Home Jewish Holidays Sacred Time – Pesach Sheni: Dealing With Failure

Sacred Time – Pesach Sheni: Dealing With Failure

by Yehudis Golshevsky
Sacred Time - Pesach Sheni: Dealing With Failure
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Sacred Time – Iyar 3

Dealing With Failure

One of the highlights of Iyar is Pesach Sheni, the “second Pesach,” which falls a month after Pesach and on which it was possible for those who were unable to bring the Pesach offering during Nissan to “catch up” and bring it later. Reb Nosson, z”l, points out that the reality of Pesach Sheniseems counterintuitive. A person was impure and unable to bring the sacrifice required on Pesach. Reason dictates that it is too late to repair this year’s Pesach. Once the time has passed, how can one fulfill its time-bound mitzvah?

The answer lies in what those who missed the first Pesach said to Moshe. “Why should our portion be diminished?” That group of people was ritually impure and had lost the special opportunity to bring the sacrifice on time. But they didn’t give up. They yearned to regain what had been lost, to make up their vanished opportunity. “Why should we lose out?”

Amazingly, Hashem granted them their wish. In the merit of their yearning, they were able to bring a sacrifice on Pesach Sheni a month after the first day of Pesach.

The same is true regarding all failures, especially on this precious day. If we only yearn for what we lost spiritually we create a new opportunity to make it up.

It is time for us to open a new chapter, gain a new lease on life. Let us yearn for another chance to restore that which seemed lost. All we need to do is yearn and beg Hashem. On Pesach Sheni—and the year round—He will surely grant this special gift.

מאמרים קשורים

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