By: Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui
Every holiday which the bible commands us to celebrate, grants us a special strength in our overall service to G-d. They are all very significant.
When the Jewish people where commanded for the very first time, to offer the Passover sacrifice in purity, there were some people who were not able to fulfill this commandment because they were not in this state of purity. They were very distraught at loosing this very special opportunity to approach G-d through this very special request and asked that they be given a second chance.
G-d acquiesced to their request and granted them Passover number two. They were given a month to clean up their act, and they would be allowed another chance. This Passover number two, is also called, small Passover.
Although the obvious power and lesson for all people, from this holiday, is that if a person sincerely desires, there is always a second chance. It would seem, that this holy day was granted only as a second chance, and as its’ names indicates that it is second in importance, and small in comparison to Passover number one. So the question is, “How then can we consider this special day on par with all the other holidays of the year?”
There is an accepted paradigm that G-d created every creation in the world, in a way that it is both giver and receiver. The only being that needs no one, but everyone else needs and depends on, is G-d. Apart from G-d, nothing and no one can feel so arrogant and haughty that it needs nobody, because in some area of their existence they need to receive from another.
No one and nothing, can ever feel so low that they are worthless, because in some manner and fashion there is something very unique about their existence that they must contribute to the world, that without them, the world and the universe would be incomplete.
Not only does their every existence contribute to the overall completion of the universe, even further, it is their input that establishes the ultimate perfection of existence that could never be possible without them.
G-d created the world in such a way that he intentionally allowed this very important area of the universe to each individual to complete and perfect. This is the unique mission of every individual, and what this means is that no one can say, well if G-d didn’t do it, if Moses didn’t tell us, it must mean we can put our hands up in the air, and just lay back, since it must not be necessary.
This is the “major” lesson and strength we take from a number two, and “small” holiday. The holiday was established only because, it was people who demanded and would not sit back in satisfaction of status quo. This concept that people can make a difference, creates a small holiday with the lesson that even something that appears insignificant, has its place which is a very special place needed, for not only the completion of the yearly cycle, but it is part of the perfection the calendar.
Every individual person must use their unique and unduplicatable individuality to perfect the world around them, and it’s never too late to do so, there is always another chance.
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