SHABBOS HAGODOL: WHAT IS BEING CELEBRATED AND ITS CONNECTION TO SHABBOS

This upcoming Shabbos has a special name, Shabbos Hagadol. Why is it called Shabbos Hagadol? You see, we have Shabbos in the year Shabbos Shuva Daft Shuva Yisrael, Shabbos Hazon, Daft Torah, Shabbos Nachmu, Daft Torah. Then you also it has the Shabbos is named because of Daft Torah. And you also have Shabbos in because of the Torah. For an example, this coming Shabbos is Shabbos Chol Hamoed. It's Chol Hamoed, Shabbos Chol Hamoed. The Shabbos two Shabbos in after Pesach, Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. Shabbos Chanukah. Why is it called Shabbos Hagadol? So the call it the most classical simple answer that's brought in the Rishonim B'shem the Medrash the reason why it's called Shabbos Hagadol is because this day before before Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, there was a Nes Gadol that happened as we'll we'll see right away, Nes Gadol. And the main Shabbos Hagadol because of the big Nes. What was the big Nes? The Torah says in Parshas Boi that was to Moshe to Klal Yisrael, "Mishchu tzon take a tzon for the Korban Pesach." When was that? That was the Yud Nissan. The year that Klal Yisrael went out of Mitzrayim. Zogt the Gemara in Shabbos Pesaich on the days and the Mekoros of Seder Olam from the Tanoim Klal Yisrael went out of Mitzrayim a year like this year, Thursday. Thursday they went out of Mitzrayim. Is is I by zoi "Mishchu tzon chem" the Yud Nissan is when is Shabbos. And what happened? A Nes Gadol. What was the Nes? When they took the tzon the Mitzrim like the Lashon of the Rishonim say kamati these words, the Mitzrim went crazy. They went meshuga. Their stomachs turned over. There's a Lashon the the Shibolei Haleket says that part of it is when they took the Kvasim the Kvasim tzo'akim, they were making noise. In other words, it was a gantze isik. The Levush says that when they took the when they took them, they dragged it with bizoyon. And this was the Avodah Zarah of the Mitzrim. The Mitzrim couldn't say anything. They couldn't say anything, they couldn't do anything. And the main Nes was a Nes Gadol that nothing happened to the Yidden. Nes Gadol. So Shabbos Hagadol al shem the Nes that happened Yud Nissan Shabbos before they went out of Mitzrayim like a year like this year. And the main that's Shabbos Hagadol Nes Hagadol. Tosfos says a little bit different. B'shiyusiv when he brings the Tosfos, he says that it's a different teretz than the Torah. You could say it's just extended, but he says it's a different teretz. Also there was a Nes Gadol. What was the Nes? That when the Yidden took this the Korban Pesach the Yud says the Medrash that the Mitzrim were asking the Yidden, "What's going on? Why are you taking over? What's happening?" So the Yidden said, "We're taking this for a Korban because in a few days around Leil Pesach, the night of Tes Vav, the Mitzrim is going to make a Nes that all the Bechorim are going to die. And we're going to bring a Korban because of to to celebrate this that the Bechorim are going to die." And the Bechorim ran to their parents. They ran to Paroh to beg to please let to let the to let the Yidden out cuz they don't want to die. And Paroh and the Mitzrim didn't let. And it became a civil war. As it says in Tosfos, and they were fighting v'nehergu, they killed each other out. So the Nes Shabbos Hagadol, this Shabbos why is it Shabbos Hagadol? Because of the Nes Hagadol. Nes Hagadol. What was the big Nes? The Torah says the Nes Hagadol was is just this itself of taking the Korban Pesach and the Mitzrim didn't do it, couldn't do anything. And Tosfos says the Nes Hagadol was more that that Yud Nissan when Klal Yisrael took the Kvasim to say this when they took the Korban Pesach, there was a civil war in the between the Mitzrim and they killed each other out. Like the Pasuk says in Tehillim and we say every Shabbos "L'makeh Mitzrayim b'vachureihem" we say it every Shabbos in Sukka d'Zimra. What does it mean "L'makeh Mitzrayim b'vachureihem" the Mitzri'im hit b'vachureihem. In