Shabbat HaGadolשַׁבַּת הַגָּדוֹל

Shabbat HaGadol (“Great Shabbat” שבת הגדול) is the Shabbat immediately before Passover. There is a special Haftarah reading on this Shabbat of the book of Malachi. Traditionally a lengthy and expansive sermon is given to the general community in the afternoon. Shabbat HaGadol ("the Great Shabbat") carries layered meaning. Its name, which arose in the medieval period, is explained in several complementary ways. Tradition links it to a miracle: on the 10th of Nisan before the Exodus, said to have fallen on a Shabbat, the Israelites were commanded to take a lamb and tie it up in preparation for the Paschal offering. Because the lamb was an Egyptian deity, this provoked the Egyptians, yet the Israelites were left unharmed, a "great" act of divine protection. A second explanation draws on the special Haftarah from Malachi, which closes with the prophecy of "the great and awesome day of the Lord" heralded by Elijah, tying the past redemption from Egypt to future messianic redemption. A third, more down-to-earth reading points to the lengthy sermon delivered on this day, which kept the community out late: a "great" Shabbat in duration. Thematically the day functions as the spiritual and practical threshold into the Passover season, bridging the historical Exodus and the hope of redemption still to come.

Shabbat HaGadol falls on the Shabbat (Saturday) immediately before Passover, which begins on 15 Nisan. Depending on the year it lands between 8 and 14 Nisan. Because it is an ordinary Shabbat distinguished only by its Haftarah and customs, there is no Israel/Diaspora calendar difference for the day itself. The one timing wrinkle is when Shabbat HaGadol coincides with Erev Pesach (14 Nisan falling on a Shabbat): in that case the rabbi's Passover-laws sermon is customarily moved a week earlier, and communities differ on which Haftarah to read.

There is no special Torah portion for Shabbat HaGadol; the regular weekly parashah is read, most often Tzav or Metzora depending on the year. The distinctive reading is the Haftarah: Malachi 3:4–24, the closing chapter of the Book of Malachi (the last of the Twelve Minor Prophets), chosen for its prophecy of "the great and awesome day of the Lord" and the coming of Elijah. Most communities read this Haftarah every year on Shabbat HaGadol, though some rites read it only when the day does not coincide with Erev Pesach (and a few customs do the reverse). There is no Megillah reading associated with this Shabbat. The Haftarah is chanted in the ordinary Haftarah (Nevi'im) trope; there is no unique cantillation melody for Shabbat HaGadol, unlike the special tropes of Tisha B'Av, Purim, or the High Holidays.

The signature custom of Shabbat HaGadol is the rabbi's lengthy public drasha (sermon) on Hilchot Pesach (the laws of Passover), traditionally delivered to the whole community in the afternoon, helping everyone prepare for the festival. Many communities also recite a portion of the Passover Haggadah (from "Avadim Hayinu" through "LeChaper al kol avonoteinu") on Shabbat HaGadol afternoon, though this custom is not universal; notably, the Vilna Gaon did not observe it. A customary greeting for the day is "Shabbat HaGadol Mevorach." Practically, the Shabbat serves as the community's spiritual and logistical staging point for Passover.