Shabbos HaGadol: The Power of Shabbos

The Shabbos before Pesach is known as "Shabbat HaGadol" because of the miracle which occured on it. -Shulchan Aruch 430 

The Mishnah Berura explains that the miracle which took place was that on the 10th of Nissan, all of Bnei Yisrael took a lamb for the Korban Pesach and tied it to their beds. When the Mitzrim saw this and inquired about it, only to realize that their gods were going to be slaughtered, they were not able to say anything. Since that day was on a Shabbos, it was established to call the Shabbos before Pesach, "Shabbat HaGadol." 

 

Rav Gedalyah Schor brings down the question of the meforshim, why did Chazal connect the miracle to Shabbos and not to the 1oth of Nissan? Rather, we see from this that Shabbos itself was a necessary aid to Bnei Yisrael. 

 

In Parshat Pinchas, where the Moadim and their mitzvot are listed, the Torah talks about Shabbos before all of them as a sort of introduction. Why? The kedushah of Shabbos is established and upheld within Creation itself. The Yamim Tovim are called "Shabbaton" in the Torah because they are a continuation of the kedushah of Shabbos. It is first through the existence of Kedushat Shabbat that we have the other days. This is why Shabbos is mentioned first in the Torah. 

 

We learn in the Mechilta, "If you keep Shabbos, HaKadosh Boruch Hu will give you the 3 Moadim: Pesach, Atzeret (Shavuos), and Sukkot." This is because the Kedushat Shabbat includes within it the kedushah of these 3 chagim. Through guarding the sanctity of Shabbos, we come to their holiness as well. Shabbos is like a beam of light, which when shined through a glass prism, can be seen to break up into the 7 different lights that comprise it and are included in it (the Moadim).

 

We learn that the Shabbos before a chag includes within the Kedushat HaChag, and that besides for this, Shabbos gives strength to the upcoming days of the week. As such, it is only through the power of Shabbos Kodesh that Bnei Yisrael could then be prepared to receive the Moadim. This is why Bnei yisrael needed Shabbos in order to do the korban Pesach and recieve the Kedushat HaChag of Pesach. 

 

The power of Shabbos is so incredible that it encompasses everything! It affects the days of the year, the Moadim and regular days. We know that Shabbos is the culmination of Creation and that it was planned before everything else as well- "Sof ma'aseh b'machshava t'chilah." Hakadosh Boruch gave it influence over the week, and over us too. The midrash tells that Shabbos went before Hashem and sadly remarked how the other days of teh week had partners but Shabbos was left alone. Hashem replied that Bnei yisrael is Shabbos' partner. A miracle didn't occur on the 10th of Nissan which hapened to be a Shabbos in the year of Yetziat Mitrziam, Shabbos before Pesach that year happened to be the 10th of Nissan! Especially right before Pesach, Zman Cheiruteinu, it is important to remember the power of essence of Shabbos and what it is- "Beini u'vein Bnei Yisrael ot hee l'olam." Shabbos reminds us that we are connected to Hashem as we prepare to retell how he redeemed us to be His and recieve His Torah.