other words, there was a war between the Mitzri'im and the Bechorim Mitzrayim. So that was the Nes Gadol. Shtelt zich aber der shaila why only Yud? It started Yud Nissan but l'chora the Nes continued on all the way till Erev Pesach. If you learn like the second teretz what we said in Tosfos that there was a civil war. So could be that was just Yud. Meaning to say is the Bechorim saw what's going on, they went to their parents, to Paroh, and there was a civil war was that day. But if you learn that the Nes was is that they took the Kvasim, they took the Korban Pesach, and the Mitzrim couldn't do anything. So it's not just Yud. L'chora was from Yud all the way till Leil Pesach till they shochted. And even more, it was actually even a bigger Nes Leil Pesach that they shochted the Korban and the Mitzrim couldn't do anything. So why is it Shabbos Hagadol al shem the Nes Hagadol just Shabbos? Zogt the B'shiyusiv en chanam yitaken. It could even be that Leil Pesach when Klal Yisrael shochted the Korban, that was even worse for the Mitzrim. But the worst was the beginning for them. When it started and they made a joke out of their whole Avodah Zarah, that was the worst. Once they got used to it already, so maybe it wasn't so the biggest part of the Nes was is when they actually took it for a Korban, they designated for a Korban and the Mitzrim went crazy and they couldn't do anything. That was the Nes. Of course later on they already got used to it. They got used to it even to the extent that when the when it was shochted, okay, they already they made they came to terms with it. The shaila however is why is it Shabbos Hagadol? L'chora what does it have to do with Shabbos? It's Yud. En chanam like we mentioned before that it taka was like a year like this year that Yud was Shabbos. But what does it have to do with Shabbos? It happened to have been that Yud Nissan was Shabbos. But the Nes Hagadol has to do with the day. You see Chanukah for an example, the Nes of Chanukah. We don't look back what day of the week it happened and the main Chanukah is that day of the week. It's a day of the month. So l'chora if we're celebrating the Nes Hagadol that happened, l'chora it should be the day of the month. Why is it Shabbos Hagadol? L'chora it should be Yud Nissan. Yud Nissan should be Yom Hagadol. Yud Yud Hagadol. So there's a few terutzim. But these are all terutzim in the pshet of Nes Hagadol whether if you learn like the Torah that the Nes Hagadol was that the Mitzrim couldn't do anything or the Nes Hagadol was that there was a civil war between the Mitzrim and the Bechorim Mitzrayim. En chanam it happened on Shabbos, but that happened to have been the day of the week. Why? Let it be Yud. Zogt the Taz he says that he heard this teretz from Reb Moshe Charif. That there was something else that also happened on Yud Nissan. Like it's before in Sefer Yehoshua that Klal Yisrael went over the Yarden into Eretz Yisrael on Yud Nissan. There was another Kri'as Yam Suf, but not the Yam Suf, the Yarden. The Kri'as HaYarden. Another Nes. Zogt the Taz, if we would plug in the day in Yud Nissan you would be mistaken and we would say that the Nes is the Nes is for what? The Nes is for Kri'as HaYarden. Therefore we we put we say it's Shabbos Hagadol. So what Shabbos Hagadol al shem the Nes Hagadol al shem Mitzrayim. Why? Cuz l'maiseh it happened Shabbos. Really we would have we would have put it the day of the week, but if you put it the day of the week, you would say Yud Nissan Hagadol, we would say it's al shem the Nes of Kri'as HaYarden. And that's not the intention of it. The intention is on the Nes Hagadol that happened in Mitzrayim. If we would plug it into the day of the month, we would say it doesn't have to do with the Nes in Mitzrayim. The Taz says this teretz and he says, "I told it to my father-in-law the Bach for Kalsei" and he praised this teretz. If you take a look in the Bach, >> [snorts] >> the Bach says "Shamati v'nikevalti. V'nikevalti. V'nikevalti" like the Taz says, "I told it to my father in the world from this he brings