Many reasons are given for this Shabbat being called Shabbat Hagadol. The one that I identify with most strongly, is the fact that we find with a lot of our important Shabbatot of the year, they take their names from a key word in the Torah reading or the Haftorah of that day. For example, Shabbat Chazon, Shabbat Zachor, Shabbat Nachamu and Shabbat Shuvah.
And similarly, in our Haftorah for Shabbat HaGadol, we have the words of the Prophet Malachi, who declares: הנה אנוכי שולח לכם את אליהו הנביא, ‘behold’ says Hashem, ‘I sent to you Elijah the Prophet’, לפני בוא יום ה' הגדול והנורא, ‘before that great and awesome day of Hashem’. Here we are referring to the great day of the coming of the Moshiach, and seeing as we read it on this Shabbat, this Shabbat takes its name from that term and becomes ‘Shabbat HaGadol’.
And then the Prophet continues, והשיב לב אבות על בנים ולב בנים על אבותם, ‘the hearts of parents will inspire their children and the hearts of children will inspire their parents’.
Here is a description of a remarkable phenomenon, one in which we don’t only find children being influenced by their parents, but in addition to that, parents being influenced by their children. And I believe that this is exactly what is happening within the Jewish world, today.
Thanks to our outstanding educational systems, we are finding so many children now, moving ahead of their parents in terms of their Jewish knowledge and observance.
If that happens, parents should not take this as a rejection, but on the contrary, as a compliment to them because they want their children to grow and develop as individuals and as responsible Jews.
And they should always strive to be one step ahead, to know more than their children, to enable their children, to inspire and to be role models for them.
So, therefore, let us celebrate Shabbat HaGadol, this ‘great Shabbat’, which is within התקופה הגדולה, this ‘great era’ of which we are a part of and let us pray that the words of Malachi will come about speedily in our time – לפני בוא יום ה' הגדול והנורא, ‘when we will experience the great day of the Ultimate Redemption’ and let’s pray for our medical personnel, soldiers and police who go out to protect us, and for those who need healing, shidduchim, children or parnassah, and may we be blessed to have the most awesome, gorgeous, beautiful, peaceful, happy, healthy, amazing, relaxed, spiritual, sweet Shabbat and Happy and Kosher Pesach.
NUMBER OF MITZVOT: 18
MITZVOT ASEH: 9
MITZVOT LO TAASEH: 9
NUMBER OF PESUKIM: 97
(Some sources say that TZAV has 96 pesukim.)
NUMBER OF WORDS: 1353
NUMBER OF LETTERS: 5096
This year, (5785 / 2025) Tzav is a special Shabbat. It is Shabbat HaGadol: (Lit. 'the Great Shabbat');
Some say the Shabbat preceding Pesach is called Shabbat HaGadol because it was the day when the Jews were to take the sheep to be used for the Korban Pesach four days later.
After nine plagues, the Egyptians were powerless to react to the slaughter of one of their gods. The Bnei Yisrael, of course, didn't know this, and therefore displayed tremendous faith in Hashem prior to Yetziat Mitzrayim. We remember this event with a special Haftorah, Malachi 3:4 - 24, where again great faith and trust in Hashem is emphasized. The Haftorah concludes with the call to remember the teachings of Moshe and informs us that Hashem will send Eliyahu Hanavi to herald the great and awesome day when Bnei Yisrael will again experience redemption. This is yet another possible reason for the name Shabbat HaGadol, - that "great day" mentioned in the Haftorah.
Whatever the reason for the name, it is customary to recite part of the Haggadah on Shabbat HaGadol, from " עבדים היינו - Avadim Hayinu" to " לכפר על עוונותינו Lechaper Al Kol Avonoteinu."
HAFTORA: Malachi II 3:4-24 (repeating verse 23 at the end).
Pesach starts after Shabbat finishes, April 12, 2025.
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