The Avodat Pesach Sheini: Service and Obligation

דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א ׀ לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ אוֹ֩ בְדֶ֨רֶךְ רְחֹקָ֜הׄ לָכֶ֗ם א֚וֹ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעָ֥שָׂה פֶ֖סַח לַיהֹוָֽה׃ בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בְּאַרְבָּעָ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר י֛וֹם בֵּ֥ין הָעַרְבַּ֖יִם יַעֲשׂ֣וּ אֹת֑וֹ עַל־מַצּ֥וֹת וּמְרֹרִ֖ים יֹאכְלֻֽהוּ׃ לֹֽא־יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עַד־בֹּ֔קֶר וְעֶ֖צֶם לֹ֣א יִשְׁבְּרוּ־ב֑וֹ כְּכׇל־חֻקַּ֥ת הַפֶּ֖סַח יַעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃

Speak to the Israelite people, saying: Regarding anyone—whether you or your posterity—who is defiled by a corpse or is on a long journey and would offer a passover sacrifice to GOD: They shall offer it in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and they shall not leave any of it over until morning. They shall not break a bone of it. They shall offer it in strict accord with the law of the passover sacrifice.

בְּמַאי קָמִיפַּלְגִי? רַבִּי סָבַר: שֵׁנִי רֶגֶל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ הוּא. רַבִּי נָתָן סָבַר: שֵׁנִי תַּשְׁלוּמִין דְּרִאשׁוֹן הוּא. תַּקּוֹנֵי לָרִאשׁוֹן, לָא מְתַקֵּין לֵיהּ. וְרַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן עֲקַבְיָא סָבַר: שֵׁנִי תַּקַּנְתָּא דְרִאשׁוֹן הוּא.

The Gemara explains: With regard to what do they disagree? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi holds that the second Pesaḥ is its own Festival, and anyone who did not participate in the first Pesaḥ is obligated to participate in the second even if he was not fit to bring the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ. Conversely, Rabbi Natan holds that the second Pesaḥ is merely a redress for the first Pesaḥ, such that if one was obligated to bring the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ and did not, he may do so on the second Pesaḥ; however, it does not repair the failure to bring the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ. Therefore, one who intentionally refrained from bringing the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ is liable to receive karet even if he brought the Paschal lamb on the second Pesaḥ. However, if one unwittingly failed to sacrifice the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ, he is not liable to receive karet even if he intentionally refrained from observing the second Pesaḥ. And Rabbi Ḥananya ben Akavya held: The second Pesaḥ repairs the failure to offer the Paschal lamb on the first Pesaḥ. In other words, the Paschal lamb brought on the second Pesaḥ is not an independent obligation; rather, it allows a second chance to avoid the liability to receive karet.

מַה בֵּין פֶּסַח רִאשׁוֹן לַשֵּׁנִי, הָרִאשׁוֹן אָסוּר בְּבַל יֵרָאֶה וּבַל יִמָּצֵא, וְהַשֵּׁנִי, מַצָּה וְחָמֵץ עִמּוֹ בַּבָּיִת. הָרִאשׁוֹן טָעוּן הַלֵּל בַּאֲכִילָתוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי אֵינוֹ טָעוּן הַלֵּל בַּאֲכִילָתוֹ. זֶה וָזֶה טָעוּן הַלֵּל בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָן, וְנֶאֶכָלִין צָלִי עַל מַצּוֹת וּמְרוֹרִים, וְדוֹחִין אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת:

What is the difference between the Paschal lamb offered on the first Pesaḥ and the Paschal lamb offered on the second Pesaḥ? On the first Pesaḥ, at the time of slaughtering the Paschal lamb, it is prohibited to own leavened bread due to the prohibitions: It shall not be seen, and: It shall not be found. And on the second Pesaḥ it is permissible for one to have both leavened bread and matza with him in the house. Another difference is that the Paschal lamb offered on the first Pesaḥ requires the recitation of hallel as it is eaten and the second does not require the recitation of hallel as it is eaten. However, they are the same in that the Paschal lambs sacrificed on both the first and second Pesaḥ require the recitation of hallel as they are prepared, i.e., as they are slaughtered, and they are both eaten roasted with matza and bitter herbs, and they override Shabbat in that they may be slaughtered and their blood sprinkled even on Shabbat.

