Shabbat HaGadol -- a lesson in freedom and responsibility

 In addition to Rabbi Wein's regular devar Torah on the parashah (here), we reproduce a piece by Rabbi Wein on the significance of Shabbat HaGadol. Enjoy!

The Shabbat that precedes the holiday of Passover has been named by Jewish tradition as Shabbat Hagadol—the Great Shabbat. Over the ages there have been many explanations as to why this Shabbat is set apart from all others. Rabbinic literature records that it marks the anniversary of the Jewish people’s preparation of the sacrificial lamb for the Passover offering while they were yet in Egypt, awaiting their imminent deliverance. Other reasons for the name have been advanced, all of which have been treasured in Jewish life over the centuries. 

Allow me to introduce another idea that I feel has relevance and importance. Passover represents freedom from bondage, a release from slavery and the creation of myriad possibilities for self-growth and accomplishment. However, human history testifies to the fact that freedom carries with it many responsibilities and dangers. Indeed, there has never been consensus as to what the true definition of freedom is or should be. 

Humans vacillate between uninhibited hedonism and unbridled licentiousness on one hand and tyranny of thought, action and social conformity on the other. Everyone claims to speak in the name of freedom, but we are aware that all ideas of freedom are subject to interpretation and circumstance. For many people freedom of speech only applies to speech that gains their approval. And this is true for all freedoms to which we pay lip service. We find it hard to stomach ideas that do not match our own. 

We therefore need to educate and train ourselves if we are to see that freedom is properly defined and implemented in society—and the training ground is Shabbat. In its essence, and paradoxically through its restrictions, it frees us from the chains of everyday life that so bind and constrict us. It allows for a freedom of the spirit and the imagination, for thought and for rest, which are almost universally absent from our regular six-day workweek. The Talmud elevated this notion to new heights, adding that freedom was inscribed on the tablets of the law that Moshe brought down from Sinai. Only by understanding the divine law and by appreciating one’s role in the universe that God created can one achieve a proper understanding of the gift of freedom.

It is obvious that misapplication of freedom has led to untold tragedies for millions of people throughout the history of mankind. The responsibilities of freedom are great. They are also demanding, requiring perspective and inner discipline. These items are the gifts of the Shabbat to the Jewish people, for they shape the ideas and goals of freedom for all who partake of the holy nature of that day. Without education and training, freedom itself may become an unbearable burden and a liability instead of an asset. 

Perhaps this Shabbat becomes the Great Shabbat because it teaches us how to be free and protects us from the lethal dangers of misapplied freedom. Freedom is not measured only by outside forces, governments and societal pressures. It is also measured by the internal emotions and mindset of the individual. One can live in the freest of societies and yet feel that one is a captive and a slave. 

A scene in a book by one of the Russian Jewish dissidents describes how he shared a cell with a clergyman of another faith, a monotheistic believer and a person who was moral to his very core. In one of the many discussions that this Jewish dissident had with his cellmate, they both concluded that only in this dungeon did they both feel completely free. And though they both desired to be released from the prison, they agreed that they probably would never again feel themselves to be as free as they did at that moment in the darkness of the jail. 

All the rules and ideas that are expressed in the Torah are meant to imbue in us this concept of freedom. Freedom is the connection of ourselves to our inner soul and to the Creator that has fashioned us all.

The Miracle, The Meaning, and the Message

What makes Shabbat HaGadol so "great," and why is it so significant in our tradition? Hanassi member Rabbi Paul Bloom explores these questions, from the miracle that occurred on this day to the deep spiritual messages it holds.

1. The Miracle of Shabbat HaGadol

At its core, the miracle of Shabbat HaGadol is a powerful act of defiance. On 10 Nissan, just days before the Exodus, the Jewish people did something extraordinary. They took lambs—animals sacred to the Egyptians—and set them aside for the Korban Pesach, the Passover offering. In essence, they were rejecting Egyptian idolatry publicly. It’s like burning a national flag today. The Egyptians, surely expecting retaliation, were powerless to stop it. Their inaction was in itself a miracle—a divine protection for the Jewish people, known as a nes shel haganah, a miracle of defense.

But there’s more. Beyond this simple miracle, Shabbat HaGadol carries profound spiritual meaning. I’d like to share three interpretations that highlight its depth.

The Fulfillment of Avraham’s Vision

The first perspective comes from the Sfat Emet, who connects Shabbat HaGadol with the vision of our forefather, Avraham. When Hashem promised Avraham, “I will make you into a great nation” (Bereishit 12:2), Avraham’s vision wasn’t of a nation defined by military might or economic power. No: Avraham longed for a nation that was great in spirit—a people devoted to faith, kindness, and divine service.

It was on this Shabbat, as the Jewish people prepared for the Exodus and performed the first mitzvah together—the Korban Pesach—that we became that nation. This was the beginning of the the greatness, that Avraham had envisioned. We became a nation of faith, standing up to Egypt and idolatry, and embracing our role as God’s chosen people.

A New Dimension of Shabbat

The second insight, also from the Sfat Emet, teaches us that Shabbat HaGadol introduces a new layer to the meaning of Shabbat itself. Until this moment, Shabbat was mainly a commemoration of Creation—“Zecher LeMa’aseh Bereishit.” But on this Shabbat, we begin to also remember the Exodus—“Zecher LiYetziat Mitzrayim.”

This duality is reflected in our Kiddush prayers. In Shemot (Exodus) 20:8, we recite the commandment to observe Shabbat because Hashem created the world in six days. But in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:15, we are reminded to keep Shabbat because we were once slaves in Egypt and Hashem freed us.

Shabbat, then, becomes more than just a remembrance of creation. It becomes a symbol of our freedom. Each Shabbat is a resistance to the world’s demands and a reminder that we are no longer slaves. I once had a student, a successful lawyer, who couldn’t take a day off for Purim. “I can’t,” he said, “I have work.” I looked at him and asked, “Are you an eved Kena’ani? A slave?” A week later, he showed up to my class and said, “You were right. I am not a slave.”

This is the power of Shabbat—it reminds us of our freedom and our ability to step away from the grind of daily life to reconnect with Hashem.

 The Source of All Blessing

The third perspective comes from Rav Tzadok HaKohen, who teaches that Shabbat is the source of all blessing. What does this mean? Shabbat functions in two directions. First, it gathers all the holiness from the past week. Every mitzvah, every act of kindness, every moment of Torah learning from the days before accumulates within us, feeding our extra Shabbat soul—the neshamah yeteirah. Secondly, Shabbat sets the spiritual foundation for the coming week. Any success we will have in Torah learning or mitzvot during the upcoming week draws its strength from the Shabbat before it.

This idea helps us understand various customs in Jewish life. For example, the Shalom Zachar before a Brit Milah, or the Aufruf before a wedding, because the spiritual sanctity of those events already exists in potential form within the Shabbat before them. Similarly, Rav Tzadok teaches that the spiritual energy for the redemption of Pesach began on Shabbat HaGadol. It was here that the light of the Exodus first shone.

Conclusion: The Power of Shabbat HaGadol

So, why is Shabbat HaGadol so great? It is great for three main reasons:

1. It marks the birth of our spiritual nation, fulfilling Avraham’s vision of a nation devoted to Hashem.
   
   
2. It adds a new layer of meaning to Shabbat, making it not just about creation but about our freedom as a people.
   
   
3. It is the source of redemption, setting the stage for the spiritual and physical redemption of Pesach and beyond.

Each Shabbat, in a way, is a taste of redemption. As Chazal teach us, “In Nissan, we were redeemed, and in Nissan, we will be redeemed again.” May we merit to experience the ultimate redemption, speedily in our days.