Shabbos Hagadol: What Makes This Shabbos Greater Than Others?

The Shabbos before Passover is called “Shabbos Hagadol,” the Great Sabbath. What is it about this Shabbos that makes it worthy of such a title and makes it “greater” than the other sabbaths of the year?

On the verge of our liberation from Egypt 3,338 years ago, G-d instructed each Israelite household to take the sheep that they were soon to offer as the Paschal sacrifice and tie it to their bedpost. The sacrifice was made on the 14th of Nissan, but the sheep was to be bound 4 days earlier, on the 10th, which was shabbos. The reason for this was in order that the Egyptians should see the sheep bound to the Israelites’ beds and ask them why they did so. The Israelites would then explain that they were preparing the sheep for sacrifice, after which G-d would bring a plague to the Egyptian firstborn and then liberate His people from bondage.

The Egyptians worshipped the sheep as a god. Their natural response to such an explanation would thus be to fight against the Israelites to avert such an affront to their deity. Nevertheless, the Israelites trusted in G-d and bound the sheep as commanded. Even more surprisingly, the Egyptians did not wage war against the Israelites. Rather they warred against themselves – the firstborn Egyptians approached Pharaoh and demanded that the slaves be freed in order that the 10th plague that they told of would not come to pass.

Pharaoh, in his stubbornness, did not accede to the firstborns’ demand, and therefore a civil war ensued in which Egyptian fought against Egyptian. All of this occurred on Shabbos, four days before the Israelites would leave Egypt on the day that we would afterwards celebrate as Passover.

What is so “great” about these events? The Lubavticher Rebbe explains that this battle between the Egyptians represents a wondrous example of darkness being transformed to light. Life is a conflict between these two forces, and one commonly battles with the other. In this case, however, the darkness itself was turned over and employed in G-dly service. This is a prelude to the time when the light concealed within all of creation will be revealed, and all of G-d’s works will join together in His service.

“As in the days of your going out from Egypt, I will show you wonders” (Micah 7:15). We are currently witnessing wonders that are reminiscent of those that our ancestors experienced over three thousand years ago. The children of our enemies are rising up against their wicked rulers. Our armed forces are assisting them in their struggle for their own freedom, and we pray for their success. May this “Great Shabbos” be the immediate precursor to the time of liberation for all of G-d’s children that we have been awaiting for millennia.

— Pnei Hashem is an introduction to the deepest depths of the human experience based on the esoteric teachings of Torah.  www.pneihashem.com