Discovering Shabbat HaGadol
Last week Rabbi David Stone Jr. was too ill to conduct Shabbat Services, but thankfully he is better again.Did you know that this is a special Shabbat?
I just found out about it when I went to see what the recommended readings are for this week's Shabbat study on Rabbi David Stone's Facebook page.
Here is what Rabbi Stone posted:
This is a special Shabbat called Shabbat HaGadol which means 'The great sabbath' and marks the approaching Passover which starts Monday night.
Recommended Messianic Shabbat Readings:
The name of the Torah portion is "Metzora" which means 'infected one'
- Torah- Leviticus 14:1-15:33
- Haftarah- Malachi 3:4-24 (special reading)
- New Covenant- Matthew 17:9-13
If you are fortunate enough to be in Beaumont Texas this Shabbat, then you can enjoy the Shabbat Study in person with Rabbi David Stone Jr. If, on the other hand, you are like me, far away in another land, and blessed to be able to get internet, then you can tune in on Facebook and take part in the Facebook live study.
See details in this post by Rabbi David Stone Jr. on Facebook.
Note: This blog has referral links that help our writers eat when you make purchases through them. Please refrain from shopping on Shabbat.
Shabbat HaGodal
Not knowing anything about Shabbat HaGodal, I did a quick online search to see what I might find out about this special Shabbat. Here is what Copilot Ai taught me about this very special Shabbat.
Shabbat Hagadol, the Sabbath before Passover, is marked by several customs rich in symbolism and tradition. Here are some of the customs associated with this special day:
- Reading from the Haggadah: It is customary to read a portion of the Haggadah, specifically from "Avadim hayinu" to "al kol avonotainu," which tells the story of the Exodus. This reading is done to prepare for the upcoming Passover Seder³.
- Special Haftarah: A special Haftarah is reading on this Shabbat from the book of Malachi, which speaks of the "great day" of God⁵.
- Rabbi's Sermon: Traditionally, the community rabbi delivers a lengthy and expansive sermon in the afternoon. This sermon elaborates on the laws of Passover and their significance, helping the community prepare for the festival³.
- Connecting Purim and Pesach: Some have the custom of eating foods remaining from the mishloach manot of Purim on Shabbat Hagadol. This is done to symbolically connect Purim and Pesach, the two holidays of redemption⁴.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/19/2024
(1) Shabbat, April 20, 2024 - Chabad.org. https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/day.asp?tdate=4/20.
(2) Shabbat HaGadol - Shabbat before Pesach (The Great Shabbat) - Hebcal. https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/shabbat-hagadol.
(3) Shabbat Hagadol - Torah Musings. https://www.torahmusings.com/2011/04/shabbat-hagadol/.
(4) Shabbat Hagadol - Chabad.org. https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1692/jewish/Shabbat-Hagadol.htm.
(5) Shabbat HaGadol | My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shabbat-hagadol/.
It is important to double-check everything that any chatbot shares - This chatbot thinks I live in Texas and host Messianic services there. LOL It will be interesting to see how this lines up with the teachings that Rabbi David will share.
Free Messianic Haggadah Resources
A Haggadah is an order of service that people follow during the Passover meal. A Haggadah can be on a certain theme- usually dealing with release from bondage. This year with the hostages still not released by Hamas, many congregations are focussing on the release of these hostages.
- Messiah in the Passover Haggadah offers a free family-friendly Haggadah.
- On kehila.org there is a Free Messianic Hagaddah posted in several languages
- Great Big Messianic Haggadah List on the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations website
Torah Explorations - Ideas, Thoughts and Resources -Leviticus 14:1-15:33
What is Leviticus 14:1-15:33 all about?
Chapter 14 of Leviticus is about the procedure for spiritual cleansing of people with leprosy and homes with mould, and mildew. It is interesting that the procedure for cleansing. I wonder if this was done to ensure that if anyone was ever healed of leprosy the priests would know how to do the cleansing ceremony. There are only two people in the Hebrew scriptures of people being healed of leprosy: Miriam and Naaman.
This scripture reminds me of when Our Savior healed the lepers.
About This Author
Sister Su is gratefullanguages to God for keeping her alive. She is a Trent/Queen's Concurrent Education graduate with over 20 years of teaching experience. She writes on several blogs, has a YouTube channel and is most easily reached through Twitter @Sister_Su See her link tree for more details:@Sister_Su | Linktree
This post was proofread with the free version of Grammarly
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