When Shabbos Is Great
All the above enables us to understand a connection between these concepts and the Shabbos before Pesach, Shabbos HaGadol (“the Great Shabbos”) which this year (5744, [1984], the year the sichah was originally published), falls on Shabbos Parshas Acharei:
The Alter Rebbe explains the reason this Shabbos is called Shabbos HaGadol in his Shulchan Aruch:
The Shabbos that precedes Pesach is called Shabbos HaGadol, “the Great Shabbos,” because a great miracle occurred on [that day. To explain: The lamb to be offered for] the Paschal [sacrifice in] Egypt was to be set aside on the tenth of the month [of Nissan].... That day was Shabbos....
When the Jews took [the lambs for] their Paschal sacrifice on that Shabbos, the Egyptian firstborn gathered around the Jews and asked them, “Why are you doing this?”
The [Jews] answered, “It is a Paschal sacrifice to G-d Who will slay the firstborn of Egypt.” The [Egyptian] firstborn went to their parents and to Pharaoh to ask them to release the Jews, but they did not agree. The [Egyptian] firstborn waged war against [Pharaoh and his supporters] and slew many of them....
[The Rabbis] established the commemoration of this miracle for the [future] generations on the Shabbos [preceding Pesach] and called it Shabbos HaGadol.
The Jews’ performance of the forbidden Shabbos labors involved in purchasing a lamb on the tenth of the month – which then fell on Shabbos – led to the Jews telling the Egyptian firstborn, “It is a Paschal sacrifice to G-d Who will slay the firstborn of Egypt.” This violation of the Shabbos laws brought about an entirely unexpected development. Not only did the Egyptians not harm the Jews, they were motivated to help them: The firstborn of Egypt went and demanded that the Jews be released. Moreover, they battled against their elders, killing many of them.
It is possible that this is also why this Shabbos is called Shabbos HaGadol. It is designated as “great,” not only because a great miracle was performed, but the wondrous delivery of the Jewish people brought prominence to Shabbos, highlighting that it is “a great sign of distinction” between G-d and the Jewish people, and demonstrating that He has chosen them.
