The Book of Numbers speaks of an event called the “Second Passover” (Pesach Sheni in Hebrew). In ancient times, there was 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 didn’t want to miss out on being able to bring the offering with the rest of the people. 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).

When Moses turned to God for an answer, He responded to their plea, instituting a “substitute Passover” which was to be observed exactly one month after the first day of Passover—on the 14th day in the month of Iyar. 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 the Second Passover.

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.

It is customary to eat matzah (unleavened bread) on this 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.

One of the most important themes that Pesach Sheni has to teach is this: It’s never too late to start again.

Pesach Sheni is a one-day holiday which begins the evening of April 30, 2026, and ends the evening of May 1, 2026 (Iyar 14 on the Hebrew calendar).

A traditional greeting for this day is: Chag Same’ach (Happy Holiday)!

9.  And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:  10.  ’Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If any man of you or of your generations shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD;  11.  in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs;

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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.