One meaning of Shabbat Hagadol is the Shabbat when the Jewish slaves in Egypt passed into adulthood, a stage marked by independence of thought and action.

 

Unlike the miraculous holidays later in Jewish history, the Exodus from Egypt was entirely the work of G-D. In the Haggadah itself we read the Midrash that it was G-D Himself who redeemed us from Egypt-not a messenger, not an angel, but G-D in His revealed glory.

 

In later Jewish history the salvation of Chanukah and Purim, miraculous as they were, involved a human initiative. There could have been no Purim without the active role of Mordechai and Esther. There would have been no Chanukah without the heroic revolt of the Maccabeas. There would be no Israel without the initiative and the heroic suffering of the CHALUTZIM, and the IRGUN, the HAGANAH, and the IDF. In all of the salvations in Jewish history, we played the active role and G-D was the Silent Partner.

 

No so on Pesach. Here the Redemption from Egypt was entirely a supernatural, Divine, Magic Moment. The Jewish slaves in Egypt before the Redemption had been passive, reluctant, fearful of rocking the boat, and suspicious of Moshe. In all of the Torah readings of Israel in Egypt, there was only one instance before the Exodus when the Jews showed bravery, courage, and daring.

 

And that was on the 10th of Nissan, 5 days before the Exodus, when the Jewish slaves took a sheep, the deity of Egypt, and prepared to slaughter it as the Korban Pesach, to sprinkle its blood on their door posts, in defiance of their Egyptian masters, and the backlash of pogroms and massacres.

 

That day was Israel's first sign of maturity and bravery of an enslaved people. It was the sole element in the deliverance that marked a conscious willingness to be a partner with G-D in His plans for Jewish history.

 

Shabbat Hagadol is the day when Israel entered adulthood as a nation, when we became collectively a GADOL (great). The Midrash states that the Exodus occurred on a Thursday that year, which would make the 10th of Nissan the Shabbat immediately preceding the Exodus. That Shabbat was the day when human initiative was first shown-the Shabbat of Israel's greatness.

 

Thus, the Haftorah of Shabbat Hagadol is Malachi which concludes the biblical section of Tanach called "Prophets". But this reading has nothing to do with Pesach. So why is it read on the Shabbat before Pesach? Because Malachi prophecies that Eliyahu Hanavi will come to announce the Final Redemption, which is the culmination and climax of the Exodus from Egypt.

 

To achieve final redemption, we must become GEDOLIM (great). We must become totally committed to our historic destiny.

 

Mashiach will come when we are ready for him. Eliyahu Hanavi is the one whose role it is help us become GADOL-spiritually great.