No More Chains

A precondition of freedom is to break the chains that enslave us. Oftentimes, the ideological and mythical chains that bind our minds subdue a person much more than the heaviest iron chains can. Why? Iron chains can restrict a body but ideological and mythical chains restrict the mind. 

The worst form of slavery is slavery of the mind, when a person's mind is subjugated and he loses his G-d given freedom of choice.

Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath, is the Sabbath that precedes Passover. Shabbat HaGadol symbolizes the breaking of slavery's chains that enables us to walk forth in complete freedom on Passover.

The Baalei Tosephot explain that Shabbat HaGadol - the Great Sabbath– is called so thanks to the great miracle that Hashem did for Israel on the Sabbath that preceded the Exodus, as follows:

Hashem wanted the Children of Israel to perfom a meritous deed that would entitle them the reward of freedom from Egyptian bondage. As such, He ordered each family to obtain a blemish-free lamb and designate it for Pascal sacrifice. Courageously, the Israelites fulfilled Hashem's commandment on the 10th of Nissan, which during the year of the Exodus came out on Shabbat, as the Exodus itself was Thursday, 15 Nissan, 2448 on the Jewish calendar.

Each Israelite family took a lamb and tied it to the foot of one of their beds. In doing so, they had to overcome a tremendous fear of Egyptian retribution and to trust completely in Hashem. Why? The lamb was the deity of Egypt. So, when the Egyptians saw lambs tied up in Israelite homes, they grit their teeth with anger but they could do nothing because they were paralyzed and couldn't prevent the slaughter of their lamb-deities. Even more symbolically, all this was happening in the month of Nissan – the month when the stellar constellation of Aries dominates; the Egyptians worshipped Aries, the ram lamb. Just when their deity was at its annual strength, it was being slaughtered by the Israelites under Hashem's protection.

Continue reading No More Chains in this week's stimulating issue of Breslev Israel web magazine. Here are some more superb features this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush: The Lesson of Yehoyachin

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Holy Sweetness

Rabbi Chaim Feld: Pesach and Financial Freedom

Rivka Levy: Off the Couch

Racheli Reckles: The Eating Escalator

Natalie Kovan: Teenagers 

Dovber Halevi: Pesach and Shovevim

Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron: The Transparent Ground, from Warriors of Transcendence

This week's Torah portion is Achrei Mot, and it's Shabbat HaGadol.

InnUman is the place to be for Rosh Hashana 5772. Now is definitely the time to reserve your place.

Have a wonderful week! Remember, proper Pesach preparations are done with a smile...