The Haftora for Shabbos Hagadol is from the book of Malachi, who lived at the beginning of the second Temple era. He foretells of the time of Moshiach, and rebukes the Jewish people for putting the wicked on a pedestal, for not serving Hashem and especially for not tithing, and it ends again with the redemption.
Many communities including Chabad, read this Haftora only when Shabbos Hagadol falls on Erev Pesach. Others read it on Shabbos Hagadol, whether or not it falls on Erev Pesach.
The reason we read this Haftora, is because it speaks of giving tithes, and on the Erev Pesach of the fourth and seventh years of the Sabbatical cycle, one is obligated to give whatever tithes are left in his possession. Another reason is that it tells about the future redemption, and being that Pesach is the holiday of the redemption and the most opportune time for the coming of Moshiach, we read about the redemption before it, especially since it tells of Eliyahu the prophet heralding Moshiach's coming.
Both traditions could apply both reasons, but one applies more to one and the other applies more to the other. According to those who read it only on Erev Pesach, the reason of giving tithes takes precedence, but you can also say that Erev Pesach is before the holiday of redemption, and Eliyahu comes prior to the coming of Moshiach. According to those who read it on Shabbos Hagadol, regardless of whether or not it falls on Erev Pesach, the reason of Moshiach and Eliyahu heralding his coming takes precedence, but you can also say that it comes before or on Erev Pesach as a reminder to tithe.
The Haftora begins, "(V'Arva) The offerings of Yehuda and Yerushalayim will be sweet to Hashem, (kimei olam) as in early days and the (shanim kadmonious) former years." Being that it begins with the word V'Arva, the Haftora is called V'Arva.
"As in early days and the former years," seem to have the same meaning. Why the double expression? We have to say that they are two distinct things, and that is why the verse brings them both. What is the meaning of these two expressions? And how do they work together?
The Midrash gives two answers. First that "In early days," refers to the days of Moshe, and "the former years," refers to the time of Shlomo. Second, that "In early days," refers to the days of Noach.
The Tzemach Tzedek explains, that "kimei olam," which literally means the days of the world, refers to the world, spiritual and physical realms included. And shanim kadmonious, which literally means the years before, refers to before or beyond the world, beyond all of existence, spiritual and physical.
The Tzemach Tzedek explains, that this connects to Shabbos Hagadol, as it says in the Haggadah, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashem took us out." "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt," refers to the world, and in the world, to the lowest place, and the lowest predicament, being slaves in exile, and "Hashem took us out," refers to the essence of Hashem, beyond existence, as we read in the Haggadah, "The King, King of kings, the Holy One Blessed Be He, in His glory and by Himself, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them."
This is the meaning of, "The offerings of Yehuda and Yerushalayim will be sweet to Hashem, as in early days and the former years," Yehuda and Yerushalayim refer to the Jewish people, as all the Jewish people are called Yehudim, and they are called daughters of Yerushalayim. The offerings refer to the general idea of sacrifices, which is meant to bring us closer to Hashem. And in a more general sense, it refers to our service to Hashem through Torah and mitzvahs, which brings us closer to Hashem. And even more, our daily mundane actions that are done for the sake of Heaven. These offerings reach the highest levels of G-dliness, to the essence of Hashem beyond existence. And this is what is sweet to Hashem, our service is sweet and pleasurable to Him, it is the greatest pleasure, as the Sifri tells us, that Hashem says, "it is a pleasure before Me, because I said it and My will was done."
And this service has both "In early days and the former years," it reaches beyond existence, and it affects the world by drawing G-dliness from beyond existence into even the lowest levels of existence, this physical world. And that is our purpose as Jews, to make this world into a home for Hashem, where His essence beyond existence could dwell openly in this physical world. And it is our service to Hashem through Torah, mitzvahs and our daily activities done for the sake of Heaven, that draws G-dliness from "shanim kadmonious," beyond existence, into "kimei olam," into the world, making a home for Hashem.
And this is the meaning of, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashem took us out." That the essence of Hashem beyond existence was drawn into the lowest part of creation, Egypt, and He Himself took us out.
This is a deeper reason for reading this Haftora on Shabbos Hagadol. Shabbos represents the culmination of our service to Hashem all week. As the Alter Rebbe tells us, that the prayer time of every day, is considered the Shabbos of the day, that is the time that all of one's service to Hashem during the day ascend on high. Shabbos is the day that all the prayers of the week go up. Now Shabbos Hagadol is the great Shabbos, it represents our service to Hashem at the highest level.
Why is it called Shabbos Hagadol? Because a great miracle happened on that day, "To smite Egypt with their firstborn." The Firstborn of Egypt went to war against Egypt on behalf of the Jewish people. This is the ultimate turn of events, when your enemy becomes your advocate, or as the Talmud puts it, "from the forest itself comes the handle of the ax." This is the highest level of service to Hashem, when the actual darkness is turned into light, and bitterness is turned sweet. And that is what Shabbos Hagadol is all about.
Why is it possible for the Jewish people to draw the highest levels of G-dliness into the lowest levels of the physical world?
The Haftora continues, "For I Hashem have not changed, and you the children of Yaakov have not been destroyed."
There are a few ways of understanding this verse.
Some people phrase it like a question, "If I Hashem have not changed, then why haven't you, the children of Yaakov expired (of ecstasy)?" In other words, you realize and sense My greatness, why haven't your neshamas left your body's yearning to be with Me?
Others read it as a statement. "Because I Hashem have not changed, therefore you the children of Yaakov have not been destroyed." meaning, that Hashem's love for us has not changed, therefore, we are still here today. Even deeper, because we are one with Hashem, and He doesn't change, we don't either change, therefore, we are here today. And where are we one with Him? In His essence beyond existence, and therefore we have the ability to draw from there into the lowest part of creation.
The idea of "For I Hashem have not changed," is seen primarily in nature, because miracles are by definition a change in nature. In truth, the greatest miracle of all, is nature itself, but we don't see it that way, because we are used to it. The fact that so much in nature is predictable, every day the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, we plant seeds and they grow, etc. etc., is where we see that Hashem doesn't change.
We have to be like Hashem, we have to act and serve Hashem in a predictable way, in the Torah way, and being that we are and were consistent in the Torah way, therefore, "you the children of Yaakov have not been destroyed. It is our consistency that has kept us alive, while other nations that were bigger and stronger than us, are only found in history books and museums, the tiny nation of the Jewish people are here and we are making a difference.
And now we will understand why the Haftora ends with, "Behold I will send you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers..." Because through our service to Hashem, especially in the way of Shabbos Hagadol, that we turn the darkness itself into light, we will merit the "great and awesome day," the coming of Moshiach. And then we will see the connection between us and Hashem openly. Father refers to Hashem beyond existence, and children refer to us within existence. We will see how he will "turn the heart of the fathers back through the children," this is us reaching above through our service, to the essence of Hashem beyond existence, "and the heart of the children back through their fathers," this is us drawing that great level of G-dliness into the world, making a home for Hashem.
May we merit to see the prophecy of Malachi come true, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.
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