My Conversion Story Journal

May 23, 2024

I think everyone has heard of Passover when the blood of a lamb was put on the doorposts and the firstborn was killed. What not everyone knows is that the night that they killed the lamb, there were some that could not participate because they were in charge of taking care of Jacob's bones. Those people were ritually impure and could not participate in the sacrifice to G-d. They, however, wanted to be able to serve also and thought it wasn't fair that they missed out. G-d agreed to give them a second chance. Thirty days later is Pesach Sheni, the second (or little) Passover.

Though there are traditions that come with the holiday, like eating matzah, but Pesach Sheni has so much more meaning than the few traditions that accompany it. Pesach Sheni comes with an amazing and inspiring message of hope and second chances. The idea is that no matter what you have done in your life, there is always the chance to change and to come back to Hashem. The idea of second chances and repentance is a common and recurring theme in Judaism. G-d forgives. All that matters is that you come back to G-d.

I have to admit that I was overwhelmed with work on Pesach Sheni and didn't even think about it. However, I had a hankering for matzah (and my daughter did too) so we ate it with dinner. It was during my Hebrew class a little bit later when I said, "אני אוכלת מצה" or, in English, "I am eating matzah" that my teacher GZ reminded me that it was the holiday.

Only in Judaism is there an entire holiday dedicated to second chances to get right with G-d. What a G-d we have!