Tomorrow, Friday May 1, corresponds with the 14th day of Iyar. It will be exactly a month since Passover.
(That doesn’t even seem possible, time doesn’t fly it zips away in a blink).
The second year after the redemption from Egypt, during Passover, a group of people were unable to participate. Their spiritual condition was sullied and therefore they could not perform the Passover sacrifice.
Instead of quietly slinking off into oblivion or thanking their lucky stars that they got a pass on Passover, this group took a stand. They approached Moshe and petitioned for the opportunity they had missed.
Moshe does not dismiss them, instead he brings their case to Gd.
The response is a positive one.
Gd says yes, there is a place for you in this observance.
All is not lost.
From this interaction is born
Pesach Sheini, the second Passover.
Its message for us: is all is never lost. Even if the gates forward in spiritual growth seem hopelessly shackled shut, they are actually never locked completely. If you have a desire, there is a way through.
It is also important to note that this concept of a second chance only happened because this group took initiative and asked. Without their drive and desire to fulfill the Mitzva, no solution would have appeared.
So, tomorrow is a hopeful day.
It signifies to us that we are not bound by the chains of missed chances and can fly on the optimistic wings of opportunities to be taken.
Rabbi Yaakov Emden, 18th century Rabbinic leader, teaches that the Jews were given a second chance to bring their Paschal offering specifically on the 14th of Iyar because that was the last day when the Jews still had leftover Matza from when they left Egypt. When they finished the last of the Matza on the evening of the 15th they questioned Gd on the nature of their food supply and in the 15th the Manna began to fall. So it is as though the 14th is the end of the Exodus and the 15th marks a new stage of life in the Redemption process.
This week’s Torah portion is
entitled Emor which means “say to”. The opening sentence is Gd telling Moshe to speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron.
Every word in the Torah is meticulously chosen, so it would seem unnecessary to reiterate to the priests that they are the sons of Aaron. They are well aware of that fact.
The Sages explain that before the priests are given instruction they must be reminded of whence they come and who is their spiritual role model.
They will build on that reality to go forth.
We too need to remember what our roots are because if we strive for holiness we need to remember who came before us and who has paved the way. We stand on the shoulders of our matriarchs and patriarchs-our spiritual role models.
When we know our roots, we can spring forward.

The Portion also speaks about Kiddush Hashem, “sanctifying Gd’s name through ethical actions, righteousness and integrity in daily life. This positive behavior reflects well upon the Jewish faith and the Jewish community”.
These actions can be large scale such as the story of a young Rabbi named Noach Muroff who found $98,000 in a desk he purchased on Craigs List. He returned the money to the grateful owner who never imagined the lost money had gotten jammed behind the drawers. She publicized this story until it got picked up in the media. Rabbi Muroff’s ethical conduct was celebrated on many a morning talk show. That was a huge Kiddush Hashem.
A person can also make a Kiddush Hashem in a more private setting.
A friend of mine had the privilege of working on a large scale community project with many Rabbis and lay leaders. Many years later, one of the lay leaders has begun exhibiting signs of dementia. One of his favorite pastimes is to reminisce about the good old days of the project they worked on together. He called my acquaintance and had a wonderful conversation going over the whole project. During their chat, the lay leader mentioned the name of one specific Rabbi who had also played a role in this work. He remembered him fondly.
When they finished the conversation, my acquaintance picked up the phone and called the aforementioned Rabbi, sharing that this beloved lay leader remembers him well and would probably enjoy a chat. Approximately an hour later the Rabbi called back to report he had indeed made the call and spent a heartwarming half hour going over old times.
My friend felt happy that he was able to affect this interaction.
Then he received another phone call from the lay leader.
He said in a very uplifted tone to my friend
“Today is my miracle day! I just mentioned the name of that Rabbi to you and would you believe he just “happened” to call me. We had such a nice chat and he didn’t even ask me for money”.
Can you imagine being the source of someone’s “miracle day”?
That Rabbi made a real Kiddush Hashem.
It’s not going to be on Good Morning America, but he made that man’s morning the best it could be - with one phone call.
This portion and these days all point to the same thing. If we remember who we are and where we come from we will truly be inspired to take every opportunity and every chance to be a living breathing sanctification of Gd’s name.
Even if we didn’t get it right the first time.
Matza Anyone?
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!