I knew you'd understand.

This Shabbos is known as Shabbos HaGadol-"the great Shabbos."  How did it get that impressive title?

As our commentaries explain (based on the Midrash), it was on the Shabbos before the Exodus (the tenth of Nisan) that the Jews fulfilled the divine commandment communicated to them by Moshe of taking and setting aside a lamb-one per household, or extended family-which would be slaughtered and eaten as the korban pesach (Passover offering) four  days later.  The Egyptians asked the Jews why they were taking lambs, deities in Egyptian society, and tying them to their bedposts.  When the Jews responded that they were going to kill, roast and devour these false gods of the Egyptians, at the behest of Hashem, the one true G-d, the Egyptians were enraged and sought revenge but were miraculously prevented from harming the Jews in any way.  (One tradition, quoted in The Book of Our Heritage, a beautiful compendium of law and tradition on the Jewish holidays, says that the Egyptians "were stricken with all kinds of bodily suffering" to prevent them from responding.)

Forced to watch helplessly the disparagement and destruction of their idols! 

In commemoration of the miracle that took place on that Shabbos-the beginning of the final phase of our redemption which culminated in the destruction of the firstborn and the mass departure from Egypt on the 15th of Nisan,-the Sages decreed that the Sabbath immediately preceding Pesach would forever after be called, Shabbos HaGadol, the Great Shabbos.  

The special Haftarah we read on this Shabbos is taken from the very last chapter of the very last book of the Prophets (Malachi).  It concludes with an inspiring evocation of the great Redemption to come, which-we are told-will be preceded by a great wave of teshuvah: "Behold-I send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and awesome day of Hashem.  He shall restore the heart of fathers to children and the heart of the children to their fathers."

Many people have the custom of reading a portion of the Haggadah on this Shabbos in the afternoon, as they prepare themselves for the final countdown period to Seder night. 

The profound Torah commentary, S'fas Emes, goes deeper to understand the meaning of this Sabbath's special designation.  

He cites an interesting teaching of our Sages: Shabbos complained that while every other day of the week is coupled with a special partner (Sunday with Monday, Tuesday with Wednesday, Thursday with Friday), she is left all alone.  Hashem comforted the Shabbos by saying that the Jewish people is its partner, its spouse.  

Every Divine influence or emanation (hashpa'ah) needs something to be able to receive it, the S'fas Emes explains.  There are spiritual levels or locales, so to speak, in G-d's creation which can "receive" or accomodate the emanation of the six days of the work-week. Shabbos, however, has a kedushah (holiness) which transcends the entire physical creation-which is presumably why Shabbos is called, "a taste of the World to Come," by our Sages.  Where in the Creation is there a spiritual counterpart to receive the lofty blessing and emanation of Shabbos??!!  Nowhere except.the Jewish people. 

Yet, it is only with the Exodus from Egypt that the Children of Israel become free of their bondage, and capable of assuming the "yoke" of the Torah and mitzvos and, thereby, raising themselves above the bounds of nature and its restrictions; the open miracles of the Exodus reveal to them the absolute power and transcendence of G-d, the M'kor hanisim (Source of miracles), under Whose tutelage they will henceforth live their national life.  The Exodus elevated us to that lofty level of being able to become the "spouse" of the Sabbath. 

And guess what?  It was on that Shabbos directly prior to the Exodus, specifically, when we actually became free and elevated people!  For it was on that day, the 10th of Nisan, that we observed our first Divine command-to "draw forth and take" (Exodus: 12, 21) a lamb to be the Passover offering.  The Midrash significantly explains the Torah's double expression, draw forth and take, when it could have just said, take: "Draw forth [yourselves] from idolatry, and cling to the mitzvah!"  The taking of the lamb represented the final and decisive drawing back from Egyptian idolatry (which, remember, had deeply influenced our forefathers in Egypt, our Sages tell us), to ascend to the spiritual level of being "servants of
G-d." 

It was the great Shabbos, indeed, for on it we became free and, therefore, Shabbos itself found its soulmate, the Jewish people. 

And that's why this Shabbos before Pesach has its special name.

Oops,  I really have to get back to cleaning.I hear rumblings (and crumblings) from under my study door.  I hope to write something more before Pesach, but it all depends on how much there's left to do around the house.  Don't think I'm complaining: as this holiday of "liberation" is meant to teach us, we were released from Egypt so that we could ascend to the (blessed) state of being servants to the Almighty.  And that means getting busy.   

May we all learn to whistle while we do G-d's holy work and enjoy the extra-special spiritual influence of this unique Sabbath. 

Good Shabbos!

Insights Into Genesis
Insights Into Exodus
Insights Into Leviticus

Rabbi Yosef Edelstein is Director of the the Savannah Kollel and the Savannah Torah Education Project (STEP).
Phone: 912-355-0157;
fax: 912-354-9923; e-mail: Yosef18@aol.com

Brought to you with the help of the Ben Portman Computer Center.

This Dvar Torah page created and hosted courtesy of OU.ORG.
No responsibility for its contents may be implied or taken by the OU