Greatness as revealing Hashem within nature

אא"ז מו"ר זצלל"ה הגיד טעם שם שבת הגדול כי בגמ' אנשי כנה"ג שהחזירו עטרה ליושנה כו'.

My grandfather, my teacher and master, of blessed memory, gave a reason for the name "Shabbos HaGadol" (the Great Shabbos): for in the Gemara, the Men of the Great Assembly (Anshei Knesses HaGedolah) "restored the crown to its former state," etc. (Yoma 69b).

The Chiddushei HaRim explains the name based on the Gemara's account of how the Men of the Great Assembly restored the full description of Hashem as "the great, the mighty, and the awesome."

וקשה שהרי שם גדול הי' גם מקודם ורק הגבור והנורא החזירו.

And this is difficult, for the title "the great" (ha-gadol) was already present even beforehand; only "the mighty" (ha-gibor) and "the awesome" (ha-nora) did they restore.

He raises a question: the prophets had only dropped "mighty" and "awesome," never "great," so why does the restoration bear specifically on the word "great"?

אך שע"י החזרת גבור ונורא נתברר שגם אלו רק בכח גדולת רחמיו ית'.

But through the restoration of "mighty" and "awesome," it was clarified that even these are only by the power of the greatness of His mercy.

Restoring "mighty" and "awesome" revealed that Hashem's strength and awesomeness ultimately flow from His "greatness" — His boundless mercy and compassion — so the whole episode is really about gadlus.

ובגמ' גדולה זו מעשה בראשית ג"כ הפי' כנ"ל שע"י שהבריאה נראה מתנגד למלכות השי"ת רק ע"י הצדיקים שמבררין שכל הטבע ע"י חיות השי"ת זה בחי' גדולה.

And in the Gemara, "'greatness' (gedulah) — this is the act of Creation (ma'aseh bereishis)" (Berachos 58a) — the explanation is likewise as above: that although Creation appears to oppose the kingship of Hashem, it is only through the tzaddikim who clarify that all of nature exists by the life-force of Hashem — this is the aspect of "greatness."

"Greatness" is identified with Creation itself: nature seems to conceal and even contradict Hashem's rule, but tzaddikim reveal that all of nature is animated by Hashem's vitality — and revealing this is the meaning of gadlus.

ושבת מעיד על זה.

And Shabbos testifies to this.

Shabbos is the standing testimony that Hashem created and rules all of nature — making it the day uniquely tied to this "greatness."

ובשבת זה מצוה ראשונה שעשו כלל ישראל.

And on this Shabbos [before the Exodus] was the first mitzvah that Klal Yisrael performed [together].

On the Shabbos before leaving Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael took the Korban Pesach lamb — their first collective mitzvah as a nation.

וכתב הרמב"ם ז"ל שאברהם אע"ה הי' מצפה שיהי' אומה שלימה שיעידו על מלכותו ית' והבטיחו השי"ת ואעשך לגוי גדול ובשבת זה שעשו בנ"י מצוה ראשונה ביחד נתברר זה לכך נקרא שבת הגדול.

And the Rambam, of blessed memory, wrote that Avraham Avinu was longing for there to be a complete nation that would testify to His kingship, and Hashem promised him, "and I will make you into a great nation (goy gadol)" (Bereishis 12:2); and on this Shabbos, when Bnei Yisrael performed their first mitzvah together, this was realized — therefore it is called "Shabbos HaGadol."

Avraham yearned for a whole nation that would proclaim Hashem's kingship, and was promised he would become a "great nation." When Bnei Yisrael first acted as one nation on this Shabbos, that promise of "greatness" was fulfilled — hence "Shabbos HaGadol."

וגם אברהם אע"ה נקרא אדם הגדול כו'.

And Avraham Avinu, too, is called "the great man (ha-adam ha-gadol)," etc. (Yehoshua 14:15).

The same theme of "greatness" attaches to Avraham himself, who is described as the greatest of men — the one who began revealing Hashem's kingship in the world.

גם אמר כי משבית גיאות וגדלות אחר שמבלעדי מלכות השי"ת והוא השבתת חמץ ע"ש מתק לשונו.

He also said that [Shabbos] nullifies haughtiness and self-importance (ge'us u-gadlus), since apart from the kingship of Hashem [there is nothing] — and this is the "removal of chametz" (hashbasas chametz); see there the sweetness of his words.

