In this week’s parsha and accompanying pieces, the Ma’or VaShemesh teaches that Shabbat HaGadol is part of a deeper process of preparation for redemption.
Chazal teach that if Israel would keep two Shabbatot, they would be redeemed immediately.
The Ma’or VaShemesh connects this to the two Shabbatot before Pesach.
Not just a span of time, but two distinct processes:
one that changes what we do,
and one that changes how we think.
And only when both align can real change begin, and redemption can occur.
Use these source sheets, for Parshat Tzav, Shabbat HaGadol, and the Haggadah, complete with footnoted sources and a concise, footnoted bio of R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein (Ma’or Va-Shemesh) to enjoy continued learning at your own pace.
Prepared by Rabbi Shalom (Saul) Orbach
The Ma’or Va-Shemesh is a classic Hasidic commentary on the weekly portions and festivals by R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Kraków (1751-1823). A foremost later disciple, and for years the Shamash, of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, he emerged after his rebbe’s passing as a leading figure in the fourth generation of Chassidut and of Polish Hasidism. His Torah blends close reading of the Psukim with mystical depth, emphasizing Dvekut, heartfelt prayer, joy, and sanctifying the everyday, with a hallmark leadership ethic: the tzaddik sweetens judgment into mercy and draws people close.