Metzora- Shabbat Hagadol – The Key To Success- Transition

Rabbi Ezra Friedman

In order to be a good shepherd, it is not sufficient for one to know the layout of the land. A talented shepherd must know how to guide his sheep. In every aspect of life, there are junctions, changes that may shift one’s life completely. These changes happen to people of all ages, no matter what their background. In addition, the breadth of these changes are relative. Some people have trouble adapting to a new job or a new community. Others find any minor change to their schedules difficult since it disturbs the status quo. Our Sages have taught that each new beginning may be daunting. No matter how necessary change is, it is challenging for someone to change anything that is significant and difficult for that person.

We must all accept that things cannot always stay the same. We Jews grow and mature, and as such, needs shift. Change is an important part of our lives. In order to make maximize changes in our life, we need preparation. If we want to succeed in dealing with changes, we must understand the importance of transition in life, and we must prepare ourselves mentally and sometimes physically for the new paths in our lives. In this article, we will explore the importance of proper transition and hopefully we can incorporate this virtue into our daily lives.

This upcoming Shabbat is called Shabbat Hagadol, “The Great Shabbat”. This title was given because during the redemption from Egypt, the tenth of Nissan, fell on Shabbat and on that day a miracle occurred. Am Yisrael was commanded to take lambs to prepare for the Pesach Offering. When they tied the sheep to their beds, the Egyptians were perplexed and angry because sheep were considered gods in early Egyptian culture. The Egyptians did not act or harm the Jews even after witnessing this “travesty” and that was considered an obvious miracle. Ever since, we celebrate this miracle on the Shabbat prior to Pesach and as such, it is called “The Great Shabbat”.

As great as the miracle seems, there is another aspect that needs to be examined. Why did Hashem command Am Yisrael to perform this dangerous act immediately prior to their deliverance from Egypt? Was there something unique about the timing of this commandment? The answer is transition. Hashem wanted to prepare the Jews mentally to exit from slavery. Am Yisrael needed to perform such an audacious act in order to show that after all the miracles, the people were ready to leave Egypt only when they were no longer slaves, but rather the chosen people. It is much easier to remove a slave physically out of slavery but much harder to remove the mindset of slavery.

This commandment can be viewed as a momentous transition for Am Yisrael upon leaving Egypt. Although we are aware of the speedy exit from Egypt, Hashem wanted us to have the most basic psychological preparation in order to change our mindset. This idea can be seen in other aspects leading up towards Am Yisrael‘s journey out of Egypt. One of the first Mitzvot Am Yisrael received was the setting of the Jewish calendar. This Mitzvah emphasizes (amongst other things) the transition from an individual religion to a national religion. When Am Yisrael left Egypt, the saga of our forefathers ended. Judaism became focused on building a nation and not just about personal religious service. We see again Hashem‘s strategy in preparing Am Yisrael for the exodus.

We can see this important theme of transition in this week’s Haftorah as well. The special Haftorah for Shabbat Hagadol is from the prophet Malachi. Malachi was the last Prophet in Jewish history. His final prophecy was meant to prepare Am Yisrael to continue its dedication to Hashem and Torah, even though prophecy itself would cease. During the period when prophecy was frequent, there were never any doubts or debates. Whenever Am Yisrael was not sure how to act, there was a direct pathway to Hashem through prophecy. When prophecy was a normal part of a regular Jew’s life, there was a stronger perceived connection to Hashem. He or she had the feeling that every action and thought was seen and heard by Hashem himself. Malachi tried to prepare Am Yisrael for a world without prophets. He insisted that Hashem hears every word and sees every human action. He assured the people that Judaism would flourish even in the absence of prophecy.

Another factor mentioned by Malachi is the importance of the Oral law taught by the Sages of each generation. When prophecy had ended and the Tanach been completed, the Oral Law and the words of the great Torah scholars had begun to have much more significance in our daily lives. The entire point of Malachi‘s final words were to prepare Am Yisrael for the next stage in Jewish history. Just as the miracle of Shabbat Hagadol helped Am Yisrael prepare for the transition from slavery to freedom, the Haftorah as well has a similar theme, that of preparing Am Yisrael for a life without prophecy.

Jews are faced with a multitude of challenges at every turn and the lessons of our Torah are eternal. Proper transition, with mental and spiritual preparation, is crucial for any Jew to succeed. Whether it be helping our children prepare for first grade or training for a successful, positive army experience in the Israeli Armed Forces, teaching transition can make a big difference.

Pesach and the Seder are around the corner. We can use this upcoming week to focus on making our Pesach night one to remember. Many spend a lot of time finding dust ball under our furniture (people should always be reminded that dust is not Chametz). However, it is more important to utilize our time to prepare spiritually for the Pesach Seder. Our Sages claim in Masechet Tamid, (32A), “Who is wise? He who foresees.” If we can utilize this message, always focus, and be aware of the changes in our lives, we can meet and surmount any challenge that awaits us.