Parashat Tzav - Shabbat HaGadol: What Kind of Freedom Are We Celebrating?

This Shabbat we are about to begin is another special one.

Not only do we read Parshat Tzav, but since it is the Shabbat before Pesach, it is known as Shabbat HaGadol — the Great Shabbat.

The parasha itself contains a profound message about the priestly service, especially the care of the eternal fire (esh hatamid) on the altar, and the total dedication required by the korbanot (sacrifices).

The "esh tamid" — the fire that must never be extinguished — cannot be read merely as a ritual. It is a symbol of presence, of continuity, of constant connection to what is essential. It represents persistence, commitment, conscious awareness, and the enduring bond between the human and the sacred. It embodies the will of the human being — and especially of the people of Israel — to keep that bond alive and burning.

Today, that fire burns — or should burn — within each of us.

It is the flame of moral responsibility, of genuine concern and empathy for others. It is the fire of living memory, of stubborn hope, of commitment to human dignity and life. It is a symbol of the effort to uphold the human covenant, even when the world seems to be going up in flames — because so many have forgotten it or never lit it to begin with.

As this Shabbat comes to a close, the eternal fire of Tzav becomes the fire of liberation — in Pesach, the celebration of our freedom.

But let’s return to Shabbat HaGadol. Why is it called “the Great Shabbat”? As is often the case in our tradition, there are multiple interpretations, with no single definitive answer.

One classic explanation is that on the 10th of Nisan, which in the year of the Exodus fell on Shabbat, the Israelites took a lamb — considered a deity by the Egyptians — in order to prepare it for the Korban Pesach (Paschal sacrifice). Though this act could have enraged the Egyptians, they did not retaliate. This was considered a great miracle, and the Shabbat was thus named in its honor.

A midrash quoted by Tosafot (Shabbat 87b) offers another perspective:The Egyptian firstborns saw the Israelites taking lambs that Shabbat and asked why. The Israelites answered that they were preparing a sacrifice for God, who would soon kill the Egyptian firstborns. The firstborns went to their fathers and to Pharaoh, begging them to release the Israelites. When they were refused, the Egyptian firstborns rose up against their own people in protest — fulfilling the verse in Psalms (136:10):"Who struck Egypt through its firstborn..."

Hizkiyah ben Manoach, a 13th-century French scholar, suggested that taking the Paschal Lamb on Shabbat, the 10th of Nisan, marked the first mitzvah ever performed by the Israelites — and so that day was forever remembered as Shabbat HaGadol.

Another explanation is more spiritual in nature: the name “great” refers to the beginning of a great transformation for the Jewish people — a journey from slavery to freedom, from subjugation to sacred service. The Shabbat before Pesach signals the start of that redemption, making it a profoundly significant moment.

In later generations, rabbis would deliver a lengthy drasha (sermon) on this Shabbat to prepare the community for Pesach — explaining the laws of chametz, the Seder, and more. For many congregants, this made it a "longer-than-usual" Shabbat, giving rise to the tongue-in-cheek name, Shabbat HaGadol. (Don’t worry — this drasha won’t be quite that long...)

The Haftarah reading this Shabbat comes from the prophet Malachi, which includes the verse: "Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord..." (Hine anochi sholeach lachem et Eliyahu hanavi... lifnei bo yom Hashem hagadol vehanora)

This links the name of the Shabbat to the future redemption, which is also a theme of Pesach — (remember Elijah’s Cup at the Seder?).

A more mystical interpretation from Kabbalah teaches that the soul experiences two states: katnut (smallness) and gadlut (greatness). Before Pesach, the collective soul of the Jewish people rises from a state of limitation (katnut) to a state of expanded consciousness (gadlut). Shabbat HaGadol marks this shift — a deepening of our connection to the Divine.

And so, right after this Great Shabbat ends, Pesach begins, which we will celebrate together next Sunday at the JCC.

"Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh", says the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 27b.

Every member of Israel is responsible for one another.

Can we truly sing with full hearts while mothers, fathers, wives, and children still sit waiting for their freedom?

Just as we are guardians of the esh tamid, the eternal flame that must be kept alive in every generation, so too must we be guardians of each other’s freedom, carrying forward the message of this festival of liberation.

This year when we lift the matzot and recite Ha Lachma Anya — “This is the bread of affliction” — may we think of the crumbs that keep others barely alive, hiding in narrow tunnels somewhere in Gaza. Every dry piece of pita that keeps them breathing is also elevated to holiness.

May this year the Angel of Death pass over them as well, and may God bring them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

This year, they are still there — in enemy hands — and in some way, so are we.

Next year in the Land of Israel:Sitting at the head of the table, dressed in white, singing the songs of the Seder.

And one day, they will say to their children:"We were slaves, and now we are free." — Avadim Hayinu, Atah Bnei Chorin.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Gustavo Geier