English translation — בהעלותך א

Sicha 1<pg>56</pg>

A.

Regarding the law of the Second Passover — that the Torah established the make-up for the First Passover specifically on the 14th of Iyar<sup>1</sup>,

a month after the First Passover — requires explanation<sup>2</sup>

: What is different about the Passover offering

(that the time of its make-up comes after an interval of a month)

from the other festival offerings,

whose make-up days come in sequence to the first day of the festival<sup>3</sup>?

And in particular according to the words of our Sages, may their memory be blessed<sup>4</sup>

that "those who were impure from a human soul"<sup>5</sup>

in the desert

(who came with the claim "Why should we be diminished so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed time"<sup>6</sup>

and merited that this portion was said concerning them<sup>7</sup>)

the seventh day of their impurity fell on the eve of Passover,

so that according to this, it would have been possible to set the time of the make-up offering during the days of the festival itself.

And it may be said,

that

(according to the inner dimension of the Torah)

this is the foundation for the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek<sup>8</sup>,

that the concept of the Second Passover in the service of man relates to the content of the service of the month of Iyar<sup>9</sup>,

the "second month".

Content of the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek:

The concept of the Second Passover in the service of man is — the ascent from the first level of the Exodus from Egypt

(The first Passover which is in the month of Nissan,

the first month)

to the second level

(which is in the month of Iyar,

the second month)¹⁰,

namely the service of "and do good" which comes after the preparation of "turn away from evil".

That is: the Exodus from Egypt is the beginning of the service,

"Turn away from evil" — the departure from Egypt; and as explained in Tanya<sup>11</sup>

that regarding the Exodus from Egypt it is said<sup>12</sup>

"For the people fled",

"because the evil in the souls of Israel was still in its full strength etc.",

and the main service of them was in the manner of "Turn away from evil"

(the flight from the impurity of Egypt)

; and after the preparation of the service of "Turn away from evil" they ascended to the second level — "And do good".

And in spiritual service in the soul of man — the Exodus from Egypt

(the first Passover)

is the service of "subjugation",

subduing the evil in his soul; and from this service he reaches and ascends to the second level — the service of "transformation",

the transformation of evil to good,

"With all your heart — with both your inclinations"<sup>13</sup>.

And this level of the second Passover corresponds to the entire innovation in the service of the month of Iyar,

the second month

(relative to the month of Nisan,

the first month)

— the Counting of the Omer

(that "the main part of the Counting of the Omer is the entire month of Iyar"<sup>8</sup>)

— that the service of the Counting of the Omer is the refinement of the attributes and their transformation to holiness.

And based on this, he explains¹⁴

the difference between Pesach<pg>57</pg>

First and Second Pesach,

that "the first is forbidden in bal yera'eh and bal yimatzei,

and the second, chametz and matzah are with him in the house"¹⁵

:

Since the service of the first Passover is "turn away from evil",

flight from evil,

therefore the obligation to burn the chametz applied then

(which alludes to evil,

"the leaven in the dough"¹⁶),

that there should be no chametz in his possession; but not so the second Passover,

whose concept is the transformation of evil to good,

at that time one does not need to burn the chametz from his possession,

but rather "chametz and matzah are with him in the house",

for through the second Passover is given

(in addition —)

the power to transform the chametz into holiness.

[And it can be said that this is analogous to the superiority of the two loaves on the festival of Shavuot

(relative to the omer offering of the Passover festival),

that its excellence is specifically in that "you shall bake chametz"¹⁷

— for after the completion of the service of the counting of the omer, the chametz is completely transformed into holiness¹⁸

and they can and do make it an offering to G‑d¹⁹].

B.

But it is puzzling in the very explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek,

that seemingly this explanation — that Pesach Sheni is a second and superior level in service

(do good,

transformation)

coming after the prior service of Pesach Rishon

(turn from evil,

subjugation)

— is the opposite of what is explicit in the plain meaning of Scripture

(and law),

that the entire matter of Pesach Sheni is only for a person who did not bring the first Pesach

(and one who offered his sacrifice on the first Pesach,

not only is he not obligated to offer the second Pesach,

but he is forbidden to offer the second Pesach)

!

