Page 32 - HaMizrachi #28 Pesach USA 2021

Inspiring
Shabbat HaGadol

Drasho

On Shabbat HaGadol, Jews pack into shuls across the world to hear the Rabbi’s drasha.
Some of these drashot have become etched into Jewish history. Here are excerpts from
pre-Pesach drashot, delivered by three of the most influential leaders of the last century.

Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman praying not to be caught in the act of mitzvot demanded mesirut nefesh,
Shapira hy”d, the Piacetzner his transgression… great faith and sacrifice. The prospect
Rebbe: Shabbat HaGadol of undergoing a Brit Mila as an adult in
drasha in the Warsaw Faith is not an external accomplishment those days was probably frightening, and
Ghetto, 5700 (1940) foreign to us; it is within us, in our spir- required all the men of that generation
itual DNA! Nevertheless, a Jew does not
n 1950, a Polish construction worker automatically perceive or feel this faith to tangibly demonstrate their faith in
clearing rubble from the destroyed within him or herself: G-d.
IWarsaw Ghetto unearthed a milk An even greater demonstration of faith
churn containing Hebrew and Yiddish (But) without exercising or adding to
language manuscripts, among them the it, a person will remain unaware of his was their fulfillment of G-d’s command
wartime sermons of Rav Shapira. These natural faith, love or devotion, uncon- to sacrifice lambs – revered as a deity by
powerful sermons were eventually pub- scious of the vital sanctity the Egyptians – as an offering to G-d:
lished as ׁש ֶ דק ׁש ֵ א, “Holy Fire.” he inherited from his (By taking the lambs,) the people
ֹ
ancestors. Only when
In this particular drasha, he does something demonstrated that they were pre-
Rav Shapira teaches that to increase his faith, pared to give their lives for G-d,
the Jewish people possess love or devotion do as it is written: “Moshe said, ‘If we
an inherent, instinctual they become obvious slaughter the sacrifice, this Egyptian
faith. 1 to him and he is able taboo, will the Egyptians not stone
us?’ (Shemot 8:22). But the Jews went
We Jewish people are to feel them… ahead, regardless of the danger…
always filled with love Every one of us, simply
and fear of G-d, and because we are born In submitting to Brit Mila and coura-
our faith is steadfast. Jews, possesses a geously bringing the Korban Pesach in
These traits are instinctive, as they unique holiness – a full view of the Egyptians, Bnei Yisrael
are inherited from our ancestors. natural faith and trust in G-d. But this rose to the occasion and actively took
As an extreme example of this, we faith can only be ‘accessed’ when we steps to ‘increase’ their faith, thereby
learn in the Talmud: ‘A thief during ourselves make an effort to increase activating the natural holiness and faith
his burglary calls upon the Merciful our faith. that lay within them as an inheritance
One’ (Ein Ya’akov, Berachot 63a). from their ancestors!
The urge to pray is so automatic that This is why G-d gave Bnei Yisrael the
even when a person is about to break mitzvot of Brit Mila and Korban Pesach
one of the Ten Commandments, his as their way of ‘earning’ the redemp- 1 The summary is adapted from a piece by Rabbi
instinct forces him to call upon G-d, tion. The performance of both of these Elie Mischel.

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