A small opening births redemption

למה הקדים לקיחתו כו'.

"Why did the taking of it (the Pesach lamb) precede [the slaughter by four days]?"

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrashic question of why Bnei Yisrael were commanded to set aside the korban Pesach four days in advance.

ואת ערום וערי' ולא היה בידם מצות לגאול ונתן להם ב' מצות כו'.

"And you were naked and bare" (Yechezkel 16:7) — they had no mitzvos by which to be redeemed, so He gave them two mitzvos, etc. (the blood of the Pesach and the blood of the milah).

At the moment of redemption Bnei Yisrael were spiritually "bare," lacking merit, so Hashem gave them two mitzvos to make themselves worthy of geulah.

דאיתא במדרש פתחי לי אחותי רעיתי שבכל הד' מלכיות צריכין לפתוח פתח של גאולה.

For it is taught in the Midrash on "Open for Me, My sister, My beloved" (Shir HaShirim 5:2): that in each of the four exiles (malchuyos) they need to open some opening of redemption.

In every galus, redemption begins only when Bnei Yisrael themselves first make a small "opening" — an initial movement toward Hashem.

ואיתא פתחו לי כחודה של מחט ואני אפתח לכם כפתחו של היכל.

And it is taught: "Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening like the gates of the Heichal (the Sanctuary)."

Hashem asks only for the tiniest beginning from us; in response He opens vast gates of help from His side.

וכן במצרים רצה הקב"ה שיפתחו בנ"י איזה פתח קטן במצות לקיחת הפסח.

And so in Mitzrayim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu wanted Bnei Yisrael to open some small opening through the mitzvah of taking the Pesach lamb.

The four-day setting-aside of the lamb was precisely that small opening — Bnei Yisrael's initial act of devotion from below.

וכתיב וראה את הדם כו' ופסח ה' על הפתח.

And it is written: "and He will see the blood... and Hashem will pass over the opening (pesach)" (Shemos 12:23).

The Torah's word "pesach" (doorway/opening) is read as the very spiritual opening Bnei Yisrael made.

זה הפתח שפתחו בנ"י.

This is the opening that Bnei Yisrael opened.

The "opening" over which Hashem passed corresponds to the small beginning made by Bnei Yisrael.

ופסח וחמל או ודלג היינו שאותו משהו שפתחו בנ"י הי' חביב לפני הקב"ה וחמל על זה הפתח והרחיב והגדיל והרים זו הנקודה עד מעשה אבות כמ"ש מדלג על ההרים כו'.

And "pasach" means "had mercy" or "skipped over" — meaning that the small bit that Bnei Yisrael opened was precious before HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and He had mercy on this opening, and widened and enlarged and raised this point up to the deeds of the Avos, as it is written: "skipping over the mountains" (Shir HaShirim 2:8).

The tiny opening was so beloved to Hashem that He expanded it, lifting that small "point" of devotion and connecting it all the way up to the towering merit of the Avos ("the mountains").

שקישר מעשה הבנים למעשה האבות.

For He bound the deeds of the children to the deeds of the fathers.

Hashem linked the modest mitzvah of the children to the great spiritual achievements of the Avos, giving it lasting power.

כמ"ש והגעתם אל המשקוף כו' המזוזות שרומז לג' אבות כמ"ש במ"א.

As it is written: "and you shall touch the lintel... and the two doorposts" (Shemos 12:22), which alludes to the three Avos, as explained elsewhere.

The lintel and two doorposts marked with the blood hint at the three Avos, showing that the children's mitzvah was attached to the merit of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.

ועל זה נאמר אחות לנו קטנה שהגם שזה הדביקות הוא רק משהו.

And about this it is said: "We have a little sister" (Shir HaShirim 8:8) — that although this deveikus (attachment to Hashem) is only a small bit.

The "little sister" represents Bnei Yisrael's small, fledgling devotion — modest in size.

מ"מ אם היא כחומה נבנה עלי'.

Nevertheless, "if she is a wall, we will build upon her" (Shir HaShirim 8:9).

If that small devotion is firm and steadfast like a wall, then great structures of redemption can be built upon it.

ובנה הקב"ה יסוד כל הגאולה והתורה על זו הנקודה שפתחו בני ישראל.

And HaKadosh Baruch Hu built the foundation of the entire geulah and the Torah upon this point that Bnei Yisrael opened.

The whole edifice of the redemption and the giving of the Torah rests on that one small opening of devotion made in Mitzrayim.

ובאמת זה בא ללמד על הכלל כולו אפילו בכל אדם בפרט כשפותח משהו פתח והוא אצלו כחומה יכול לבוא מזה לידי גאולה שלימה.

And in truth this comes to teach about the whole principle, even for every individual person: when he opens some small opening, and it is to him like a wall (firm and steadfast), he can come from this to a complete redemption.

The lesson applies to every Jew in his own life: a small but solid beginning in avodah can grow into a complete personal geulah.

ועיקר הפי' ופסח ה' על הפתח שחל שמו הקדוש על הפתח כמ"ש וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך.

And the essential meaning of "and Hashem will pass over the opening" is that His holy name rested upon the opening, as it is written: "And all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they will fear you" (Devarim 28:10).

"Passing over the opening" really means that Hashem's name came to rest on that opening — the divine Presence settled upon the small devotion Bnei Yisrael showed.

ועל זה מבקשין ויהי נועם ה' עלינו.

And about this we pray: "May the pleasantness of Hashem be upon us" (Tehillim 90:17).

We ask that Hashem's pleasantness and name should likewise rest upon us, just as they rested upon that opening.

ובנ"י קיימו מצוה הראשונה בשמחה רבה כמ"ש ויעשו כו' כאשר צוה ה'.

And Bnei Yisrael fulfilled the first mitzvah with great joy, as it is written: "and they did... as Hashem commanded" (Shemos 12:28).

Their first mitzvah was performed with wholehearted simchah, exactly as commanded, and this joy gave it its enduring potency.

ולכן נשאר שם מיוחד לשבת זה שזכרו לעולם אותו היום שזכו לקיים מצוה ראשונה בשמחה:

Therefore a special name remained for this Shabbos (Shabbos HaGadol), so that the day on which they merited to fulfill the first mitzvah with joy would be remembered forever.

Shabbos HaGadol carries its distinctive name precisely to commemorate forever that day when Bnei Yisrael joyfully performed their very first mitzvah, making the small opening that became the foundation of all redemption.

Summary: At the redemption from Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael had no merits, so Hashem asked only that they make a tiny "opening" — taking the Pesach lamb. That small but firm act of devotion was so beloved that Hashem expanded it, linking the children's deeds to the merit of the Avos and building upon it the foundation of the entire geulah and the Torah. The lesson endures for every Jew: a small, steadfast beginning in avodah, done with joy, can grow into complete redemption — and this is why Shabbos HaGadol bears its name, commemorating the first mitzvah fulfilled with great joy.