The Heart’s Search For Chametz

For those of you that have celebrated Passover before, you know that there more to do than just prepare a special dinner.

The week leading up to Passover is tedious and involves meticulous cleaning and scrubbing and searching to make sure that all chametz is removed from the home. To say the least, there is a lot of preparation that goes into readying our homes for Passover.

What’s more important than cleaning and preparing out homes though?

Cleaning and preparing our hearts.

We ceremonially clean the chametz from our homes in accordance with the command in Exodus 12. But this practice, as with all the traditions that we keep, is just a physical representation of something much deeper and spiritual.

To ensure the search for and removal of the chametz is thorough, we hide 10 pieces of chametz around the house for others to find. These 10 pieces represent 10 spiritual counterfeits we want to remove from our hearts.

The 10 pieces of chametz represent the “Qlippoth, which are the 10 Sefirot of Impurity.

The word Qlippoth means, “shells” or “husks”. And that’s because they are empty counterfeits, or illusions, of the emanations of Hashem. These are the inverted reflections of the divine Sefirot of Hashem which are seeds of life. The Qlippoth are often described as the "other side", the Sitra Achra.

This is my rendition of these sefirot for the purpose of searching them out and removing them from our hearts:

1 Thaumiel, the Twin God, the Contending Forces

This is the counterfeit of Keter, Crown.

Hashem should wear the crown as King in our lives, not our own ideals, work, or even our religion.

2 Ghagiel, the Hindrance

This is the counterfeit of Chokhmah, Wisdom. Wisdom broadens our knowledge of things, making true understanding possible through the imparting of the Ruach and the Word of God. Things like a false perspective, assumptions, or suspicion, feel like wisdom but actually hinder our ability to gain true wisdom causing complacency, false reality, or even digression. Ghagiel is Wisdom’s shadow, a delusion, a fraud, and the ego's tricks to prevent enlightenment.

3 Satariel, Concealing

This is the counterfeit of Binah, Understanding.

Understanding uncovers things beneath the surface, similar to how Yeshua knew what was in the hearts of men. Understanding helps us discern a person’s unspoken intention behind their words. Understanding looks past the physical state of things to uncover the ministry opportunity or the baggage that needs to be addressed. The counterfeit, concealing, can be likened to shortsightednesses. We think we know something, so we look no further. We think we understand fully, but in doing so we actually conceal the things we should be seeking out. Satariel embodies the obstruction of intellectual or spiritual growth.

4 Gha'agsheblah, Smiler or Deceiver

This is the counterfeit of Chesed, Kindness.

True kindness provides what is necessary, not always nice. A gentle rebuke is chesed. A smiler or deceiver looks like kindness, but brushes aside what is actually necessary to pacify something instead. Also seen as excess that actually destroys. “Spoiling” a child is a good modern example.

5 Golachab, Burning Ones

This is the counterfeit of Gevurah, Justice.

Justice knows limits. It is not unhinged burning passion and zeal. Both Gevurah and Golachab can look very similar, but the latter represents the corruption of discipline into uncontrolled rage, merciless destruction, and tyranny.

6 Thagiriron, Disputers

This is the counterfeit of Tiferet, Beauty and Harmony.

Harmony means that things are working together. Creation works perfectly together as intended by Hashem. That’sTiferet. Sometimes, in our attempts to provoke “harmony” we dispute matters. Often times, this causes division and can disturb things instead of providing harmony.

An example: If everyone drove appropriately in their own lane, the roads would be safe. Whereas focusing on the car driving on the side of you and yelling at them to slow down or speed up could result in an accident.

Another example: Yeshua says “Why are you concerned with the speck in your brother’s eye when you have a log in yours.” Superficial vanity, fake beauty, and spiritual emptiness is embodied here as well. We can quote scripture with a hard heart. We can dress modest, but for holier then thou reasons. This is Thagiriron.

7 Harab-Serapel, the Ravens of Death and Division

This is the counterfeit of Netzach, Victory.

Hashem is one. Victory is won through unity. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Sometimes, we think that if we want something done right, then we must do it our ourselves. An independent victory isn’t actually a victory at all, it’s isolation and division. These two types of “victories” can look strikingly similar.

8 Samael-Deceivers

This is the counterfeit of Hod, Splendor.

Splendor is glorious. Splendor is great value and unmatched quality. The Priestly garments were of splendor, fine materials that took long to craft, dyed threads, hammered gold, and cut gems. Splendor is like a Diamond ring in 14k gold. The counterfeit is convincing, like cubic zirconium set in at gold plated ring. One example of this in my life is a strict bedtime for the kids to ״provide stability.״ What’s actually quality though? An extra 10 minutes of snuggles, an extra half hour to make room for extra prayers or discussion. Both look good on the outside. Both look like they’re quality, but one is a superficial sham. This embodies trickery, fraud, and destruction.

9 Gamaliel, Obscene Ones

This is the counterfeit of Yesod, Foundation.

A good foundation is built carefully with attention to detail, without over looking things in order to prevent cracks. Obscenity compromises moral convictions. We should build on the Word of God and faith for true Yesod, but sometimes we also unintentionally build on hand-me-downs from past baggage, family ties, generational curses, or unchecked religious belief and practice. This foundation is not solid. There are cracks, and it can rear its ugly head in opposition to the Yesod of the Torah. We see this in the gospels when Yeshua rebukes men for tithing dill and mint while ignoring the needs of the their elderly parents. It looks convincing but it’s a counterfeit.

10 Lilith, Night, Queen of Night

This is the counterfeit of Malkut, Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven has a King, and an order to it. Torah gives us laws for purity, food, dress, relationships, work, and calendar. We are called to be children of the day, servants of the Most High, and heirs of the heavenly kingdom. We easily fall into patterns that are of the kingdom of this world, the kingdom of darkness. It can becomes so normal that we don’t even realize we serve it.

This Passover, may we all search deeply, clean thoroughly, and remove fully the things in our hearts that are not of Hashem!

Shalom and Chag same’ach, beloved ones