The Shabbos before Pesach is traditionally known as Shabbos Hagadol, meaning, the great Shabbos. One of the reasons for the unique classification of this Shabbos is based on the tradition that the Jewish People’s original exodus from Egypt occurred during the month of Nissan, and the Final Redemption as well will occur during Nissan. But not just on any day in Nissan. The Redemption will also begin on the Seder night just as in Egypt. The Shabbos prior to Pesach is therefore the final Shabbos before the Redemption, so it is designated as the great Shabbos.
In the Haftorah of Shabbos Hagadol we read about the end of days in the final book of the Prophets, the book of Malachi. The final prophesy concludes with the famous verse, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of G-d. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers….” (Malachi 4:5-6) Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that the verse is not referring to an emotional disconnect between the generations. Rather the prophet is prophesying that the day will arrive when parents will not value Torah enough to pass it on to the next generation, and the children will not understand the importance of Torah. Elijah the Prophet will then come and bridge the generational gap, and save whoever he possibly can save.
Why does Elijah merit being the harbinger of the good tidings? In what merit will the Jewish People be redeemed?
Elijah is the angel of the covenant between the Jewish People and G-d. In order to achieve redemption for the Jewish People, he attests to the Jewish nation's commitment to two mitzvahs: the mitzvah of circumcision and the mitzvah of Pesach. Those two mitzvahs will stand as our merit for redemption. The Midrash informs us that Elijah is present at every circumcision, and we designate a special chair of honor on his behalf named “the chair of Elijah.” On the Seder night we fill up a large goblet known as “the cup of Elijah.” The Jerusalem Talmud explains that the four cups of wine on the Seder night represent the four different terms used for redemption. The fifth term of redemption: "V'heiveisy", meaning, and I will bring you to the Land of Israel, refers to the final redemption when Elijah will herald the coming of Messiah. (Sefer Toldos Esther and Daas Zikeinim Miba'alei Hatosfos Parshas Bo) Therefore the final cup that is filled is called “the cup of Elijah,” in the hope that Elijah will appear and redeem us, but we do not drink it.
Why are specifically the mitzvahs of circumcision and Pesach going to serve as our merit for redemption?
The mitzvah of circumcision takes place on the eight day of the child’s life. From the outset we seek to instill within our children the importance of Torah and mitzvahs. On the Seder night as well the entire focus is transmitting the story of the exodus to our children. These two mitzvahs represent the concatenation of our tradition from parent to child. We teach our children from the day that their blood begins clotting that our entire survival is contingent on connecting to G-d, and we continue teaching that message when the youngest child is able to recite the ma nishtana. Elijah will then come and finish up the job of reconnecting the generations, but our job is to begin that process.
In today’s societal morass, a solid Jewish education is crucial for survival as a moral and ethical human being. In choosing the proper school for our children we should not just look at the curriculum and the teachers. We must research what type of Jewish life the graduates are leading. There are many Jewish schools out there, but the main component is finding the school where the graduates are still living a Jewish lifestyle and have incorporated the lessons of Jewish living into their homes. The only way for a child to survive in contemporary society is by having the highest level Jewish education possible. In that merit, our children will be wholesome and happy, and will link back into that chain from Mount Sinai. And then Elijah will come and thank us for doing the job for him!
