What’s going to be gadol about your Shabbat?

Shalom Uv’racha,
Every year when we speak about Shabbat HaGadol, we always ask what’s going to be big about this Shabbat? What’s going to be gadol about your Shabbat? I saw something beautiful that I wanted to share with everyone. The ability to l’vater, not to give in but to give up, is a tremendous characteristic trait. A characteristic trait that doesn’t come easy, but a person that is able to do this is truly plugged into what makes a human being great. Rav Biderman shared that one of the reasons this Shabbat HaGadol is called ‘gadol’ because the house and the Shabbos table are experienced a bit different on the Shabbos before Pesach. The house is usually already kosher l’Pesach. Specifically the dining room, and therefore The Shabbos table so to speak gives up, and we eat somewhere else in the house or outside, somewhere where we can still have our chametz. Perhaps this is really the sign of gadlut, if greatness. On this Shabbat HaGadol, each of us can go deep inside our hearts and already make decisions regarding how we are going to act when this pandemic is over. What areas in our life are we going to l’vater, that aren’t so important? Not the big stuff, but the stuff that gets in the way. The principals we hold, the ones we think are so important. Hashem, what areas in my life can you show me where I can mamash l’vater, for the sake of giving space to someone else?

A free person knows how to do that. That’s a real hachana for freedom. This is the real preparation for freedom.

I bless us all, from the bottom of my heart, that we should all begin to taste the taste of freedom this shabbat. We should find the places where we can l’vater, in order to give space to someone else, and this become truly great people, Anashim Gedolim.

Shabbat Shalom!