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Metzora
Leviticus 14:1–15:33
There are very few weeks in the Jewish calendar when Shabbat is referenced by a name other than that of the weekly Torah portion. This week’s Torah portion is Metzora, but the Shabbat is known as Shabbat HaGadol. It is the Shabbat that immediately precedes Pesach.
There is a source in Tosafot’s commentary on the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 87b) that references Shabbat HaGadol. According to the Midrash that Tosafot quotes, the actual Exodus from Egypt happened on a Thursday. That was the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nissan. We are told in the narrative that God commanded the Hebrews to take a sheep and keep it for safekeeping on the 10th of the month. (Exodus 12:3) That sheep would become the paschal sacrifice. It would be slaughtered in the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, and its blood would mark the doorposts of the Hebrew homes.
The Egyptians were polytheists and had a pantheon of gods they worshipped. Sheep were considered holy to them, whereas sheep were a large part of the Hebrews’ diet. As early as the story with Joseph and his brothers, we see that the Egyptians found it abominable to even eat a meal with the Hebrews. (Genesis 43:32) Thus, Joseph’s brothers were seated separately from the others in attendance.
Imagine, then, taking the idol of the dominant culture and tying it to your bedpost for four days in preparation for slaughtering it to another deity. One might imagine that the Egyptians would be incensed at best. The level of affront would be enormous.
The reason that this is called Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat, is because it was an open miracle that the Hebrews were not attacked by their neighbors ahead of the paschal sacrifice. It does beg the question as to why God would command them to take the sheep for such a long time in advance of the planned offerings on the 14th of Nissan? Was it for spite?
The entire experience of the exile in Egypt was purposeful. There are many explanations by the classic commentators as to the reasons. One idea that seems to be agreed upon is that monotheism was the agenda. God was interested in introducing Himself to the world as the Master and Creator of the universe. The plagues in Egypt were summarily about negating the gods of Egypt as much as securing the release of the children of Israel. By taking the sheep in plain sight of the Egyptians, God wanted to demonstrate to them that their deities were powerless.
Thousands of years ago, there was a very clear distinction between what was considered right and wrong. God made a stand against the Egyptians and rescued the children of Israel so they could serve Him through the system of laws and morals that are codified in the Torah.
Over the years, that system has been challenged by the manifold societies in which the Jewish people have found themselves. There are principles that have resonated as universal, and there are some that have been considered archaic and offensive. The Jewish people have been resilient and have remained loyal to the Torah despite the challenges of their detractors.
We are currently living at a time where antisemitism is on the rise across the globe. The local Jewish community is encountering manifestations of hate at a rate that one would have considered preposterous just a few years ago.
Shabbat HaGadol should be a reminder to all of us that there are times in which we are called upon to do what is right even if the rest of the world takes offense. We must be prepared to stand proud of our religion and the convictions that emanate from it.
There are so many competing ideologies out there that we have a greater responsibility to articulate our own with clarity.
Jewish education is not something that can be obtained through memes and sound bites. It is a profound trove of wisdom that must be passed down through the ages. During Pesach, we are commanded to teach our children about the Exodus and all the implications therein. May we merit the ability to fulfill that mitzvah and strengthen the Jewish people for generations.