The same root "Shabbos" (from "cease") teaches that this day nullifies arrogance, for nothing exists outside Hashem's rule. This nullification of the puffed-up "leaven" of ego parallels the mitzvah of removing chametz before Pesach.

ובאמת שבת נקרא ע"ש השביתה שכל דבר חוזר ומתדבק בשורשו.

And indeed Shabbos is named for "ceasing" (shevisah), in that everything returns and reattaches to its root.

The very name Shabbos signifies the cessation of activity through which every created thing reconnects to its divine source.

וג"כ נק' ע"ש השבתה כי בגסות אין אני והוא יכולין לדור.

And it is also named for "removal" (hashbasah), for with coarseness (gasus/arrogance), "I and he cannot dwell [together]" (cf. Sotah 5a, said of the arrogant and the Shechinah).

Shabbos also means removing the coarse ego, since arrogance and the Shechinah cannot coexist — the haughty "I" must be cleared away for Hashem's presence to rest.

ועיקר שבת לברר זה שגם מה שנראה נפרד וכח בפ"ע.

And the essence of Shabbos is to clarify this — that even what appears separate and an independent power [of its own].

The core purpose of Shabbos is to reveal the truth about things that seem to exist as self-standing, independent forces.

הוא רק מהשי"ת.

Is in truth only from Hashem.

Nothing has independent existence; every apparent power is wholly sustained by Hashem alone.

כמ"ש במזמור שיר ליום השבת מה גדלו מעשיך כו' מאוד עמקו כו' [ויש עומק רום ועומק תחת וזהו מאוד עמקו כמ"ש טוב מאוד כו' והבן].

As it is said in "A psalm, a song for the Shabbos day": "How great are Your works… exceedingly deep are [Your thoughts]…" (Tehillim 92:6) — [and there is "depth of height" and "depth of below," and this is "exceedingly deep," as it is said "very good (tov me'od)," understand this].

The Shabbos psalm praises the "greatness" and "depth" of Hashem's works. The Sefas Emes hints that "exceedingly" (me'od) signals depths reaching both upward and downward — the same "me'od" as in "very good" — pointing to how far Hashem's life-force penetrates.

בפרוח רשעים כו' לברר כי חיות הכל מהשי"ת וזהו בחי' גדולתו של יוצר בראשית [וכן מ"ש גדולים מעשי ה' שיש גם בעשיה דרושים לכל חפציהם כי איש בער לא ידע כו'.

"When the wicked flourish…" (Tehillim 92:8) — [the purpose is] to clarify that the life-force of everything is from Hashem; and this is the aspect of the "greatness" of the Former of Creation. [And likewise it says, "Great are the works of Hashem, sought out by all who desire them" (Tehillim 111:2) — that even in the realm of "doing/action" (asiyah) they are "sought out by all who desire them," for "a boorish man does not know," etc.]

Even the flourishing of the wicked ultimately serves to make clear that all vitality comes from Hashem — this is His "greatness" as Creator. The "works of Hashem" are "sought out" even within the lowest realm of action, though the boor fails to perceive it.

ואתה מרום לעולם ובמד' קדושים לעולם ידך בעליונה שיש בכל דבר חיותו ית' כמ"ש שם בדברי אא"ז מו"ר ז"ל]:

"But You are exalted forever" (Tehillim 92:9), and in the Midrash [on] "holy ones forever, Your hand is uppermost" — that in every thing there is His life-force, as is written there in the words of my grandfather, my teacher and master, of blessed memory.]

Even as Hashem is "exalted forever," His "hand is uppermost" within every thing — His vitality is present and supreme inside all of creation, as the Chiddushei HaRim taught.

Summary: "Shabbos HaGadol" is named for "greatness" (gadlus), which the Sefas Emes identifies with the act of Creation: nature appears to oppose Hashem's kingship, but tzaddikim and Shabbos reveal that all of nature lives only by Hashem's life-force. On this Shabbos Bnei Yisrael first acted as one nation in mitzvah, fulfilling Avraham's promised "great nation." Shabbos also "removes" the arrogant ego that cannot coexist with the Shechinah and reattaches every separate thing to its root — clarifying that nothing exists independently of Hashem.