Pessach Sheni
14th Iyar (2nd month)
PESSACH SHENI: THE SECOND PESSACH
Pessach is the only Torah holiday that gives people a second chance to celebrate. 'Pessach Sheni' is a 'Second Passover' for those unable to celebrate Pessach on the 14th Aviv (Leviticus 23:5) [1].
Pessach Sheni relates to the 1-day holiday of Pessach and not the 7-day Festival of Unleavened as well. It's interesting to note that this holiday stems from the resolution of a legal question of Torah Law (a controversy [2]) by Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 9:6-12 [3]:
6. And there were some men who were unclean due to a human corpse, so they could not observe the Pessach on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that day 7. and those men said to him, "we became unclean because of a human corpse, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of Yehova at the appointed time among the sons of Israel?"
8. And Moses said to them, "Stand still ('imdu' [4]) so I may hear [5] what Yehova will command concerning you".
9. And spoke Yehova to Moses, saying 10. "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'if any man is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, of you or throughout your generations, he may still observe the Pessach of Yehova. 11. They may keep it on the second month on the fourteenth day; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 12. They shall not leave any of it until morning nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Pessach they shall keep it".
It's interesting to note there are two sets of Pessach instructions; one for the Israelites as they're leaving Egypt and another for the generations every year after. The commandment to eat the Pessach with bitter herbs is stated as part of the original Exodus commandments but not as part of the regulations for the years after. The only place the eating of bitter herbs appears in relation to the commandments for every year after is the 'Second Pessach'.
Similarly, in Numbers 9:12, there is a commandment that we are not allowed to break the bones of the Pessach (the sacrifical lamb) although that does not appear in the main Pessach instructions.
Another interesting point that accompanies the instructions for the Second Pessach is found in Numbers 9:14, which says:
"If a foreigner dwelling among you wants to observe the Passover to Yehova, he is to do so according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute to both the foreigner and the native of the land".
This holiday goes some way, therefore, to connect the interpretation of law by the priests with the application of Torah over Israel.
REFERENCES
1. Leviticus 23:5: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/leviticus/23-5.htm.
2. See IsraelAlia, 'Controversy': https://www.israelalia.com/controversy/.
3. Numbers 9: https://biblehub.com/bsb/numbers/9.htm#6.
4. 'Imdu': https://biblehub.com/hebrew/imdu_5975.htm and https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5975.htm.
5. 'Shama': https://biblehub.com/hebrew/veeshmeah_8085.htm.