Dear Friends,
Throughout the Jewish word, the Shabbat before Passover is referred to as
Shabbat HaGadol
, the Great Shabbat. Which begs the question, why is this Shabbat different from all other Shabbats? And as is usually the case with Jewish traditions, if you ask one question, you will receive multiple answers.
One of the most common explanations given for what makes this Shabbat so great is because the Rabbi’s sermon on the week leading up to Passover was particularly long. It had to be because it was the Rabbi’s last chance to help the community prepare before Passover. Another Midrash tells us that on the Shabbat before the Exodus from Egypt, Pharaoh permitted the Israelites to offer their Paschal sacrifice, one of the first Mitzvot they did together as a nation. This is while the
Shibolei Haleket
acknowledged that the Shabbat before Passover is the
Shabbat HaGadol
, but said that the Shabbat before every festival is a
Shabbat Gadol
, because we have to prepare for the festival.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel teaches us that every Shabbat is a “sanctuary in time.” In other words, it doesn’t matter where we are, or what is going on in the world around us, each and every Shabbat is special and holy. I think he is suggesting that not just this Shabbat, but that every Shabbat has the potential to be great.
It is my hope and prayer for all of us that on this Shabbat HaGadol in particular, we can carve out for ourselves a “sanctuary in time.” May we all have the opportunity to disconnect ourselves, albeit briefly and responsibly, from the news, from the internet, and from the outside world so that we can focus on ourselves and our families. Regardless of where we are, who we are with, and all of the craziness going on in the world around us, may we all experience this Shabbat as a great one, as a sanctuary in time, which is quiet, which is peaceful and which is holy.
Wishing you all a
Shabbat Shalom
,
Rabbi Josh Dorsch
