Parshat Tsav - Shabbat HaGadol Teaching

2 teachings...

1. picture from Mei Hashiloach (R'Leiner-Ishibitzer) about how we will regard each other in the days of Mashiach. This is from parshat tsav.

2. below, from R'Brodt about Shabbat HaGadol

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Before leaving Mitzrayim, Hashem gave us a very special mitzvah: the mitzvah of Korban Pessach, the Paschal lamb that was to be sacrificed on the 14th of Nissan in the afternoon and eaten in the evening, the 15th of Nissan, at our last meal in the land of Egypt. However, for this Pessach sacrifice, Hashem required us to acquire the lamb on the 10th of Nissan and to bring it home for safeguarding until it was time to offer the sacrifice, to ensure that it would not have any blemishes that would otherwise disqualify it as a sacrifice.

It is well known that the lamb was one of the many gods that the Egyptians worshipped. The mitzvah of the Korban Pessach was an opportunity for us to do something that required a great deal of faith and courage. Visualizefa a little 'yiddele' who all his life was a slave to the Egyptians and now he had to confront his masters. Here he is walking home with a little sheep on his shoulders and an Egyptian stops him on the street and says to him, "What are you doing with that lamb"? And this little yid, had to tell him, "I'm bringing this lamb home because in four days from now we are going to use it as a Pessach sacrifice." He had to find all his courage and gather all his faith and publicly proclaim that he was now prepared to slaughter the god of his oppressor slave-master, for now he truly believed and knew that there is only one G-d, the G-d of Israel.

The miracle was a twofold one. The Jewish slave found his faith and courage, and the oppressor was overcome with fear and did not try to stop him from killing his god. But there was something even greater that took place in this miracle! When the Egyptian first-borns were told of the coming 'plague of the first-borns' they, the very Egyptian first-borns who oppressed the Jewish slaves, went to demand of their elders to let the Jews go. When their request was refused, they waged battle against them and many were killed. This is alluded to in the verse: "To Him who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn." The Rebbe zt"l explains that this represents the highest stage wherein "darkness is tranformed into light".

But why do we honor the Shabbos before Pessach each year, instead of the 10th of Nissan? Chassidut explains that all the spiritual and material gifts that come to us during the week, actually originate in the preceding Shabbos. Thus we observe the Shabbos before Pessach as Shabbat Hagadol, rather than observing the 10th of Nissan for the miracle that occurred on that day. The miracle that took place on the 10th of Nissan in Mitzrayim was nurtured by the fact that it was Shabbat.

Today, it is a widespread custom that on Shabbos afternoon of this Great Shabbos, we read a part of the Haggadah, from "avadim ha-yinu" until "lechapeyr al kol avonoteinu", to note the miracles of Shabbos Hagadol and to prepare ourselves consciously for our upcoming liberation celebration. It is also customary to do further study and review of the many laws of Pessach.