In line with the format of the Pesach Haggadah, let’s begin with a couple of questions. On which
night of the week did the first the Pesach Seder, the one in Egypt, take place? The answer is….
Wednesday night. How do we know? The Children of Israel were told to take a lamb on the 10th
day of Nisan and to hold it until the afternoon of the 14th, Wednesday afternoon. That
afternoon, they slaughtered the lamb and roasted it so it would be ready for dinner later that
night. Wednesday night, the 15th of Nisan, was the first Seder. On Thursday morning, the 15 th of
Nisan, in broad daylight, the Children of Israel left Egypt. The upshot is that the 10th of Nisan
that year was Shabbat. Last question. What was significant about the command, “to take the
lamb,” that it had to be done on Shabbat? Every Shabbat thereafter, preceding Pesach, is
designated Shabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat. Why?
Our Torah scholars advance various reasons why the Shabbat preceding Pesach is referred to as
Shabbat Hagadol. Rav Yosef Karo, author of the legal commentary “Bais Yosef” and later the
“Shulchan Aruch,” offers the following opinion. The lamb was one of the gods worshipped by
the Egyptians. Its constellation, Aries, was visible in the sky this time of year. When each Jewish
family tied up their lamb, the Egyptians sent their firstborn sons to inquire about it. The Jews
answered, “Hashem commanded us to hold the lamb (which you worship) and then slaughter
it.” This response by the Children of Israel, “set their (the Egyptians’) teeth on edge,” but they
kept silent. Furthermore, the Jews informed them that God was going to kill all the firstborn
sons. Rather than kill the Jews, the firstborns went back to their fathers and Pharaoh. They
argued and pleaded with them to let the Children of Israel go. The entire Egyptian empire had
already experienced nine plagues brought about in the name of Hashem. Now, Hashem
marked them for death. A rebellion ensued as many sons killed their fathers as recorded in
Psalms 136: 10. It was on Shabbat that this significant event occurred, marking the beginning of
the redemption.
The commentary “Bais Chodesh” offers another explanation of “their teeth were set on edge.”
The Egyptians knew the Jews were shepherds and that they often slaughtered and ate lamb.
Yet the Egyptians were never bothered by it until now. This time, the Jews informed the
Egyptians that the slaughtering and eating of this lamb was a command from Hashem. He
quotes the Zohar, “God is commanding us to slaughter below what is being slaughtered above.”
How should we understand this statement from the Zohar? What is the idea?
The system of Torah and the Jewish religion have one major objective: to uproot idolatry from
humanity. How will this goal be accomplished? The primary way is through education. The
Egyptians had the opportunity to learn the truth about the Creator of the Universe and reject
the false notions of their culture. The concept of one, non-physical Creator, is the foundation of
all knowledge and is the antithesis of the false ideas leading one to worship idols. Just like every
notion of idol worship is false and rejected, “slaughtered above,” in the world of true ideas, so
too must man reject any notion, form, or practice of idol worship. The Jews were telling the
Egyptians that they can save themselves as well if they also reject the false ideas attached to idol worship and accept the true idea of the Creator of the Universe. Many did and left Egypt
together with the Jews. They are the “mixed multitude” mentioned in the Torah.
Finally, the commentary “Preishah” offers a third reason. He mentions the opinion of the
“Levush”, who held that the miracle of Shabbat Hagadol came precisely because of Shabbat.
Bnai Yisroel, he says, kept Shabbat voluntarily even in Egypt. Upon leaving Egypt, one of the
first mitzvoth given to Bnai Yisroel, even before coming to Mt. Sinai, was the command to keep
Shabbat. Why was that so?
There is a direct relation between Shabbat and Pesach. Shabbat, of course, celebrates God,
Creator of the Universe. But the Creator didn’t just create the world, and it goes on its way.
Rather, the Creator has a plan in His creation. Part of God’s plan is revealed to mankind in the
Torah. This revealed information tells of His design to create the Nation of Israel and maintain
its existence. To bring about this aspect of His plan, the Creator must be involved with the
Jewish nation on a constant basis, sometimes in very overt ways, other times hidden behind
seemingly natural events. But their affairs always receive His direct attention. This notion seems
implausible. God, the abstract Creator of the Universe, is distant and removed from man. What
demonstrates most clearly and vividly that God is involved with mankind in this way? The
fulfilment of His promise to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Jacob to build a great nation from them.
Redeeming their descendants, Children of Israel, from the bondage of Egypt was necessary to
ensure their continued existence as per His design in the creation of the universe.
These two ideas are incorporated into the Kiddush we say every Friday night. In Kiddush, we
state, “God, the Creator of the Universe, relates directly to the Nation of Israel.” Shabbat
merges the idea of Creator with the השגחת Hashem, God’s divine watchfulness over Israel. The
departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt was engineered specifically for them by the same
Creator of the Universe. The Exodus was to be instructive for all mankind to know that God
relates to mankind and particularly to the Jewish nation. The command to take the lamb, one of
the gods of the Egyptians, had to occur on Shabbat to demonstrate this fundamental principle.
Now we understand why this Shabbat is called “the Great Shabbat.” That Shabbat in Egypt was
a philosophical turning point. It marked the first time these two ideas were manifest to the
world. The rejection of idol worship leads to true ideas. Not only is there a non-physical Creator
of the Universe, but the Creator relates to mankind. Specifically, He involves Himself with the
ongoing existence of the Jewish people. We, the Jewish people living today, are testimony to
the continuation of God’s plan and watchfulness from creation. Shabbat HaGadol calls to mind
the continuation of God’s design in creation through our existence today. It makes sense, then,
that the Shabbat preceding Pesach is forever designated as Shabbat Hagadol. We are to
embrace this Shabbat with observance and study, merging these two great, fundamental ideas
about God.
As we approach the holiday of Pesach, let us pray that Hashem, Creator of the Universe
continues His protecting care over the modern nation of Israel, the Jewish people, and all
peace-loving people the world over.