Shabbat HaGadol 5782

(1) The Shabbat that is before Pesach is called "Shabbat HaGadol" or the "great Shabbat" because of the great miracle that occurred on that day. For the original Paschal lamb of Egypt was taken on the tenth of Nisan and the Pesach when they left Egypt was a Thursday (Tractate Shabbat 87a). It follows that the Shabbat prior to leaving Egypt was the tenth of the month and each individual took a lamb for his paschal offering and tied it to the frame of his bed. And when the Egyptians asked, "what is this?" They answered and said that the Holy Blessed One has commanded that we slaughter that animal. And the Egyptians worshipped sheep and yet they were stunned and silent. And furthermore, Israel informed that that in the future the Holy Blessed One would kill their first born. And the first born of Egypt waged a war with Pharaoh and their fathers and this is what is meant by "afflicting Egypt with its first born" as is explained in the Midrash. And on account of this miracle, we call it "Shabbat HaGadol."

(2) And lest you say, if the above is true, why observe Shabbat HaGadol on Shabbat rather than on the 10th of Nissan regardless of which day of the week it occurs? And one answer is that on the 10th of Nissan Miriam died and so it was not desirable to make the commemoration dependent on the calendar date such that the anniversary of her death should be a day of celebration. Furthemore, the tenth of Nisan is the day that they crossed the Jordan River, as it says in the Book of Joshua, and I would have thought that Shabbat HaGadol was established on Shabbat to set it apart from crossing the Jordan River. For this reason Shabbat HaGadol was established on Shabbat for the Jordan was not crossed on Shabbat. And lest you ask, who cares if people are confused and ascribe Shabbat HaGadol to crossing the Jordan? The answer is that these days are about the miracles of Egypt which were greater than the miracles of crossing the Jordan.

If you ask, why is it that in Egypt, when we were sunk in 49 gates of impurity, we dwelt there for only a few hundred years, in Babylon, to where we were exiled on account of the most severe transgressions like idolatry, gross sexual immorality, and bloodshed, we dwelt there for only two hours 70 years, and in this final exile we have dwelt for almost two thousand years and we still do not see the wondrous end?

The answer is simple. All of this comes upon us for we have forgotten that Shabbat HaGadol must come before Pesach. The cause must occur before the effect. In Egypt they killed their avodah zarah and it was not long after, only four days later, and the redemption immediately came. In Babylon too they had a moment akin to Shabbat HaGadol when they killed the inclination and desire for idolatry, as The Sages tell us. And now we want "Pesach" before "Shabbat HaGadol!" Such a think cannot be!

This is what is alluded to in the Haftarah, "behold I send you Eliyahu HaNavi before the great and awesome day of the Lord." Eliyahu the prophet is the Shabbat HaGadol of our times.