this shot. The Magen Avraham says a different teretz why we don't celebrate this ness Yud Nissan. Why do why is it not the Yud Nissan not Shabbos? He says something else happened Yud Nissan. It's the day that Miriam was niftaris. And like it's mevorer in Shulchan Aruch Siman Tav Kuf Pei the siman that speaks about this hatakanas it's a Yom Matan Torah. So maila we don't put it on to Yud we put it on to Shabbos Kodesh. This day haness is beShabbos. Now even a year like this year that it's taka Yud but a Yoiser Shabbos you don't fast anyways. But on a regular year if we would make the ness be Yud Yud is Yom Matan Torah. So that's why Shabbos HaGadol because of the ness gadol but we put it Shabbos not Yud. We can't put the Yud so we put it on the the day of the the day of the week not the day of the month. And the Emes is even a few other teretz the teretz that we said before from the Taz that the ness is not to mix up with the ness of of the Yarden. So and a ganavi taka a year like this year it's also Yud. But we're not going to make a mistake this year and say wait a second it's Yud it's because of the Yarden cuz every year it's Shabbos. So even this year it's not Yud HaGadol Shabbos HaGadol. Lemaiseh on these two terutzim to explain why it's Shabbos over Yud flecked at the Sam Sofer. The Sam Sofer asks he says like this First of all if they made it a Yom Tov for that year a Yom Tov a Yom Tov like Yud HaGadol so why would they be oiker it? You can't be oiker it. And why would you be oiker it? A year later other things happened. You oiker you can't be oiker a Yom Tov. A Yom HaGadol. V'oid asks the Sam Sofer Ad Rabba if there was another ness on that day that's a reason to hide not to do Yud Nissan. There was another ness that happened that the Yarden split. So Ad Rabba let it be Yud HaGadol times two. Side the ness of Mishchu Kulchem Sayin and also the ness of Bkias HaYarden. Like flecked at the Sam Sofer. So one teretz he says in this shtikel when he asks on the other two teretz he says the Sam Sofer like this Moirid HaGeshamim said he says that Klal Yisrael did not realize the ness beShas Maiseh. BeShas Maiseh Yud Nissan the Shabbos before Yetzias Mitzrayim when the said take take Mishchu Kulchem take a korban and that the Mitzrayim went crazy didn't do anything Klal Yisrael didn't notice. Klal Yisrael didn't notice. Nervous. Later on later on 40 years later Miriam was niftaris and was a was aveilus. Then the next year a year later on that same day was Bkias HaYarden they went into Eretz Yisrael. So Klal Yisrael stopped wanted to understand why was it that the same day that a year ago was aveilus and today is a ness. And they chapped when they chapped that what happened over here was is that 40 years ago in in Mitzrayim there was a gevaldige dess. The Sam Sofer is moired to say these nisim niglim which we see a ness niglah moired again develop and he says a ness nister is a bigger ness that the Eibishter made that even in the teva the teva should work for Klal Yisrael. The same as the ness of what happened Yud Nissan in Mitzrayim was a bigger ness than Yud Nissan that happened that the that the Yarden split. Is bemaila zakt the Sam Sofer if it's to end what they mentioned before but if we would have done if it would have been beYud beNissan Klal Yisrael they start when they start celebrating the ness of Mitzrayim after the ness of the Yarden splitting. That's when they started celebrating 40 years ago is ness. If Klal Yisrael would have celebrated with Yud Nissan we would think that it's the ness of Bkias HaYarden. So therefore they had to make it Shabbos HaGadol. So it's not not Bkias HaYarden could have been wasn't a Shabbos day it was Shabbos HaGadol cuz now we chapped ah there was a ness 40 years ago. So the ness was like we said in the beginning the Tur Taisvis the ness HaGadol. Why Shabbos zakt the Sam Sofer because we only chapped 40 years later that there was a ness and if we would we only chapped because of the splitting of the Yarden. If we do it Yud so then we would think that it's because of the splitting