'Second chances'

Passover was such a significant observance for the Jewish people that a peculiar commandment is found in the book of Numbers (9: 4 ff.) Moses asks and the Eternal One agrees: If one is not unable to celebrate Passover during the month of Nisan, he or she may have another opportunity to offer the Passover sacrifice.

What was the purpose of scheduling a Second Passover? The Torah informs us that it was for the benefit of those Israelites who were legitimately unable to observe Passover at its appropriate time. Among the valid reasons one could offer for such a delay were ritual and ceremonial impurity, which restricted a Jew's access to the sanctuary and the Passover offering.

Another reason for observing a Second Passover was the possibility that someone was engaged in travel and unable to return home to observe Passover. So a Second Passover was instituted to accommodate those who needed a second opportunity to observe the holiday.

The rabbis of the Talmud ruled that even if one willfully missed the first Pesach, he or she is obliged to observe the second. This meal celebrates our origins as a community. It calls us to declare ourselves as joiners, individuals who belong to a greater whole. It teaches that offering and receiving second chances is another way humans may imitate the Holy One. Just as God grants second chances, so should we not only merit a second chance, but offer them to others.

According to Jewish law, a Second Passover without Temple sacrifices has no modern way to be commemorated, yet the lessons of Second Passover deserve a place in our consciousness and observance. Perhaps we should declare a Second Passover as a day of reconciliation where we make it a point to actively give ourselves and each other the benefit of a second chance. The ideal of a second chance is important to all of us today, even as we observe Passover at the prescribed season. The second chance is a psychological necessity for many people who have experienced failure or disappointment, despite putting forth their best efforts. A second chance reaches through a person’s sense of isolation, detachment, and hopelessness.