* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
So many of us are longing for a second chance. Today, the 14th of Iyar, we mark a special day called “Pesach Sheini” (Second Pesach).
The Torah tells us that a month after the Children of Israel celebrated the holiday of Pesach in the desert, a group of men approach Moshe Rabbeinu. They report that they had been in a state of impurity during Pesach and hence were unable to fulfill the mitzvah of korban pesach. Then they ask for another chance to participate in this important mitzvah, and their petition leads to a significant and surprising development. God announces to Moshe: Their request has been accepted. Today, one month after Pesach, is the day they were granted a second chance. It is still customary to eat matzah on this day.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out the incredible message that lies beneath this story:
“Pesach Sheini teaches us that it is never too late, and even if a person feels distant and cut off—it is always possible for him to make amends.
When a Jew feels that he is missing something in his spirituality or observance of the mitzvot, he should not rely on others but instead put forth a sincere effort, pray, and implore God for assistance—and in the end, his prayers will be answered and he will be given the opportunity he seeks.
On this day we are encouraged to reflect on our past—to correct our mistakes or compensate for missed opportunities. But it is also a reminder that just as those people (in the desert) expressed their fervent longing for a Pesach Sheini, we too must continue to cry out to God to bring the true and complete redemption speedily in our day.”
May we merit to desire and restore what has been lost or broken, both on the individual and national level.
