מדרש that ויכלו must be said 3 times because the word אשר appears 3 times in פרשת ויכלו – בתפילה ואחר התפילה על הכוס. a) בתפילה – religious motif. b) אחר התפילה – what do you after you leave shul! שבת should not be only an AM – שבת. Also PM – sleep, then study etc. no golf etc. c) על הכוס – wine symbolizes day. אין שמחה אלא ביין we should not observe Sabbath grudgingly, "my inceptions beat me today." Rather, בשמחה

This Saturday is known as shabbos ha'gadol, or "The Great Sabbath," because it precedes the Exodus from Egypt and Freedom and Independence. This special Sabbath has traditionally been set aside by Rabbis and Preachers for sermons about shabbos in general – the Sabbaths of all the year. The theme of this sermon, therefore, as was the theme of Rabbis for generations before, is that "Every Sabbath is a Great Sabbath." Particularly in our times, and especially in our neighborhood – the heart of the business center – must Sabbath Observance be stressed.But before a Rabbi criticizes and berates and flays his congregation—which is his privilege and duty, especially on SHABBOS HA'GADOL—he might first be asked to explain. For to us, SHABBOS is more than a "day-off"; quite the contrary, it is perhaps a “day-on.” Because while it urges us to desist from work, it does more than release us from all duties—it adds the duties of the soul and the heart and the mind. It is a day of active holiness. SHABBOS KODESH. And therefore Jews have a right to ask: why should I assume these obligations?Rabbis of the Mishna understood that such questions would be asked. And so the great R. Joshua answered the question and pointed out the three results of Sabbath Observance. Bible (on Manna): *VAYOMER MOSHE, ICHLUHU HAYOM KI SHABBOS HAYOM LA'SHEM*. R. Joshua: give this day to G-d, and He will give you three gifts in return: *IM TIZKU LISHMOR ET HASHABBOS, ASSID ANI LAHASOT LACHEM SHALOSH MOADOT—PESACH, ATZERET, SUKKOT*.A strange reward indeed! Ask a housewife about PESACH, and she'll tell you of the difficulties of housecleaning (Sholom Aleichem on Pesach preparation). Ask a husband of the discomfort of eating in the Sukkah on a chilly autumn day. But obviously, the Sages intended not so much the festivals themselves as the symbols they are.**PESACH** is the symbol of Freedom (explain why). What sort of Freedom does Sabbath bestow upon its observers?—Freedom of being different, which follows up…

1. The issue of whether to retain or abolish Capital Punishment as one of the methods of dealing with hardened criminals has recently been aired in the neighboring state of Conn. Most recently, the issue has become one of public controversy here in Springfield, and has been precipitated by the jury's verdict of C.P. in the tragic case of the double-killing last fall. However, the real issue is not the justice of the jury's decision, which is clearly debatable and should not be publicly evaluated without complete knowledge of all the facts. The problem is a much greater one: the question of whether it is right, under any conditions, to inflict this most severe of all punishments.2. The issue is understably one which has caused great controversy. Life and deathare weighty matters. Those who favor abolition of the extreme penalty maintain that mistakes are sometimes made by a jury; and one mistake is too many. There is sometimes serious question not only as to the proper identification of the killer, but as to the proper evaluation of his state of mind. Thus, in the recent case, there is the s erious question of the sanity of the confessed criminal. They maintain, further, that C.P. accomplishes nothing for the criminal and little more for society. They believe that death is too cruel a punishment to be tolerated in our day and age. Those who oppose them, and argue for the retention of our punitive system, are as firm in their opinion. Our laws do provide for careful weighing of evidence, they say. Death is one way to protect society against further acts against society by the criminal, and it serves as a warning and deterrent to other potential criminals. Furthermore, it is doubtful, they continue, whether life imprisonment is less cruel than death. 3. Now, to argue these matters endlessly may be virtuous, but the real answer on this critical problem of life and death cannot come from Man alone. It must ultimately be decided by reference to the Author of all life. An…

רמב״ם: א׳ מרמ״ח מצוות עשה: לספר בנסים ונפלאות וכו׳ בליל ט״ו ניסן, שנא׳ זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים, כמ״ש זכור את יום השבת לקדשו. [מה ההיקש לזכור בשבת? – אורשמ״ח: (על הל׳ הוו״מ פ״ז ה״א) כמו בזכור בשבת הני מקדש מד״א ועל יין – או ריפתא רמד״ר כמו״כ בהגדה מד״א סיפור דברים, ומד״ר עליין או מצה. הרזבק״ש, ש״את היום״ פירוש ״ביום,״ שהזכירה ד״ל כמו פסח, דומה לזכור בשבת שנא׳ בו ״את יום״ לפרושו ״ביום״ השבותי, וכמו״כ משבת ראי׳ שזכור בזמן קמיצה הוי מצווה אף שעפי דקדוק הוי מקורילא צווי]

Introd. הגדה beautiful, inspiring, charming document ... but more than a story – Biblical Law, הלכה. Not extensively treated: one דף in Talmud (קט"ז); one chapter in Maimonides (ז', מהל' חו"מ); one סימן in (או"ח תע"ג) ש"ע. Nevertheless – interesting, important for understanding הגדה. Source. A) מכלתא דרשב"י – both והגדת לבנך and זכור את היום אשר יצאתם ממצרים זכור – that even above; והגדת that best in dialogue.

In our Jewish tradition, we speak of two months as being the "first" of the year. We have, as it were, 2 New Years. Generally Tishrei, we begin counting the new year from Rosh Hashanah. But we also have a different system, parallel to this, and that is the system which reckons Nissan, the month of Pesach, as the first month. While our presente calendar dates from Tishrei and Rosh Hashana as the beginning, the Torah always counts Nissan as first: החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים.