of the Yarden. And that's why Shabbos. The Sam Sofer in Hagoyas in Shulchan Aruch says a different teretz and he says the reason why we didn't want to celebrate the ness HaGadol on Yud cuz Yud tomorrow Yud is the Nasi the Nasi of Don and the Gemara says Sad Gvolam Alef that the Nasi of Don were Oivdei Avodah Zarah. Mishchu Kulchem Sayin like Rashi brings that part of the tzivui was of course there was all the mitzvos was the part of the tzivui was Klal Yisrael that were stufi Avodah Zarah Mishchu Kul to be to go away zakt Rashi to go away from Avodah Zarah. Bemaila einoy beidin zakt the Sam Sofer to celebrate that day that ness of Mishchu a Kul to go away from Avodah Zarah on the day Yud Nissan the day of the Nasi that was of Don that later on that shevet was was Oivdei Avodah Zarah. So maila that's why you don't it's not Yud Nissan that's why it's beShabbos. The Drisha the Drisha says the following teretz. The reason why we have to celebrate not we have to why the Shabbos HaGadol is our ness HaGadol like we said before Shabbos and not beYud zakt the Drisha Klal Yisrael got a tzivui of being moishach Avodah Zarah with all the halachas. And you have to understand also this was the beginning beginning of Klal Yisrael the beginning of mitzvos. Zakt the Drisha the only way that Klal Yisrael would be able to comprehend the intensity this of going away from Avodah Zarah is only on Shabbos. Only shiyach on Shabbos. Only on Shabbos the loshon v'oisoi drasha that says this of Mishchu Kul shiyacha says the the the Drisha dafka beShabbos only possible Shabbos shiyom HaMenucha. I won't spoke about it. That Shabbos because Moshe Rabbeinu got Shabbos that was a day that Klal Yisrael was able to focus that they're going to go out of Mitzrayim. It's a Yom Menucha. Also v'gam Yom HaShabbos the loshon of the Drisha who muchan umzuman lilmod boi. It's a day to learn which is this negiah every single Shabbos. Spoke about it last week that it's a day to utilize in learning she she actually schoola mitzad Yisrael in a nefesh. The person in the shamayim you say it helps that you're able to learn able to understand. And bemaila yesh shiyach beShabbos l'hoil l'chom uvakeish Torah. So almost the negiah for every single Shabbos. Shabbos is a time to be able to understand learning better. Bemaila zakt the Drisha the ness taka be'etzem was Yud. But the tzivui where the ness came about that Klal Yisrael should bring prepare the korban Pesach to go away from Avodah Zarah had to be dafka beShabbos. So it wasn't a coincidence that you should know gerade that year in the calendar Yud Nissan was Shabbos. He says that if it wouldn't have been if Yud Alef Nissan would be beShabbos the tzivui would be Yud Alef Nissan. So more than the day it was beShabbos Kodesh. The Levush says that the reason why beShabbos again we said was the ness happened beShabbos but it was beYud says the Levush that the Mitzrayim saw that Klal Yisrael are moving are taking the sheep. And the Mitzrayim wondered how were they taking the sheep? Sheep are muktzah on Shabbos Siman Shin Ches in Shulchan Aruch Hilchos Muktzah Seif Mem animals livestock and muktzah on Shabbos. So, the Bnei Yisrael wondering, and then they asked, and then they heard, and then maybe the ness happened. So, says the Levush, the whole ness, the whole that the Bnei Yisrael even found out about was only because it was Shabbos. K'einzeh, the Brisker Rav says, this that a person has to have be part of the Korban Pesach, a shtikel in seifer, and he says is that you have to give money to be part of it. Whole shtikel, but that vait is that the Bnei Yisrael saw Klal Yisrael on Shabbos that going with money to get the the Korban Pesach to be part of it. You have to be part of the Korban Pesach. Someone else had the Korban, you gave money. But on this, others ask, that even if Klal Yisrael kept Shabbos, to say that they kept every d'Oraisa, it's very hard to It's It's not the poshut they kept every d'Oraisa. The Prisha says that they had to they tied they tied the animal to the bed. So, they made a knot. That's one of