Sunday, May 18, 2008

Round II

Important message from Israel’s Chief Rabbi: Due to unexpected circumstances, please note that Pesach actually begins this Sunday night!

If you think this message is far-fetched, it really happened. It was a long time ago, and the Chief Rabbi then was none other than Moshe himself.

What happened was a group of people volunteered to transport Yosef’s remains through the desert. When the first Pesach came around, they realized that they couldn’t participate in the Paschal lamb, because they were all impure.

This group went to complain to Moshe, who was stumped. Fortunately, he had 24/7 access to the Almighty, and received an answer for these people on the spot.

Had they never have asked, the Jewish nation would never have known that there’s a second chance at Pesach 30 days after the original for people who missed it.

This Sunday evening, we commemorate “Pesach Sheini”, the second Pesach, by eating some Matzah.

It is a beautiful time, with a powerful set of messages:
  1. Judaism always offers a person another chance, regardless of why they missed it the first time around.
  2. Never feel embarrassed to ask for a second chance- if you don’t ask; you don’t get.
  3. Your awkward situation may land up benefiting the whole community.
  4. When you need to play catch-up, Hashem helps you do a seven-day course in 24 hours.

Enjoy round II!

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