means sourdough, a naturally fer- menting agent commonly used by the Israelites. Both forms cause flour to rise or “puff up.” Foods made leavened by these agents are called chametz —items such as bread, cakes, certain crackers, cook- ies, cereals, pies, and some candies. During the Days of Unleavened Bread, such foods are to be avoid- ed, and ingredient labels should be checked carefully. God also gives a positive command to eat unleavened bread for seven days (Exodus 13:6). In addition to unleavened bread, unleavened pies and cereals may be eaten, along with all normal meats, drinks, fruits,
and vegetables. Many forms of un- leavened bread are commercially available—Matzo, Rye Crisp etc.— but ingredients should always be verified. Certain items have come into ques- tion and require clarification. Egg whites should not be whipped up as a deliberate substitute for leaven in baking. Doing so would be a direct attempt to circumvent the spirit of the law. Though meringues made with beaten egg whites are accept- able since they do not leaven flour- based products. Yeast extracts and dead yeast, such as brewer’s yeast, are not leavening agents and are permissible by themselves. Cream of tartar by itself is also not a leav- ening agent. Scripture places no restriction on fermented beverages during the Days of Unleavened Bread. The biblical commands consistently re- fer only to leavened bread, not to fermented drinks. Wine and other fermented beverages were custom- arily consumed at God’s festivals, and if they were prohibited, Scrip- ture would clearly state so.
If uncertainty exists about a partic- ular food, it is best to avoid it, since acting without faith is sin (Romans 14:23). It is also important to eat unleavened bread—“the bread of affliction”—each day of the sev - en-day period, as this is a positive command and serves as a reminder of deliverance from the bondage of sin. If leavened products are discov- ered during the Feast, they should be removed immediately. This pic- tures the discovery and removal of hidden sins over time. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread symbol - ize a complete process, reminding believers that putting out sin is not limited to a festival period but is a lifelong responsibility. Christians are to keep the feast spiritually “not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Corinthians 5:8). Summarized from a Jan-Apr 1971 GN magazine Q and A.
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