Pesach-Offering (Passover)

Another timely chapter on the current situation of Israel against Iran and its proxies.

Return to Hashem, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and He will return… v. 6

For your G-d is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him!” v. 9

What can be clearer?

Obeying G-d’s commandments is proof of fear and worship of Hashem, G-d.

“The Pesach Offering”

“A Call To Return”

Hezekiah then sent word to all of Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the Temple of Hashem in Jerusalem to perform the pesach-offering to Hashem, God of Israel.
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… to come and perform the pesach-offering unto Hashem, God of Israel, in Jerusalem, because for a long time they had not done in accordance with what was written.
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… “Children of Israel! Return to Hashem, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you that still remains from the hands of the kings of Assyria.
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Do not stiffen your necks now as your fathers did! Reach out to Hashem and come to His Sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and worship Hashem, your God, so that His burning wrath may turn away from you!
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… for Hashem your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him!”
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They got up and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Ravine.
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… and the Kohanim and Levites felt humiliated and sanctified themselves and brought burnt-offerings to the Temple of Hashem.
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For many of the people — many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun — had not purified themselves, and they ate pesach-offering not in accordance with that which is written; but Hezekiah prayed for t hem, saying, “May the benevolent Hashem grant atonement for
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whoever sets his heart to seek out God, Hashem, the God of his forefathers, though without purity required for the sacred.”
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Hashem listened to Hezekiah and absolved the people.
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The Children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Matzos for seven days with great joy, with the Levites and the Kohanim singing praises to Hashem each day, playing their instruments with great fervor before Hashem.
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There was great joy in Jerusalem, for such a thing had not taken place in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon son of David, King of Israel.
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1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the House of the Lord in Jerusalem, to perform the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, the God of Israel.
2 And the king and his officers and the entire congregation took counsel in Jerusalem, to perform the Passover sacrifice in the second month.
3 For they could not perform it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves sufficiently, and the people had not gathered to Jerusalem.
4 And the matter was proper in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of the entire congregation.
5 And they issued a statement to announce throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan to come to perform a Passover sacrifice to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, because for many years they had not performed it as it is written.
6 So the couriers went with the letters from the hand of the king and his officers throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Children of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to the remnant that has escaped from the clutches of the kings of Assyria.
7 And do not be like your fathers or like your brothers, who acted treacherously against the Lord, the God of their fathers, and He made them a desolation, as you see.
8 Now, do not be stiffnecked like your fathers; give a hand to the Lord and come to His Sanctuary which He consecrated forever, and worship the Lord your God, so that His burning wrath returns from you.
9 For when you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before their captors and shall return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
10 Now the couriers passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, and they laughed at them and mocked them.
11 But people from Asher and Manasseh and from Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 The hand of God was also upon Judah to give them one accord, to perform the command of the king and the officers concerning the word of the Lord.
13 And a huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Matzoth in the second month, an exceedingly large assembly.
14 And they arose and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense they removed and cast them into the Kidron Valley.
15 And they slaughtered the Passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the second month, and the priests and the Levites were embarrassed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt-offerings to the House of the Lord.
16 And they stood in their station as was their custom, according to the Torah of Moses, the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many among the congregation who had not consecrated themselves, and the Levites were in charge of the slaughter of the Passover sacrifices for everyone who was unclean, to make it holy for the Lord.
18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, for they ate the Passover sacrifice not as it is written, for Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord atone for
19 anyone who has set his whole heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his forefathers, though [he be] not [cleaned] according to the purity that pertains the holy things.”
20 And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 And the Children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Matzoth for seven days with great joy, the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, with powerful instruments to the Lord.
22 And Hezekiah prevailed upon all the Levites who were experts in the service of the Lord, and they ate [the sacrifices of] the appointed season for seven days, sacrificing peace-offerings and thanking the Lord, the God of their forefathers.
23 And the entire congregation took counsel to keep another seven days; and they kept seven days of joy.
24 For Hezekiah, the king of Judah, separated for the congregation one thousand bulls and seven thousand small cattle, and the officers separated for the congregation one thousand bulls and ten thousand small cattle, and the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.
25 And the entire congregation of Judah and the priests and the Levites and the entire congregation that came from Israel, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
26 And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel [there had] not [been] the like in Jerusalem.
27 And the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to His holy habitation, to heaven.