Page 1 of 61 The UCI Reference and Preparation Guide is provided as a tool to assist you in preparing for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, following YAH’s dietary laws and adopting a healthier lifestyle in general. Diligent efforts have been made to compile and verify the information contained herein. However, this guide is meant to serve as a reference only and is no substitute for personal due diligence. As always, we urge you to read product labels carefully before purchasing and do the research for yourself. To assist you, we have included information on common food additives, an explanation of the term “kosher” with some of the symbols most often used in food packaging, and a list of suggested websites you can visit to learn more. Reference & Preparation Guide Page 2 of 58 Preparing for THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD Reference & Preparation Guide Page 3 of 58 Preparing for The Feast of Unleavened Bread The Feast of Unleavened Bread: What is it and Why Do We Keep It? “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto YHWH: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” Leviticus 23:6-8 The Feast of Unleavened Bread was instituted by YHWH in Exodus 12 as the Children of Israel were about to be delivered from bondage in Egypt. YHWH instructed to keep this feast as a memorial. In the New Testament, leaven is likened to sin. In Matthew 16, Yashua warned the disciples of the leaven of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Saducees. In Corinthians 5:6, Paul asked “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” He further admonished us to “purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened”. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we are to purge ourselves, not just from physical leavening, but from the spiritual leavening that is sin. What is leavening? Leavening is what causes foods like breads, cakes, and cookies to rise or increase in volume. Leavening can be achieved using biological agents (i.e. yeast), chemical agents (i.e. bicarbonates), or by mechanical means (i.e. whipping ingredients to create foaming and air pockets that expand upon heating) as in the making of sponge cakes. (See ‘Wine’ for distinguishing Kosher wine for Passover and Unleavened Bread). Reference & Preparation Guide Page 4 of 58 Preparing for The Feast of Unleavened Bread What ingredients are considered leavening agents? There are many different leavening agents. The following are some of the most common: 1. Baking Powder 2. Sodium Bicarbonate (a.k.a. Baking Soda) found in self-risingflour 3. Yeast/Yeast Extract/Sour Dough Starter (Wild Yeast) 4. Ammonium Bicarbonate (a.k.a. Bakers Ammonia) leavening agent found in breads and cookies; used as smelling salt 5. Commercial (Synthetic) Potassium Bicarbonate called Pearl Ash is a leavening agent. (Fruits and veggies naturally contain potassium bicarbonate) 6. Calcium Phosphate (synthetic calcium added to breads, breakfast bars, cereals, crackers and some pastas to improve deficiencies). 7. Monocalcium Phosphate/Calcium Dihydrogen Phosphate (leavening acid compound used in breads and bakedgoods) 8. Sodium Aluminum Sulfate (leavening acid compound found in baking powders, doughnuts, refrigerated dough and cakemixes). What foods should I be aware of when preparing for the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Foods that commonly contain leavening ingredients such as cakes, cookies, pies, breads, and pastries are readily identifiable; however, may other food items such as seasoning mixes and canned goods may also contain leavening ingredients. Check your flour, corn meal and other such items to be sure that they are not the self rising variety. Read labels carefully for leavening ingredients. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and throw it out! Reference & Preparation Guide Page 5 of 58 Preparing for The Feast of Unleavened Bread What other items should I be aware of during this time period? Other items that you should check and be aware of during this time period include dryer sheets, various cleaning products, toothpaste and other personal care products including lotions and deodorants, etc. Many of these products contain leavening agents in one form or another and should be discarded from your home during this time. This would be a great time to discover the power of natural cleansing agents such as lemon and vinegar! Where can I find Unleavened Bread? You can purchase unleavened bread from grocery stores, usually in the ethnic or cultural foods aisles. One popular brand is Manischewitz Matzos. Another is Yehudah Matzos. They do not have to state “kosher for Passover” to be fit for use during Unleavened Bread. This labeling simply indicates that the product has been certified, blessed, and deemed fit for use by an Edomite Rabbinical Council. You need only be sure that the product contains noleavening. Why is “Spring Cleaning” necessary at this time? “Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.” Exodus 12:15 Reference & Preparation Guide Page 6 of 58 Preparing for The Feast of Unleavened Bread “Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses…” Exodus 12:19 YHWH commanded that we remove all traces of leavening from our home during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is for this reason that a thorough cleaning of our homes takes place at this time every year: Spring Cleaning! It is important to do all that is within your power to remove all leavening from your homes. This includes sweeping out the corners of your home as well as those areas where things often drop out of sight such as behind appliances. Many take this opportunity to do other cleaning tasks as well such as washing walls, windows, cleaning closets, etc. Whatever level of cleaning you decide to engage in, remember the important thing is to remove all leaven from your dwellings: including your home, your office and yourvehicles. Sweep out the corners of your home and clean behind Throw away: vacuum cleaner bags and filters Clean out appliances Clean out your vehicles Clean out your work areas/lockers Check personal care and cleaning products Read food labels carefully & When in doubt, throw it out! Reference & Preparation Guide Page 7 of 58 So what does the term kosher mean anyway? Depending on who you ask, you get a different answer every time. Kosher in general means that the food has been prepared in accordance with biblical dietary law (clean and unclean). However, companies have their own definition and understanding of kosher sometimes based on the diverse religions that exist today. So how do we know what is and what is not kosher when cruising the supermarket aisles? We refer to products as clean or unclean when using Kosher in general terms, but for Unleavened Bread your due diligence is more in depth. For Unleavened Bread, Kosher (Kashar in Hebrew) means the product must be free of leavening agents, and for wine, it must be naturally fermented. It is best to be thoroughly familiar with biblical dietary law and to read ingredient labels when shopping. When in doubt about the cleanliness of a product, or whether it contains yeast, or is naturally fermented, call the company to verify or err on the side of caution and refrain from purchasing that item. Reference & Preparation Guide Page 8 of 58 Kosher Wine List Wine Company Reason Bartenura Selecting from vegan and Kosher Manischewitz varieties is the easiest way to All are CLEAN & Mogan David ensure that your wine is CLEAN. Free of Leavening However, please note that you Sara Bee (Moscato) Agents Tree Of Life (Pomegranate) should always check your wine even if it has a kosher label, because there are several organizations that certify food and drink as Kosher who do not always agree with one another. So please do your own research. Below is a list to get you started as well as a link to guide you on finding vegan wines. www.barnivore.com Reference & Preparation Guide Page 9 of 58 Reference & Preparation Guide Page 10 of 58 All of the laws of YHWH were given for good reasons, including the dietary law. In it , YHWH distinguished between (i.e. set apart) clean and unclean animals and described for us the types of foods we are to eat. This is written in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-20. In Matthew 5:18, Yashua told us “…Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” We wonder why so many diseases run rampant through our people? It is because we have forsaken the laws of YHWH our Elohim and replaced them with mans’! African Americans twice as likely to suffer stroke than whites. 14.7% of all African-Americans aged 20 and above have diabetes. For more information, visit the information tables and pick up a copyof the Beyond the Surface publication titled “You Are What you Eat” and consider this: “For you art an holy people unto YHWH your Elohim, and YHWH has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto himself above all nations that are upon the earth.” Deuteronomy 14:2 “For what nation is there so great, who hath Elohim so near unto them, as YHWH our Elohim is in all things that we call upon himfor? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Deuteronomy 4:7-8 Reference & Preparation Guide Page 11 of 58 “For every creature of YHWH is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified bythe word of YAH and prayer.” I Timothy 4:4-5 Sanctified: to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sanctified?qsrc=2888 This scripture is often used by religious sects to justify eating any and everything under the sun.