YOELI: Yossi! What is that?!
YOSSI: What does it look like, Yoeli? It’s a sheep!
YOELI: Why do you have a sheep, Yossi?
YOSSI: For the Korban Pesach, of course!
YOELI: But you need a Beis Hamikdash for that!
YOSSI: Exactly! Im yirtzeh Hashem, by the time Pesach comes, we’ll have a Beis Hamikdash, and I’m gonna bring this little shepsele for a korban!
YOELI: But could you bring the korban here, in Teveria?
YOSSI: No way Yoeli! Even when bammos where allowed in Eretz Yisrael for other korbanos, the Korban Pesach had to be brought in Yerushalayim! Part of the mitzvah of Oleh Regel is to have everyone together in Yerushalayim. The Leviim would sing Hallel while the korbanos were shechted, and then we would roast it for the korban! In fact, the korban itself is supposed to be eaten in a chaburah – a group of people. We may not break any bones of the korban, and none can be left over by morning. We would not eat or drink anything after eating the Korban Pesach – the taste would remain in our mouths!
YOELI: Wow, Yos. I wish we had a Korban Pesach nowadays. We have a small remembrance, though.
YOSSI: Well, iy”H, we will! What do you mean?
YOELI: The Zeroah on the Seder plate reminds us of the Korban Pesach- that’s why we don’t eat it – so we should remember how badly we need to go home!
YOSSI: Yoeli, I hear you loud and clear! Im yirtzeh Hashem this year we will finally be zocheh to the one place we all want to go… we’ll be zocheh to go home!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 31 Special Pesach.