the lamah tes melachos. And they didn't know the halachos what not you could do and you can't do, but they saw that they tied a knot, so they that's where the shailah came about. >> [clears throat] >> And lastly, lastly, one final teretz in why it's Shabbos, not Yud, says the Chasam Sofer, Moshe, really, it would be Yud HaGadol. L'maina k'minah that it would be gadol, that it's also b'hesber of the tainus. It's not a Yom Tov b'seudah, but it'll be Yud my gadol da It's also b'hesber of the tainus. Zoch the Chasam Sofer, Moshe, it's It's It's a ness that's anyways also b'hesber of the tainus. So, l'maina k'minah, so that's why it's the Shabbos. And like he says, Shabbos, we make a seudah, so maybe it'll be l'choid a ness also. But b'etzem, l'hav this teretz, b'etzem, the ness is Yud. Now, it worked out that year was takah Shabbos, so they were k'veya Shabbos HaGadol l'sheim a ness, like this, to be able to celebrate the ness on Shabbos. A kopona from all these reasons, all these tziru explanations, it's all explaining why it's Shabbos over Yud, but regardless, the Shabbos HaGadol is Hashem the ness HaGadol that happens. Even if we stop right here, we're going to stop shortly, but even if we stop right here, Shabbos HaGadol, the reason why it's called Shabbos HaGadol is Hashem the ness HaGadol. That the Mitzrim didn't do anything, that there was a civil war between the Mitzrim. Shabbos HaGadol, ness HaGadol. There are other reasons why the Shabbos is called Shabbos HaGadol. In Ohel Yisrael, Safra'im, that's the Kli Yakar, talmid of the Tosefos Yom Tov, he says that this was and it's also in the Pri Chadash, the Sfas Emes, that this was the first mitzvah that Klal Yisrael got. And b'deimah to when somebody becomes a gadol, he's called A song's bar mitzvah, he's a gadol. So, Shabbos HaGadol, k'ein the Klal Yisrael became gedoilim cuz they got mitzvos. This is the first mitzvah. The Rishonim already in the Chidushei HaRa'n say they don't say the word bar gadol, but they say this was the mitzvah rishonah. So, maybe Shabbos HaGadol of the mitzvah rishonah itself, not cuz Klal Yisrael became a gadol, but that same year they saw it, the first mitzvah. The Chida says, you know why it's called Shabbos HaGadol? Because I'm going to say it very b'kitzur, but Klal Yisrael found out now that they they're Yidden. Up until now, they were no Yidden, like they weren't Yidden, and you know how to keep Shabbos, but they found that they were Yidden. How? Cuz mishchu u'kchu. To say it, the tzibur wants to make two kinyanim, kesef and meshichah. Zoch the Chida, Klal Yisrael chapt al korchach they're Yidden, cuz a doesn't need the two kinyanim. And m'meilah, a yoiser Yidden now they could keep Shabbos. So, Shabbos HaGadol was the first time they were able to keep Shabbos properly. Up until now, they had to do something not to keep Shabbos. A shabbos chayev misah. Now that they found that they're Yidden, so that's Shabbos HaGadol. Another teretz, the Bnei Yisrael brings some gadol, a Svardi gadol l'achad, and he says that these Shabbos Katan. What's Shabbos Katan? Coming up this coming week, Thursday is Shabbos Katan. Why is it Shabbos Katan? The Torah Hakadosha calls Thursday the first day of Pesach Shabbos. The Torah says "U'Svartem lachem." These are mitzvos of Sefiras HaOmer. "Mimochoras HaShabbos." Why is it Shabbos Katan? Cuz it's not as intense in the halachos like Shabbos. You have mutar b'ochel nefesh. It's not It's Shabbos Katan. And just like the Mishnah in Menachos says, we did many different things l'hotzi m'libam shel tzedukim, cuz the tzedukim said you count Sefirah mimochoras HaShabbos, from Shabbos Bereishis, that means from Shabbos the seventh day, not Yom Tov. The Mishnah says many different things to make it loud, clear that it's motzei Yom Tov. The same thing, we call this Shabbos HaGadol because there's also to make a noise l'hotzi from the tzedukim that there's going to be a Shabbos Katan coming up in a few days, and when the Torah says mimochoras HaShabbos, it's mimochoras of that Shabbos. So, that's why we call it Shabbos