Eat the second Passover lamb on the night of the 15th day of the month after Passover

The Literal Commandment

In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall celebrate it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  They shall not leave any of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; they shall celebrate it in accordance with the whole statute of the Passover. (Numbers 9:11-12)

This positive commandment requires those observing the second Passover (Pesach Sheni) on the 14th of Iyar to eat the roasted lamb that night with unleavened bread (matzah) and bitter herbs (maror). All the core rules of the first Passover apply: nothing may be left until morning, no bone may be broken, and it must be eaten roasted. Why this requirement? The second Passover is not a lesser observance — it is a full memorial of the redemption from Egypt for those who missed the first one. Eating the lamb with matzah and maror reminds the participant of both the haste of the Exodus and the bitterness of slavery, reinforcing gratitude for G-d’s deliverance.

Messiah Says

Messiah affirms this commandment's spirit by commanding us to remember His redemption with gratitude and diligence:

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” (Matthew 26:26)

And He calls us to ongoing remembrance:

Do this in remembrance of Me. (Luke 22:19)

Yeshua instituted the memorial of His own sacrifice during the Passover season, calling us to remember with wholehearted devotion.

Pictures of Messiah

Why must the second Passover be eaten with matzah and bitter herbs? Because Messiah is our true Passover Lamb. The unleavened bread points to His sinless body, and the bitter herbs remind us of the suffering He endured to bring us out of slavery to sin. Even those who missed the first redemption are invited to partake in the greater deliverance He provides.

For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Messiah knows what it is to be the Lamb whose blood brings deliverance. He offers second chances and full redemption to all who come to Him.

How Messiah Fulfilled

Scripture is silent on whether or not Messiah personally observed a second Passover, yet He perfectly fulfilled the deeper meaning of this commandment. He offered Himself as the true Passover Lamb during the first Passover season, providing the ultimate redemption that the second Passover could only foreshadow.

Through His death and resurrection, Yeshua made it possible for every person — even those who were unclean or far away — to partake in true deliverance. The second Passover showed G-d’s mercy in giving another opportunity; Messiah fulfills it by offering eternal redemption and inclusion to all through His once-for-all sacrifice.

Traditional Observance

In Temple times, those who observed the second Passover on the 14th of Iyar ate the roasted lamb that night with matzah and bitter herbs, following all the rules of the first Passover. Rambam (Hilchot Korban Pesach) details that the same strict procedures applied. Today, without a Temple, we cannot slaughter and eat the Passover lamb. However, many observe the 14th–15th of Iyar with special study, a festive meal, and remembrance of redemption.

Can we perform this commandment today? No. Absent a Temple and a properly functioning Levitical priesthood, we cannot slaughter and eat the Passover lamb as commanded. Yet we can still remember and celebrate God’s redemption through Messiah, our Passover Lamb, with gratitude and joy.

Other Notes

This commandment appears in Numbers 9:11-12 as part of the instructions for the second Passover. It demonstrates G-d’s mercy in providing a second opportunity for those who missed the first. In Messiah, the Passover finds its ultimate fulfillment: He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, inviting all — even the unclean and the distant — into full redemption.