Tzav 5786: Don’t Passover This!

GOOD MORNING! This year Passover begins on Wednesday night, April 1st. This upcoming Shabbat, which is the one immediately preceding the holiday of Passover, is known as “Shabbat Hagadol – or The Great Sabbath.” You will probably not be shocked to hear that there are many reasons cited as to why this is. In fact, there are no less than ten reasons given for this designation – keeping in line with the well-known aphorism, “two Jews, three opinions.”

The origin of the name Shabbat Hagadol has been explored as far back as the 12th century. The Machzor Vitry – a work attributed to Rabbi Simcha of Vitry (a city that today is considered a suburb of Paris) – simply states that “People have the custom to call the Shabbat before Passover ‘Shabbat Hagadol,’ and they do not know why.”

I am torn between finding it disconcerting and comforting that even some nine hundred years ago people did things without fully understanding the reasons for it.

The Da’at Zekeinim, which (like the Machzor Vitry) stems from the school of the famous Biblical commentator Rashi (1040-1105) and his students, says that the reason for the “Great Sabbath” designation can be attributed to the verse in the Torah, “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, in the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house” (Exodus 12:3).

The Midrash says that when the Israelites took the lamb for the Passover sacrifice on the 10th of the Hebrew month of Nissan it was a Shabbat. When the Egyptians saw that they had taken the lamb to slaughter, they gathered against the Israelites in order to attack them, for they worshipped sheep as one of their gods (Exodus 8:22). Thereupon God performed a miracle, and they were saved “and therefore it is called Shabbat Hagadol because of the greatness of the miracle.”

According to the Talmud (Moed Kattan 5a) it seems that the Shabbat before each of the festivals and Rosh Hashanah were known as Shabbat D’rigla, and they were a time when the entire community came to the synagogue to study about the upcoming holiday. Some of the commentaries on this passage state all of these Shabbats were given the title “Shabbat Hagadol.”

It is quite possible that the term stuck specifically to the Shabbat before Passover because of the special Haftorah (the passage emanating from the Scriptures that is read after the weekly Torah portion) of the Shabbat before Passover. The selection from Malachi 3:4-24 discusses the prophecy of the arrival of the Messiah and refers to the day of his appearance as the “great day of God.” Thus, the Shabbat before Passover is called “Shabbat Hagadol.”

This week’s Torah portion is called Tzav. This name is derived from the very first verse: “Command (tzav) Aaron and his sons saying […]” (Leviticus 6:2). The word tzav is generally translated as “command” and is the root of the word mitzvah – or commandment.

Yet according to Rashi (ad loc) the verse is instructing Moses to “enthusiastically encourage” (Aaron and his sons) in their responsibilities as members of the priestly caste known as Cohanim.

However, Rashi’s comment seems problematic. Have you ever tried commanding your children to clean up their room? Do you think that they felt that you were being “enthusiastic” and “encouraging”? If you do not understand the difference between commanding and encouraging, try “commanding” your spouse to wash the dishes and see how well that works out for you.

Thousands of years before the Torah was translated into English it was translated into Aramaic. The ancient translation of the word tzav in Aramaic was not to “command,” but rather to “appoint.” This is quite a distinction.

Moses is being told to explain to Aaron and his sons that they have been appointed to a very lofty position – the holy priestly caste of the Jewish nation. But it is a position that comes with responsibilities, and responsibilities cannot be forced on someone – they must be accepted.

This is also the very definition of a mitzvah. Did you ever wonder why God chose to ask the Jewish people if they would accept the Torah and the accompanying 613 mitzvot? Why didn’t God just tell them, “I created the world. I am the boss and I demand that you fulfill the Torah and its commandments”? Why did the Jewish people have to willingly accept the Torah and the mitzvot?

The answer is that fulfilling the Torah is a responsibility that we are taking upon ourselves. The Torah is not merely a book of laws; it is an owner’s manual for this world. By accepting it upon ourselves we are taking responsibility for fulfilling God’s vision for this world. This responsibility goes far beyond merely fulfilling rituals and it must be accepted upon oneself willingly – there is no “commanding” it.

This is the essence of Passover. Passover celebrates the birth of the Jewish nation; we were slaves to Pharaoh, and the Almighty redeemed us to be His people.

There is a fascinating Rashi on the verse, “And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that Hashem your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm [...]” (Deuteronomy 5:15). Rashi explains that the reason we must remember that we were slaves in Egypt is to understand that this is the very reason God took us out of Egypt: “He redeemed you in order for you to be His servant and fulfill His Torah and mitzvot.” In other words, being slaves in Egypt both educated and prepared us to be proper servants to the Almighty.

While the obvious difference between being servants to Pharaoh and being servants to the Almighty is that God has only our best interest at heart, in truth the difference is much, much deeper. God created the world with a mission to be fulfilled: That mankind perfect itself and seek a relationship with Him. It is only through this relationship that we achieve an everlasting existence.

The Jewish people are therefore His ambassadors to the world. This is a very lofty position. We are part of God’s “management team” to see that His will for us and the world is fulfilled. But this lofty position comes with real responsibilities. The Torah is both God’s operating manual for the world and the path to its perfection. This is why the Almighty, upon our leaving Egypt, marched us straight to Mount Sinai to accept the Torah.

Thus, the Jewish nation is different from any other nation; we are not merely individuals connected to each other by blood, geography, or both. Rather, the Jewish nation is a concept. We are a nation who has agreed to partner with God and take responsibility for seeing that God’s vision for this world is fulfilled.

This is undoubtedly why a tiny country buried in the Middle East is such a focus of both devotion and enmity. The entire world – both consciously and subconsciously – recognizes the position that Israel and the Jewish people hold within the world. Some perceive it as a threat, while others are inspired by it. But this also creates a great obligation; to be worthy enough to inspire others to recognize the Almighty and want a relationship with Him.

Passover is when we were born as a nation. Ultimately, the message of Passover is that the Jewish nation is a concept that transcends time and space. A concept that has survived every effort to extinguish it.

There is much more to say on this very special holiday. We have added a Passover section to our AI-powered site where you can ask any question you may have. Be mindful that this is a closed Torah eco-system; it only has our Torah classes and publications – it does not draw from the internet or any other sources. You can choose the ideas you wish to learn more about and ask questions you’d like to discuss at your Passover Seder. You can even print out your own Haggadah! I encourage everyone to check it out – go to askrabbizweig.com and try it for yourself.

An important housekeeping item: One of the overriding themes of Passover is the prohibition against consuming foods that are “chametz – leavened or fermented grain.” This refers to any foods or beverages that contain or are made from grain (wheat, barely, oat, etc.). Sadly, this includes beer and spirits. Virtually all foods that have a grain ingredient are prohibited on Passover, unless they have a reliable Kosher for Passover certification.

Passover has an added stringency; Jews aren’t even allowed to own these products during the holiday. Herein lies the source for one of the greatest “workarounds” in Judaism – any product containing chametz is sold to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday and bought back after Passover ends. This is a legally binding sale, both by Jewish and civil law. Historically, people went to their rabbi to take care of the sale. In the 21st century you can easily do it online at sellchometz.com.

There is no charge whatsoever for this service (though you can make a donation if you desire).

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy Passover.

Tzav, Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

This week's Torah portion includes the laws of: Burnt Offerings, Meal Offerings, High Priest’s Offerings, Sin Offerings, Guilt Offerings, and Peace Offerings. It concludes with the portions of the Peace Offerings that are allotted to the Priests and the installation ceremony of the Priest for serving in the Sanctuary