HaGadol. Another reason the Sfas Emes says, you know why it's called Shabbos HaGadol? Al pi what's m'vorer in the Zohar. The Zohar says, it's in the zemiros before Kiddush Friday night, that the whole week, the coming week, has hashpa'ah, it's yoinik from the Shabbos before. Always the upcoming week gets the koach from Shabbos, the previous Shabbos. Zoch the Sfas Emes, could you imagine Yitzias Mitzrayim, from the nissim agdolim that happened in the world's metzius, happened that coming week. So, obviously it came m'koach the Shabbos before. So, it's Shabbos HaGadol, it's a big Shabbos. Some want to say, if you remember the beginning, we mentioned that these Shabbos Shuvah, Shabbos Nachamu, some want to say, do you know why it's called Shabbos HaGadol? Yes, al shem daf Torah. >> [snorts] >> The end of daf Torah, we end off, and that's poshut just the reason why we read daf Torah of Arvah. We once spoke about it, we actually spoke about it last year, Erev Shabbos, Erev Pesach shechaliyus b'Shabbos. There's a whole discussion, not for now, not when it's already 8:00, but the daf Torah of this week, what daf Torah do you lain? There's a whole shailah. Is it the shaf Torah Shabbos HaGadol? Some say only Shabbos, but anyways, the poshut of daf Torah, if you lain it in any year, is because of the last posuk. "Hinei Anochi sholei'ach lachem es Eliyahu Hanavi, Eliyahu Eliyahu b'dvar lifnei boi Yom Hashem HaGadol v'hanora." To say it, b'Nissan nigalu, and we're laining daf Torah because now is Nissan, u'v'Nissan asidim l'higael, there's going to be the geulah. Is boi Yom Hashem HaGadol v'hanora, Shabbos HaGadol, cuz we lain daf Torah of Arvah, it's Yom HaGadol v'hanora. Some are bothered that it then it's not Shabbos HaGadol, it should be called Shabbos of Arvah. One last teretz, it's m'vorer in the Rishonim, the Shibolei Haleket, the Maharil, you know why it's called Shabbos HaGadol? Because there's a Shabbos HaGadol drashah. And it's a long drashah, and makes it feel like a long Shabbos. It's a long drashah cuz there's many halachos. There could be a drashah other times also. I don't know if Shabbos Shuvah is called Shabbos HaGadol, yeah, b'meira t'shuvah, but over here, the tachlis of a Shabbos HaGadol drashah is is the halachos. I try I like to go through Reb Zalman Auerbach's Shabbos HaGadol drashahs. Every year he starts off, he says, "The tachlis of a Shabbos HaGadol drashah is to go through the halachos." And he takah goes through the halachos. Of course, he opens up with a a gishmak shiur, and he says that, you know, be pesach, the leave, to make it shmak, but the ikker is to go through the halachos. He's mamash most of Chelek Hey, Mishnah Berurah is Hilchos Pesach. So, it's a long drashah, it's a Shabbos HaGadol. So, we said many different reasons why it's Shabbos Hagadol. The whole beginning part was Shabbos Hagadol, the Nes Hagadol. We said many other reasons also. I just want to conclude. The Shulchan Aruch says in Siman Tof Lamed Shabbos shel lifnei haPesach koyernois Shabbos Hagadol. It's called Shabbos Hagadol. Now, if you're going to ask why is it called Shabbos Hagadol? So, we went through many different reasons of other. Why that the Shulchan Aruch himself brings mipnei Nes Hagadol shenasa. But, the Shulchan Aruch is a Halacha sefer. Everything we said up until now was avada. It's important to know why it's called Shabbos Hagadol, the Nes, other reasons. Why does the Shulchan Aruch bring it that it's called Shabbos Hagadol? L'main nafka mina. The Shulchan Aruch says that the Shabbos before it's called called Shabbos Hagadol. L'main nafka mina that it's called Shabbos Hagadol. So, the Chida says when you eat on Shabbos, you're supposed to say the Chida says that you wish somebody good Shabbos. So, this Shabbos you say good Shabbos Hagadol. This is like the Chida. Rav Chaim Kanievsky brings from a Shver Rav Yashiv that when you eat you say l'kavod Shabbos. So, this Shabbos you say l'kavod Shabbos Hagadol. We should all have a wonderful Shabbos, a wonderful Shabbos Hagadol. And a Chag Kasher v'Sameach. Yeah.