“וביום השמיני יקח שני כבשים תמימים וכבשה אחת בת שנתה תמימה, 14:10ושלשה עשרנים סלת מנחה בלולה בשמן ולוג אחד שמן”
“On the eighth day, he shall take two unblemished male lambs and one unblemished ewe in its first year, three-tenth of an eiphah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil.” The one who had Tzara’as needed to bring three korbonos: an asham, a chatas, and an Olah. Why did he need these three Korbonos to attain a kapparah? This week is Shabbos Hagadol. Why is this Shabbos called, “שבת הגדול”?
The mitzvah of Shabbos Kodesh was the first mitzvah that Klal Yisroel, as a whole, were mekabel and performed. It was like Klal Yisroel became bar mitzvah, and was then called a “גדול”. The Zohar Hakodosh says that at that time, a Neshama came down from shomayim for every Yid. At that time, it was like a neshama came down to the world at large. Until Yetzias Mitzrayim, the world was like a Guf without a Neshama. Just as every Shabbos Kodesh a neshama yeseira comes down to every Yid, so it was at yetzias Mitzrayim. This is why Pesach is called, “Shabbos” – for just as by Shabbos, a neshama comes down from Shomayim, so too by yetzias Mitzrayim, a neshama came down. We say that a “גר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד” – a convert who converted is like a child being born. The reason for this is because when one converts, he is zoche to a new nefesh, and is thus like a newborn. This is what is says by Avrohom Avinu, “ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן,” that because Avrohom and Sarah got people to convert, they created new nefoshos. When Klal Yisroel left Mitzrayim, more than that they were freed physically, they were freed spiritually; they received a new lease on life, a new Nefesh. (שפת אמת)
Now we can understand why the metzora had to bring three korbonos to achieve an atonement. The Gemara in Arachin 15b says that the sin of lashon hara is great, one increases his sins until the point where it corresponds to the three cardinal sins of עבודה זרה, גילוי עריות, ושפיכת דמים. These Aveiros correspond to מחשבה, דיבור, ומעשה – thus three korbonos are needed for a complete kapparah of these three parts of a person which were marred by this grave sin. This Shabbos is called שבת הגדול because Klal Yisroel as a nation performed their first mitzvah – keeping Shabbos Kodesh. They became Bar Mitzvah; they became a gadol. While they heeded Shabbos Kodesh in Mitzrayim, they were not commanded to do so. This was their heeding the mitzvah, the command of Hakodosh Baruch Hu. Shabbos Kodesh is a very holy day. Shabbos Kodesh is a day to serve Hakodosh Baruch Hu with great love and ease of mind, without having to exert oneself as during the week. Shabbos is a time to connect to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. It is a time to take stock of what we have accomplished, and to stay focused on our purpose in this world. This is the Shabbos prior to Pesach. Each year on Pesach, we once again are taken out of Mitzrayim. We must utilize this Shabbos so that we prepare for the Geulah and may we be zoche to the geulah shlaima, במהרה בימינו אמן!
