Jump Higher
There is a myth that we have to jump over obstacles. In truth, we have to keep on skipping, jumping and dancing even when the obstacles have long been surmounted.
The First Passover
One of the highlights of Parshas Emor is the detailed description of all the Jewish Holy Days. Among them we find the Festival of Passover.
There is, however, one Biblical Holiday conspicuously absent: Pesach Sheni, the Second Passover, which is observed in the same week that we read this parsha on the 14th of Iyar.
The Second Passover
Unfortunately, Pesach Sheni is one of the least known Jewish Holidays. Let us examine its origin and the powerful lesson it imparts even today when we no longer have the Paschal offering until the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash.
In a later Parsha, the Torah recounts how a few people were upset that they were denied the possibility to bring the Paschal offering the first Passover after the Exodus, because of their status as ritually impure. When Moses brought their plight to G-d, He was told that they should offer the Paschal offering a month later on the 14th of Iyar.
The simple reason for this observance was to accommodate the person who, unintentionally or even intentionally, failed to bring the Paschal offering on the eve of Passover. G-d provided the Jewish people with another opportunity to bring this offering a month later.
According to Jewish custom, there is very little that we do today on this Holiday, other than eating some Matzah and refraining from the Tachanun prayers that dwell on our sins.
Obvious Lesson
While there is presently little ritual associated with this day, there is much that is said about its spiritual significance. The obvious lesson from this Holiday is that there are no “missed opportunities” when it comes to serving G-d. We can always make amends for the things that we failed to accomplish. Although there is only one Holiday that has its double to compensate for the failure to observe the first, it nevertheless conveys the message that we can always correct the past.
However, upon deeper reflection there is a deeper lesson in the existence of this Holiday that goes beyond viewing it simply as a makeup exercise. Indeed, this deeper dimension of Pesach-Sheni is embedded in the simplest, albeit expanded, translation of the phrase: “Second opportunity to pass-over.”
Passing-Over for the Second Time
To understand the significance of this concept let us analyze the deeper meaning of “Passing Over” from both G-d’s perspective and from ours.
From G-d’s perspective, the name Passover was due to His passing over the Jewish homes when He killed the first-born Egyptians. On a more spiritual level, passing-over means that G-d introduced an unconventional measure of love for the Jewish people. With the display of this love, even those Jews who were not so deserving of being spared were also saved.
From our perspective, Passing-over meant that we left Egypt and all that which Egypt entailed, in great haste. Rather than taking measured and deliberate steps, we fled—passed-over—Egypt, because it epitomized the nadir of evil and the faster we could escape its influence the better.
When people are impressionable and insecure, they cannot afford to dilly-dally when it comes to moving away from evil. They must run and jump, passing-over anything and everything that may get in their way and prevent them from escaping the unhealthy influences of evil.
That was the first Passover.
However, the second Passover, which occurs in the second Hebrew month, represents graduating to the next level of spiritual growth, where one spiritual maturity makes it unnecessary to run away from evil. This more sophisticated individual has already changed focus from running away from evil to pursuing positive goals and achievements. Now it would seem that there is no longer a need to Passover.
Passing Over the Positive!
Yet, the second Passover conveys another message. Even after changing gears and focusing on pursuing positive goals, we should not forget the Pass-over message. “Passing-over” by doing unconventional things is not only designed to escape the clutches of evil; this power can and ought to be harnessed for spiritual growth as well. While the spiritual part of us is more comfortable with serene, peaceful and incremental changes in our lives, there are times that we have to apply the passionate, impulsive and unconventional nature to the realm of doing good as well.
In practical terms this means that while we have to try to be a little bit better every day of the year, there are special times that beckon us to make a quantum leap into a new and higher level of positive activity.
Three Tiered Lesson
This then is the three-tiered lesson of Pesach- Sheni even for those who did not miss any opportunities during the first Passover.
(a) Don’t be satisfied with running away from evil. Change direction now and accentuate the positive.
(b) Doing good is usually an arduous step-bystep process, as opposed to the mode of escaping evil, which occurs hastily and precipitously.
(c) Nevertheless, there are times when we must apply the Passing-over approach and instill into the second mode of life, doing good.
Dancing into Geulah!
Whatever has been said here with specific reference to today’s Holiday, Pesach Sheni, also applies to the ultimate and Final Redemption Jews have been working for, for the past twothousand years. While all of our incremental efforts were instrumental at getting us closer to the realization of this positive goal, there is a need to Pass-over and transcend our routine existence. In Chassidic parlance, “we have to dance and jump, joyously, into the world of Redemption and goodness.”
And from G-d’s perspective, though we have done our part in contributing to the refinement of the world for the last few thousand years, G- d must give us surprise us by precipitously, and imminently, bringing us Moshiach who will usher in the ultimate and unfathomable age of goodness.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Emor by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
