Torah Portion of the Week

Building Character through the Themes of the Weekly Torah Portion

  • Torah Portion Beha’alotcha STBM Messer

Torah

Numbers 8:1–12:16

Next Reading:

June 6, 2026

21 Sivan, 5786

Haftarah

Zechariah 2:14–4:7

דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת׃

Da-ber el–A-ha-ron v’a-mar-ta e-lav b’ha-a-lo-t’kha et–ha-ne-rot el–mul p’nei ha-M’no-rah ya-i-ru shiv-at ha-ne-rot.

Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the Menorah.

Numbers 8:2

Beha’alotcha means “when you kindle”—referring to the kindling of the lamps of the Menorah in the Tabernacle.

In this Torah portion, Moses instructs the Children of Israel concerning when and how to offer the Passover offering. However, there were a group of Israelites who had been unable to bring the Passover offering at the appointed time in the month of Nissan due to ritual impurity (through no fault of their own). They came to Moses saying, “Why should we be deprived from offering God’s offering at the appointed time along with the Children of Israel?” (Num. 9:7).

Moses turned to God for an answer. God responded to their plea, saying that a “substitute Passover,” called Pesach Sheni (“Second Passover”), was to be observed on the 14th day of the following month—Iyar 14. Anyone who was impure or away on a journey and therefore unable to bring the Passover offering during its appointed time was given a second chance to bring the offering during Pesach Sheni.

The one-day holiday of Pesach Sheni is the only holiday whose purpose is to give a second chance to those who missed its initial observance.

Unlimited Second Chances Every Day

Pesach Sheni is more than just about making up for missing the first Passover; it’s an allusion to second chances. Maybe you are feeling spiritually impure or “far away” from God and from others due to past mistakes and indiscretions. This is where the idea behind Pesach Sheni comes in.

It’s never too late for a second chance. Maybe you need a second chance with a family member or friend. Maybe you need several second chances throughout the day because of negative thoughts or speech. No matter the situation, every moment is an opportunity for a second chance, in both big and small matters. Every moment can be a new beginning.

It’s never too late to correct past mistakes. Some mistakes may not be able to be completely fixed, but you can, with persistence and effort, amend those mistakes. You can get back up and start again. From that point on, you can choose to use the lessons of the past to walk into a changed future. The pain of the past is real, but the prospect of a better future is always in front of you.

God never expected us to be perfect. No matter how many times you “get it wrong,” you can stand back up and reach that which is right, good, and moral—so that things are even better than they were before. Every challenge is an opportunity for goodness. Your mistakes are what make you an overcomer.

On Pesach Sheni, God does not require one to remove leaven—which represents arrogance and a puffed up ego—from one’s home. God allows us to come as we are, as we cry out to Him for a second chance. Even when you fall, you can get back up and declare a new beginning. Even in the lowest places, God can always be found, and the potential for change is always present.

It’s never too late to start again.

God’s love for us can be seen in the opportunities for second chances that He gives us. Someone forgiving you for something hurtful you’ve done, your boss giving you an extension on a deadline that you missed, or being reunited with an estranged family member or friend are all examples of second chances that we can be grateful for. Sometimes second chances come in unexpected ways, like being delayed in getting to work or an event, only to find an animal in the middle of the road that needs your help, or a person who needs a hand at that very moment you arrive at your destination—which otherwise would not have happened had you not been delayed. Even experiencing a delay in an elevator could be the very opportunity for you to meet the person of your dreams!

What are some second chances that you have been given which you can be thankful for? Are there areas in your life where you need to give someone or something else a second chance?

A Glance of Hebrew | Beha'alotcha STBM Messer

Pronunciation Guide for Transliterated Hebrew Words

a

[a] as in arm

ai

[ai] as in Thailand

e

[e] as in red

ei

[ei] as in eight

i

[i] as in ski

o

[o] as in score

oi

[oi] as in oil

u

[u] as in rule

ui

[ui] as in gluing

ch/kh

[ch] as in the Scottish loch

g

[g] as in good (not as in giant)

tz

[ts] as in hats

‘

short “eh” or “uh” sound

The Hebrew Scriptures in this text have been derived from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC), and the English translation is based off of the JPS 1917 Tanakh.