The Shabbat That Changed Everything: Rediscovering Your Worth Before Passover

What the forgotten miracle of Shabbat HaGadol teaches us about self-worth, redemption, and why you are worthy — no matter your past.

Did you ever feel like you're not good enough?

Like you don’t deserve a breakthrough? That your prayers don’t really matter — or that you don’t really matter?

Before the Exodus from Egypt, there was a miracle that most people have never even heard of. A miracle that happened on the Shabbat before Passover, known as Shabbat HaGadol — the “Great Shabbat.” But this Shabbat wasn’t just a historical footnote. It was the turning point for a broken, guilt-ridden nation to believe in themselves again.

The Untold Civil War in Egypt

Jewish tradition teaches that on the 10th of Nissan, four days before the Exodus, a civil war broke out within Egypt. The Egyptians turned on each other — a stunning prelude to the upcoming liberation. Strangely, we don’t commemorate this miracle on the date it happened (10 Nissan), but rather on the day of the week — Shabbat.

Why?

Because that Shabbat carried something much deeper than a historical event. It marked the moment when the Israelites, still immersed in Egyptian idolatry, began reclaiming their identity — not just as a nation, but as individuals worthy of redemption.

Tying the Sheep to the Bedpost

On that Shabbat, the Israelites performed a bold act: they tied lambs (the Egyptian gods) to their bedposts in preparation for the Passover sacrifice. They knew this would enrage the Egyptians. They knew it could start a war. But they trusted God — and God responded.

A miracle occurred: the Egyptians were unable to harm them. Some sources say their mouths were sealed, their limbs paralyzed. But the real miracle wasn’t just physical protection — it was spiritual transformation.

The Power of Shabbat to Clean the Soul

According to Jewish law, anyone who keeps Shabbat fully — even once — can merit complete forgiveness, no matter their past. That Shabbat in Egypt was more than symbolic. It was the nation's teshuvah, their moment of turning back, of re-aligning with something higher. They kept Shabbat properly, and it elevated them from being slaves of Pharaoh to being souls worthy of redemption.

They didn’t feel worthy.

They were scared, insecure, spiritually lost.

But Hashem didn’t redeem them because of what they had done — He redeemed them for what they could become. Because they started walking toward Him.

Your Direction Matters More Than Your History

Many people today feel like those ancient Israelites: guilty, burned out, spiritually disconnected. But your past doesn’t define your worth — your direction does. Shabbat HaGadol reminds us that even if your life feels messy, your movement toward growth is enough.

Sitting at your Shabbat table? That’s God’s table. Your voice singing at that table? That’s a VIP invitation to Divine presence. The mitzvah of Shabbat isn’t a performance — it’s a statement: you matter.

Not because of what you’ve done. But because you were created in His image.

Final Thought: You Are Redeemable

On this Shabbat HaGadol, as we prepare for Passover, let this truth sink in: God didn’t wait for perfect people to redeem. He redeemed idol worshippers. He redeemed a frightened nation who didn’t think they were worthy.

And He sees you the same way. for more videos click here