And according to the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek this is the opposite²⁰

— for in addition to this, that after the service of Pesach Rishon the service of Pesach Sheni is appropriate and also required,

there is moreover this,

that it is impossible to reach the service of Pesach Sheni except specifically through the prior service of Pesach Rishon?

!

3.

And one can say the explanation of this — with a preface:

the above-said,

that the entire matter of the Second Passover is specifically when the First Passover did not precede him,

this is only regarding the Passover sacrifice,

that if he did not offer the first, he offers the second,

and if<pg>58</pg>

If one brought [the Paschal offering] on the first [Pesach], it is forbidden for him to bring it on the second; but it is understood that this does not apply to the other matters and commandments of the festival of Pesach,

such as the prohibitions of chametz and the eating of matzah — that even one who does not bring the Paschal offering on the 14th of Nissan

(according to the Torah,

being "impure" or "on a distant road"²¹)

is obligated in the prohibitions of chametz and to eat matzah etc.

[And one may add,

that in the matter of the verse,

the "men who were impure through contact with a human corpse"⁵

were

(according to the words of our Sages²²)

"Mishael and Elzaphan..

who were occupied with Nadav and Avihu",

that is to say that their impurity was by the command of Moses²³

"Come near, carry your brothers etc."

(And it can be said that this is²⁴

Explanation of their claim "Why should we be diminished" — for at first glance it is not understood: What place is there for the claim "Why should we be diminished from offering the offering of the Lord at its appointed time" — behold they themselves preceded an answer to this claim by saying "We are impure by contact with a dead person,"

therefore they are unable to offer the offering of the Lord at its appointed time?

But their claim was founded on this, that their impurity was by the command of Moses,

and therefore they claimed: Is it possible that by the command of Moses — "we should be diminished",

and especially from "offering the offering of the Lord at its appointed time").

And based on this it is clear and simple that all the matters of Pesach among these "men"

(except — the offering of the Korban Pesach)

were in the ultimate perfection].

And based on this the words of the Tzemach Tzedek are understood, that Pesach Sheni belongs to the second level in avodah,

which comes after the first level of Pesach Rishon,

that is,

that in order to come to Pesach Sheni it is necessary that there first be Pesach Rishon

(even though Pesach Sheni is only for one who did not offer the Pesach Rishon)

:

The spiritual service of the holiday of Pesach — "turn away from evil",

subduing the evil — is connected with the fulfillment

(the rest)

of the matters and commandments of the holiday

(the prohibitions of chametz,

and the obligation to eat matzah — "poor man's bread"²⁵)

; and since even one who did not offer the first Pesach at its proper time, he performs his service in

(the rest)

the matters of Pesach,

it follows,

that Pesach Sheni is for him the second level,

which comes after the service of the first Pesach

(the first)²⁶,

and as explained by the Tzemach Tzedek that on Pesach Sheni one reaches and ascends to the second level in service,

do good,

transformation.

D.

However, the matter has not yet been fully explained:

Indeed it is true that even one who did not offer the first Passover sacrifice was not diminished in his service

(also the spiritual)

in the first level of the first Passover

(since he had all the matters of the first Passover except the Passover sacrifice),

and from it he ascends to the second level,

of the second Passover — but on the other hand: a)

why is one who offered the first Passover forbidden to offer the second Passover

(and according to the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek, the service of the second Passover is required from him),

b)

how and in what way does he ascend to the second level in the service of God when it comes

(only)

through offering the first Passover at its appointed time?

And one can say the explanation of this:

After the offering of the first Passover sacrifice,

there is no longer any need to bring a sacrifice on the second Passover in order to reach the second level

(do good,

transformation)

— because this was already done in perfection through the sacrifice on the first Passover.

That is: that which is within a person's ability to reach

(in the month of Iyar,

&lt;pg&gt;59&lt;/pg&gt;

the second month)

the second level in divine service

(do good,

transformation)

comes through the Passover sacrifice of the first Passover.

Explanation of the concept:

"Korban" — is from the term closeness²⁷,

that through korbanot a person draws close to God.

And as explained in many places²⁸

the concept of korban in the service of man,

that a person must sacrifice to God the "animal etc." within him,

until he is fit to be offered on the altar of God and burned in the fire from above,

to be included in holiness etc.

