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B'H' What Is Shabbat Hagadol: The Household, A Lamb For Each Home (

This document discusses the Shabbat before Passover known as Shabbat Hagadol or the Great Sabbath. It provides background on why this Shabbat is significant, describing the first commandment given to the Israelites in Egypt to take a lamb four days before Passover. Miracles occurred on this first Shabbat Hagadol as the Israelites prepared for the Exodus. The document also outlines customs associated with Shabbat Hagadol like reading from the Haggadah and a rabbi giving an educational speech about Passover laws.

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54 views10 pages

B'H' What Is Shabbat Hagadol: The Household, A Lamb For Each Home (

This document discusses the Shabbat before Passover known as Shabbat Hagadol or the Great Sabbath. It provides background on why this Shabbat is significant, describing the first commandment given to the Israelites in Egypt to take a lamb four days before Passover. Miracles occurred on this first Shabbat Hagadol as the Israelites prepared for the Exodus. The document also outlines customs associated with Shabbat Hagadol like reading from the Haggadah and a rabbi giving an educational speech about Passover laws.

Uploaded by

ජෛන සොහ්රාබ්
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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B’H’

What is Shabbat Hagadol

The Shabbat which precedes Passover is called Shabbat haGadol, the


Great Sabbath, for many and varied reasons, as we shall explain below

There are also many special customs associated with this Shabbat. It
was in Egypt that Israel celebrated the very first Shabbat Ha-Gadol on
the tenth of Nissan, five days before their redemption.

On that day, the Children of Israel were given their first commandment
which applied only to that Shabbat,

but not to future generations:


On the tenth day of this month [Nissan]... each man should take a lamb for
the household, a lamb for each home (Exodus 12:3).
This mitzvah of preparing a lamb for the Passover offering
four days before it was to be brought,
applied only to that first Passover in Egypt

Torah does not tell us that we must continue to do so before every


future Passover.

Nevertheless, the people continued to do this to make sure that their


lambs had no blemishes which would preclude their being sacrificed.
Many miracles were performed for the Children of Israel on this first
Shabbat HaGadol

The Torah commanded them to take their lambs and tie them to the
bedpost. When they did so, their Egyptian neighbors saw this and
asked

"What is the lamb for?"


The Children of Israel answered: "It is to be slaughtered as a
Passover sacrifice as G‑d has commanded us."
The Egyptians, for whom the lamb was a deity, gnashed their teeth in
anger but could not utter a sound in protest.

Many other miracles as well were performed in connection with the


Passover offering, we therefore refer to this day as Shabbat
haGadol.
Why We Celebrate Shabbat Hagadol instead of the 10th of Nissan

Why do we commemorate the miracle on the Shabbat before


Passover rather than on the tenth of Nissan, the date on which it
actually took place? We see that the Torah itself mentions only the
date rather than the day of the week

It is because the miracle is closely connected to Shabbat. The


Egyptians were aware that the Children of Israel observed Shabbat
and did not busy themselves tending animals on that day, so when
the Egyptians saw them taking lambs and binding them to their
bedposts on Shabbat, they were surprised and decided to
investigate what was happening
The Children of Israel were in great danger when they were confronted and
were saved only by virtue of a miracle. We therefore commemorate this
miracle on Shabbat rather than on the tenth of the month of Nissan

Moreover, had it not been Shabbat, the Children of Israel would not have
needed a miracle to save them. They would have been able to deceive the
Egyptians by diverting their attention or making up some kind of
explanation. On Shabbat, however, they would not do so, for, as our Sages
said, "Even an ignorant man will not tell lies on Shabbat." Thus, we see that
they were endangered because of their observance of Shabbat, and they
needed a miracle to save them
A further reason why we recall the miracle on Shabbat rather than on the
tenth of the month is that, forty years later, Miriam died on that day and
the well which accompanied the Children of Israel and provided them with
water in the wilderness, disappeared. When the anniversary of Miriam's
death falls on a weekday, some observe it as a fast for the righteous.
Customs of Shabbat Hagadol
Many communities recite special hymns during the morning services on
Shabbat haGadol. The main theme of these hymns is the laws of Passover,
which are presented in verse form in order to make it easy for people to
become acquainted with the laws of the Festival.

On the Shabbat preceding Shabbat haGadol, Psalm 104 and Psalms 120-
134 [the fifteen psalms that begin with Shir haMa'alot, which are recited
every Shabbat throughout the winter] are said for the last time of the year.
-We read part of the Passover Haggadah on Shabbat haGadol,

-Beginning from the paragraph that begins with the words "Avadim hayinu" ("We
were slaves") until the words, "lechaper al kol avonotaynu" ("to atone for all of
our sins").

-One reason for this is that the redemption began on Shabbat haGadol.

-Another reason is to familiarize the children with the contents of the


Haggadah, in fulfillment of the mitzvah of You shall tell your children on that
day.

-Yet another reason is that the reading from the Haggadah on Shabbat haGadol
is like a rehersal for the Seder night, and helps us to become more familiar with
the text.
In some Sephardic communities, it is customary, when greeting one another on
this Shabbat, to add the title of the day: Shabbat haGadol mevorach, a blessed
Shabbat haGadol.

Tanna'im and Amora'im - it has been customary in Jewish communities


throughout the world for the outstanding Torah scholar of the congregation to
address all the people on this Shabbat

The purpose of this address is to teach the people the ways of G‑d and instruct
them in the laws of Passover

The rabbi explains how utensils must be prepared for use on Passover, how to
remove the chametz, and the laws concerning the baking of matzot. His
purpose is to ensure that the people not err in the slightest degree in their
observance of the Festival. It is also customary for the rabbi to add other
material that speaks to the heart, as well as subjects of topical interest.
When Shabbat haGadol falls on the day before Passover [and all of the
preparations have already been made], it is customary to move this special
sermon to the previous Shabbat, so that the congregation can learn all of the
applicable laws in time to prepare for the Festival

It is an ancient custom in some communities, on the day before Shabbat


haGadol, to bake a small quantity of bread from the flour which has been
reserved for making the matzot. This bread is referred to as the "challah of the
poor" or the "synagogue challah," and is distributed to the poor in the
community. Each person would fulfill this custom in accordance with his
means. The wealthy would prepare a large quantity of this special challah, and
those less well off would prepare a smaller quantity.

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