2021/5781

Shabbat HaGadol or the “Great Shabbat,” as translated by Wikipedia, seems to have some sort of significance in the year. What is the significance of this Shabbat?? What makes this Shabbat different from all other Shabbatot? 

The Tur on Orach Chaim 430 writes, “Shabbat SheLifnei HaPesach Korin Oto Shabbat HaGadol VeHaTa’am LeFi SheNa’aseh Bo Neis Gadol,” “The Shabbat before Pesach is called ‘Shabbat HaGadol’ because a great miracle happened on it”. The Tur explains that the fact that all of Klal Yisrael took thousands of lambs without any resistance from the Mitzrim itself is a miracle, as the sheep was their most beloved form of Avodah Zara. 

Tosafot, however, offers a different understanding of the miracle of Shabbat HaGadol. The Gemara Shabbat 87b says that Yetziat Mitzrayim fell out on a Thursday. Tosafot comments that this means that they took the Korban Pesach on the previous Shabbat, the tenth on Nissan. The first-borns of the Mitzrim asked the Jews what they were doing. They explained that ”Zevach Pesach Hu LaShem,” “It is the Passover sacrifice to Hashem" (Shemot 12:27) and that Hashem will kill all of the first-borns. In an effort to stay alive the Egyptian boys begged their fathers and Paroah to let the Jews go, but were answered with a firm “no.” The Bechorot would not take “no” for an answer so they waged war and killed many Mitzrim. This can be understood through the pasuk in Tehillim, “LeMakeh Mitzrayim BiVchoreihem,” “Who struck Egypt through their first-born” (136:10).
Regardless of which approach we take, we are still left with a significant question. Why Shabbat? The Pasuk (Shemot 12:3) makes it very clear that this was “Be’Asor LaChodesh HaZeh,” “on the tenth of this month”. This is not the United States federal government where we arbitrarily make a holiday on a Monday for an extended holiday weekend. If it happened on the tenth of Nissan we should give significance to the tenth of Nissan!

The Prisha suggests a fascinating answer. Perhaps the reason we give Shabbat significance and not the tenth is because the miracle happened only due to our Shemirat Shabbat. The Mitzrim asked why the Jews were taking a Korban only because they were surprised that Klal Yisrael was violating the Melachah of Kosheir.

The Magen Avraham suggests that since Miriam passed away on the 10th of Nissan, and the well stopped providing water, this would not be an appropriate day to celebrate. Therefore, we picked the next best thing – the Shabbat before.

There is a long standing tradition (since the times of the Mishnah and Gemara) that a great Talmid Chacham, generally the Rav of the community, delivers a big Drasha on Shabbat HaGadol. The Drashah includes Musar and Halachah to teach us how to be better servants to Hashem and how to properly prepare for the upcoming holiday. Looking back at the origins of this sacred Shabbat, it makes perfect sense! This Shabbat started out with us preparing for Pesach, so that is exactly what we do on this Shabbat every week!

But what about this year? This year, Erev Pesach is on Shabbat. While there are many questions about what to do on such a special occasion, that has an 11.5% chance of occurring, one that gets overlooked is what happens with the Drasha? We established that the major reason for this Drasha is to prepare us for Pesach but what’s the point on Shabbat Erev Pesach, when there is no more time to prepare?! 

The solution that many have come up with is to give the Drasha a week earlier to allow for the Halachot to be learned in time to effectively prepare for Pesach. (This year, in order to accommodate more congregants, many Rabbanim have elected to give their Drasha over Zoom after Shabbat.) Although the special Haftarah for Shabbat HaGadol –from which Shabbat HaGadol actually gets its name– will be said this Shabbat on the “official” and “Halachik” Shabbat HaGadol, the special Drasha will likely have taken place already. 

Nissan is known to be the month of Ge’ulah. Perhaps if we take the comment of the Prisha to heart, that Klal Yisrael was saved because of their commitment to Shemirat Shabbat, we will Im Yirtzah Hashem be Zocheh to witness a true and complete Ge’ulah Sheleimah BeMeheirah BeYameinu.