מִי שֶׁהָיָה טָמֵא בִּשְׁעַת שְׁחִיטַת הַפֶּסַח שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין עָלָיו. אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בְּדֶרֶךְ רְחוֹקָה. אוֹ נֶאֱנַס בְּאֹנֶס אַחֵר. אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁגַג וְלֹא הִקְרִיב בָּרִאשׁוֹן. הֲרֵי זֶה מֵבִיא פֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם. וּשְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְדוֹחָה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁאֵין הַשֵּׁנִי תַּשְׁלוּמִין לָרִאשׁוֹן אֶלָּא רֶגֶל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ לְפִיכָךְ חַיָּבִין עָלָיו כָּרֵת: כֵּיצַד. מִי שֶׁשָּׁגַג אוֹ נֶאֱנַס וְלֹא הִקְרִיב בָּרִאשׁוֹן אִם הֵזִיד וְלֹא הִקְרִיב בַּשֵּׁנִי חַיָּב כָּרֵת. וְאִם שָׁגַג אוֹ נֶאֱנַס אַף בַּשֵּׁנִי פָּטוּר. הֵזִיד וְלֹא הִקְרִיב בָּרִאשׁוֹן הֲרֵי זֶה מַקְרִיב בַּשֵּׁנִי. וְאִם לֹא הִקְרִיב בַּשֵּׁנִי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׁגַג הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב כָּרֵת שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא הִקְרִיב קָרְבַּן ה' בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ וְהָיָה מֵזִיד. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁהָיָה טָמֵא אוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ רְחוֹקָה וְלֹא עָשָׂה אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹן. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵזִיד בַּשֵּׁנִי אֵינוֹ חַיָּב כָּרֵת. שֶׁכְּבָר נִפְטַר בְּפֶסַח רִאשׁוֹן מִן הַכָּרֵת:

When someone was impure at the time of the slaughter of the Paschal sacrifice and the Paschal sacrifice could not be slaughtered for him, was "on a distant way," he was prevented because of other reasons, or inadvertently failed to offer the first Paschal sacrifice, he should bring a Paschal sacrifice on the fourteenth of the second month in the afternoon. Slaughtering this Paschal sacrifice is an independent positive commandment and supersedes the Sabbath prohibitions. For the second Pesach is not compensation for the first, but an independent festival. Therefore one is liable for karet for failing to bring the sacrifice. What is implied? If a person inadvertently or because of forces beyond his control failed to offer the first Paschal sacrifice, if he intentionally refrained from offering the second, he is liable for karet. If he inadvertently did not offer the second Paschal sacrifice or was held back due to forces beyond his control, he is exempt from karet. If he intentionally did not offer the first Paschal sacrifice, he may offer the second. If he did not offer the second Paschal sacrifice, even if his lapse was unintentional, he is liable for karet. The rationale is that he did not offer God's sacrifice at the appointed time and was willful in his omission. If, however, he was impure or "on a distant way" and did not offer the first Paschal sacrifice, he is not liable for karet even though he willfully did not bring the second. The rationale is that on the first Pesach, he was already exempt from karet.

(א) שני וחמישי וכו' - שחוששין שמא מתוך משתה ושמחה באו לידי עבירה כמו שמצינו באיוב שהביא קרבנות והתענית במקום קרבן אבל בעצרת דאינו אלא יום אחד אין חוששין:

ומה הוא הדבר הזה, כי האדם יש לו לחשוב על דרכיו. ואמר (פסוק כב) "עד מתי וגו'". כלומר וכי אין אתם יראים כי תלכו מן העולם בלא תשובה, ולכך יש לכם להתחרט על מעשיכם.

להיות תמים בעבודתו יתברך עבודה תמה ועיקר שלא לשכוח הדברים. ועיקר ללמוד בכל יום שיעור מוסר הן רב הן מעט.

Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem, peace be upon him, taught us to be wholehearted in our service of HaShem, blessed is He and to serve Him with simplicity. Of primary importance is not to forget the Commandments we received directly from HaShem at Chorev (Aseret HaDvarim-עשרת הדברים), and to study teachings of Mussar, that deal with developing good character traits and right conduct, on a daily basis, whether one studies a little or a lot.