LEAVEN

Any food substance that produces fermentation when added to dough is known as leaven. Leaven may signify the dough already infected by leaven, which was put into the flour so that the leaven could pass through the entire mass before baking, or it may refer to dough that had risen through the influence of the leaven. The early Hebrews apparently depended on a piece of leavened dough for transmission of the leaven; not until much later were the lees of wine used as yeast. The ancient Israelites regularly ate leavened bread (Hosea 7:4), but in the commemoration of the Feast of the Passover they were forbidden to eat leavened bread or even to have it in their homes during the Passover season (Exodus 13:7). This annual observance ensured that the people would not forget their hasty Exodus from Egypt, when YHVH’s Command gave no time for the preparation of leavened bread. The people were forced to carry with them their kneading troughs and the dough from which they baked unleavened cakes to sustain them as they journeyed (Exodus 12:34-39; Deuteronomy 16:3). Possibly because fermentation implied disintegration and corruption, leaven was excluded from all offerings placed on the altar to be sacrificed to YHVH (Exodus 23:18; 34:25). It was also not permitted in grain offerings (Leviticus 2:11; 6:17). Scripture does not tell us whether or not the showbread (or bread of the Presence) was unleavened, but the historian Josephus states that it was leavened (Antiquities 3.6.6). Two exceptions to this rule should be noted. Leaven could be used in offerings that were to be eaten by the priests or others. Leavened bread could accompany the peace offering (Leviticus 7:13), and it was sacrificed at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) because it represented the ordinary daily food that Elohiym provided for His people (23:17). The slow working of the leaven proved to be a problem during the agricultural stage of Hebrew development, especially during the first busy days of harvest. Unleavened dough, therefore, became increasingly common for ordinary baking. This practice was encouraged by the growth of the idea that leaven represented decay and corruption, as did other fermented things. This view excluded leaven as inconsistent with the concept of the perfect holiness of YHVH. Plutarch was expressing a long-held belief current also among other people when he wrote, “Now leaven is itself the offspring of corruption and corrupts the mass of dough with which it has been mixed.” The apostle Paul quotes a similar proverb in 1 Corinthians 5:6 and Galatians 5:9. The significant thing about leaven is its power, which may symbolize either good or evil. Usually, though not always, leaven was a symbol of evil in rabbinic thought. Yeshua referred to leaven in the adverse sense when He used the word to describe the corrupt doctrine of Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6, 11-12) and of Herod (Mark 8:15). The leaven of the Pharisees is elsewhere identified as hypocrisy (Luke 12:1; compare Matthew 23:28). Paul applies the same concept to moral corruption, warning that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” and admonishing his readers to clean out the old leaven, that is, the vestiges of their unregenerate lives, and to live the believer’s life with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). On the other hand, the Moshiach uses the concept of leaven’s effect upon dough in its good sense to provide his disciples with a brief but memorable parable (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21), wherein leaven illustrates the cumulative, pervasive influence of the Kingdom of YHVH on the world.

Thus, in biblical contexts, leaven (or yeast) primarily symbolizes corruption, sin, and the spread of negative influences. The spiritual meaning of leaven is multifaceted, with both positive and negative interpretations depending on the context.

Negative Symbolism:

Sin and Corruption:

Leaven's ability to permeate and transform dough is likened to how sin can affect individuals and communities.

False Teaching and Hypocrisy:

In the New Testament, Yeshua uses leaven to warn against the corrupting influence of false teachings and hypocrisy, particularly those of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Moral Decay in the Churches:

Leaven can also symbolize moral decay within the church, social media or a community.

Pride and Self-Importance:

In some interpretations, leaven represents pride and being full of oneself, which is the opposite of humility.

Positive Symbolism:

Transformative Power of the Kingdom of YHVH:

In the parable of the leaven, Yeshua uses it to illustrate how the Kingdom of YHVH will spread and transform the world.

Positive Influence of YHVH's Kingdom:

Some see leaven as a symbol of the positive influence of YHVH's Kingdom, which can permeate and change everything it comes into contact with.

Hidden Potential for Good:

Just as yeast is hidden in dough, the power of YHVH's Kingdom is present and can grow to transform the world.