הקדמה: טעם לשם "שבת הגדול": לעניין ספירת העומר היתה מחלוקת בין חז"ל והצדוקים ובייתוסים בפירוש הפסוק "וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת". הצדוקים – שבת בראשית, החכמים – יום חג. לכן השבת קודם פסח נקרא שבת "הגדול" להפליא בין שבת (בראשית) זו ל"שבת" שבמקרא שפרושה: חג, וכמו שאמרו "כלל גדול: משמע שיש קטן ממנו". זוהי האמתלא לנושא הדרשה: ספה"ע (ספירת העומר). הקושיות: א) קרא גם במגילה ס"ו ע"א גופא: אמר אביי – עד זכר למקדש הוא. וקרא רש"י שם: עיקר העניין – אם ספירה תלויה בהבאת העומר. והרמב"ם (פ"ז מתמידין ומוספין כ"ה) והחולקין על אמימר חולקין אף בספירה, וס"ל דהוי דין ולא רק זכר למקדש, ופסק כוותייהו דהוי אף בזה"ז מדאורייתא. אבל הר"ן ושאר ראשונים – הכל מודים דבספירת העומר בזמן הזה פליגי אם צריכין לעשות זכר למקדש גם לשבועות. ולכ"ע כל הספירה בזמן הזה מדרבנן. שיטת הכרעה: רבנו ירוחם – דס"ל דבזה"ז ספירת ימים מה"ת, שבועות רק בזמן הבית, אבל היום רק מדרבנן (זכר למקדש). וקשה על שיטה זו: ממ"נ – אם ספירה תלויה בעומר, אף ימים מדרבנן, ואם לאו – אף שבועות מדאורייתא.Ask ChatGPT

R. Meir Simchah of Dvinsk, the renowned author of the Or Sameach and one of the most profound halakhic scholars of all time, makes a profound comment in his Meshekh Chokmah which is most appropriate to the day we now celebrate, Shabbat Ha-gadol, the special Sabbath which heralds the celebration of our festival of freedom, Passover. There are two types of mitzvot: those that bind a Jew to his G-d, and those that bind him closer to his fellow-Jew. Thus, observances like tzillit, tefillin, and mezuzah bring the Jew directly into communion with G-d, whereas mitzvot such as charity, love of fellow-man, and terumah bring him into closer community with other Jews.

Many reasons have been offered as to why this Sabbath before the holiday of Passover is known by the name Shabbat Ha-gadol. Allow me to commend to your attention one such reason which I find particularly significant. The author of the Tur, one of the greatest legal codes of Judaism, maintains that our Sabbath is known as Shabbat Ha-gadol, lefi she’naaseh bo nes gadol – because a great miracle was performed on this day. It was on this day of the year the Jews were liberated from Egypt, that they summoned up the courage to take the lambs that were tied to their doorposts and slaughter them as sacrifices to Almighty G-d. This act outraged the Egyptians, for whom the lamb was a divinity. They were stunned by the effrontery of these miserable Hebrew slaves who dared, in the presence of their masters, to exert their own religious independence. And yet, ve’lo hayu rashain lo’mar la-hem davar – the Egyptians could not and did not say a word in an attempt to stop the Israelites. Because of this nes gadol, this great miracle, the Sabbath was called Shabbat Ha-gadol, or the great Sabbath.This is, indeed, a beautiful explanation. But there is something troubling about it. Granted that the silence of the Egyptians, their sudden paralysis, was a true miracle. But what makes this a “great” miracle? Why gadol? This was an era which saw the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, the ten plagues, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Were these miracles not at least equally great? How does one measure the size or significance of miracles? I believe the answer can be most instructive. For nes gadol refers not to the silence of the Egyptians, but to the miracle of Jewish character. What we celebrate is not a great miracle, but the miracle of greatness. And I refer not only to the courageous defiance exercised by the Jews in Egypt, but to an even more significant fact. The other miracles of which we read and which we celebrate, allowed the Israelites to escape and survive, but in the process t…

I am pleased and honored to be able to occupy this morning the pulpit of my distinguished colleague, Rabbi Theodore Adams, one of the most eminent rabbinic leaders in our city. I also regard it as a distinct privilege to be able to participate in services in a synagogue with such a proud history. I am sure you join me in hoping and praying for the complete and speedy recovery of my honored colleague and your beloved rabbi. Perhaps the most appropriate prayer is a verse from the Psalms which we recite every Wednesday: "im amarti matah ragli, basdekha hashem yisadeni׳," "when I said that my foot has slipped, then Your kindness, 0 Lord, supports me.״ May the kindness of the Lord be the only crutch your rabbi will need and the only support he will receive for many many years to come. This Sabbath is known as Shabbat Ha-gadol, "the great Sabbath." Many reasons have been offered in our tradition for this distinctive name. Permit me to mention to you one which I regard as possessing special insight. Rabbi Jacob, author of the Turim, maintains that it is called by this name le'f^ she'naaseh bo nes gadol, because a great miracle, nes gadol, was performed on this day; the Hebrews who were yet slaves in Egypt dared to slaughter the lamb (regarded as the deity of the Egyptians) in defiance of their taskmasters, ve1lo hayu rash1in lo-mar la-hem davar — and the Egyptians were not able to protest or rebuke them. Shabbat Ha-gadol, in other words, celebrates the remarkable courage and the heroic conviction of the Children of Israel who reached new heights of fearlessness in their dedication to the Almighty. The nes gadol was not only a "great miracle" but also a "miracle of greatness" — Jews, heretofore diffident slaves, were able to take such risks for their beliefs, for their God!Perhaps it is best to see this act of bravery and dedication in a larger context. All of the Bible, and all of Judaism, is the story of the dialogue between God and man. This dialogue can be approached f…