בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:
Blessing for Torah Study
Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha'Olam Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu La'asok Bedivrei Torah
Blessed are you Adonai, our God, Sovereign of Eternity, who has made us holy through Your sacred callings and called upon us to immerse ourselves in the words of Torah.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה בְמִדְבַּר־סִ֠ינַ֠י בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה הַשֵּׁנִ֜ית לְצֵאתָ֨ם מֵאֶ֧רֶץ מִצְרַ֛יִם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) וְיַעֲשׂ֧וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־הַפָּ֖סַח בְּמוֹעֲדֽוֹ׃ (ג) בְּאַרְבָּעָ֣ה עָשָֽׂר־י֠וֹם בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֜ה בֵּ֧ין הָֽעַרְבַּ֛יִם תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ בְּמֹעֲד֑וֹ כְּכׇל־חֻקֹּתָ֥יו וּכְכׇל־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
(1) יהוה spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, on the first new moon of the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying: (2) Let the Israelite people offer the passover sacrifice at its set time: (3) you shall offer it on the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, at its set time; you shall offer it in accordance with all its rules and rites...
(6) But there were some householders who were impure by reason of a corpse and could not offer the passover sacrifice on that day.
(9) And יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (10) Speak to the Israelite people, saying: When any party—whether you or your posterity—who is defiled by a corpse or is on a long journey would offer a passover sacrifice to יהוה, (11) they shall offer it in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs...
משנה: וְאֵיזוֹ הִיא דֶרֶךְ רְחוֹקָה מִן הַמּוֹדִיעִית וְלַחוּץ וּכְמִידָּתָהּ לְכָל רוּחַ דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר מֵאַסְקוּפַּת עֲזָרָה וְלַחוּץ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְפִיכָךְ נָקוּד עַל הֵ׳א לוֹמַר לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרְחוֹקָה וַדַּאי אֶלָּא מֵאַסְקוּפַּת הָעֲזָרָה וְלַחוּץ׃
MISHNAH: What is a far-away trip? From Modiˋin and farther away, and the same distance in every direction, the words of Rebbi Aqiba. Rebbi Eliezer says, outside the doorstep of the Temple Courtyard. Rebbi Yose said, therefore there is a dot on the ה to indicate not that it be really far but outside the doorstep of the Temple Courtyard.
Etz Chayim
The Hebrew אוֹ֩ בְדֶ֨רֶךְ רְחֹקָ֜הׄ can mean not only "or on a long journey" but also "or far off." The Talmud understands the phrase to include a person who is spiritually distant from God and from the Jewish people on the holiday. Such a person need not feel permanently exiled. Even the wicked child of the Haggadah should always feel that a return is possible.
Questions for Discussion: What does it mean that an important ritual moment can be postponement for a reason of physical impurity or distance? How might we understand that in our own lives? What does it mean if the ritual moment can be rescheduled for reasons of spiritual distance? How might we understand that applying in our own lives? What might that look like?