And the offering of the first Passover, it is that which gives strength and causes that the continuation of man's service

(Counting of the Omer,

whose time begins immediately "from the morrow" of Passover)

will be in such a manner,

that through it he will reach "do good",

transformation²⁹.

And there is no contradiction between the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek

(that the second Passover, its concept is the second level in the service of G-d)

and the concept of the second Passover

(which comes to rectify and complete the deficiency of the first Passover)

— because the service of the second Passover

(the second level,

transformation)

depends on the offering of the Passover sacrifice.

Therefore: one who offered the first Passover,

will surely reach the second level

(in the second month,

including the day of the second Passover)

and there is no need

(and consequently — place)

for an additional sacrifice³⁰

; but not so one who did not offer the Passover sacrifice in the first,

it is impossible for him to reach the level of transformation without rectifying and completing the deficiency of the first Passover by bringing a sacrifice on the second Passover

(and he will not be diminished from offering — in the manner of the first Passover).

5.

According to this explanation, the reason that even in this time Pesach Sheni is established as a special day for all of Israel is also sweetened,

and as our master, the Alter Rebbe, wrote in his Siddur³¹

that on Pesach Sheni Tachanun is not said,

and there is even a custom³²

to eat matzah on it as a remembrance of Pesach Sheni³³.

For seemingly: the concept of Pesach Sheni is a correction and completion for one who did not offer the first Pesach<pg>60</pg>

[And also to the understanding of the verse³⁴

(and so is the halacha³⁵)

that Pesach Sheni is a festival in its own right,

therefore even one who was not obligated to bring the first Pesach and became obligated between the first and second

(a minor who grew up,

or a convert who converted between the first and second)

is obligated to bring Pesach Sheni³⁶

— nevertheless it must be said

(and it is explicit in the verse that it came through the claim "why should we be excluded")

that the essence of Pesach Sheni is a completion for the deficiency of the first,

and anyone who performed the first cannot become obligated in the second; but the Torah innovated

(and added in the simple meaning of the verse — a festival in its own right)

that since the minor etc. was not obligated in the first,

nevertheless the possibility was given to him to offer the Pesach on the fourteenth of Iyar — and likewise for a convert³⁷]

;

Therefore,

in this time

(and especially in the diaspora)

when we have no Pesach offering³⁸

— then seemingly the entire matter of Pesach Sheni no longer applies — and what place is there for the celebration of Pesach Sheni

(in whatever manner)³⁹?

More than this: "An individual is deferred to the Second Passover, but the community is not deferred to the Second Passover"⁴⁰,

that is,

the matter of the make-up of the Second Passover is given only to an individual and not to the community⁴¹

; and if so, how does it fit to establish the Second Passover as a day of special customs,

that we do not say Tachanun etc. — for all of Israel together⁴²?

[And it is very forced to explain that this is only according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda

(in the Yerushalmi⁴³)

that when it was given to Israel to build the Chosen House

(between the First Passover and the Second Passover)

" — the community makes the Second Passover

(and especially according to what we explained elsewhere⁴⁴

that it can be said that also the Bavli holds in this like the Yerushalmi,

that in such a case the community makes the Second Passover)

— and if so, even though there is no Passover sacrifice on the first, nevertheless it is possible that there be a sacrifice on the Second Passover —

For what we celebrate Pesach Sheni is not related to the possibility of offering the Pesach Sheni, but rather a remembrance of the Pesach Sheni that was in the time of the Temple,

And what place is there to establish a remembrance for the public regarding the completion of a matter that was given only to an individual?]

And it must be said that Pesach Sheni has a matter that pertains to all of Israel⁴⁵.

And according to what is explained above in the content of the matter of Pesach Sheni in the service of man — the matter is understood simply,

For on this day every person from Israel has the power to reach the second level in the service of God,

The service of transformation.

That is: even those who offered<pg>61</pg>

First Passover,

the completeness of the action of this offering

(which is the service of ishafcha)

comes in the second month,

and specifically at the Second Passover

[in which begins the counting that belongs to the attribute of Hod⁴⁶]

;

And therefore,

also in this time,

that there is the spiritual service of the Passover offering,

we celebrate the time designated for the ascent to the second level in the service of God,

ishafcha and do good.

(From sichos of Pesach Sheni 5747,

5744)